Associate Director of Research Administration – Accounting and Post Award Compliance

Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 STEM-focused research university focused on applied science and engineering, located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Mines’ talented graduates and faculty bring knowledge and solutions to serve industry and benefit society.

About the role

The Office of Finance, Administration and Operations (FA&O) provides critical support to Mines' mission and strategic initiatives while managing $325 million in operating activity, stewarding $1 billion in assets, and supporting 1,650 faculty and staff. Within FA&O, the Office of Research Administration (ORA) provides oversight and stewardship for approximately $100 million of annual sponsored research funding.

This position reports to the Senior Director of Business Services and is responsible for the overall financial management of ORA, including expense and deficit monitoring, financial reporting, cash management, revenue reconciliation, balance sheet activity, and closeout of sponsored projects. The Associate Director will build a technically strong team focused on providing high-quality service to faculty and campus partners, ensuring compliance with grant provisions, and maintaining transparent communications. This role will optimize business processes, leverage technology, and enhance financial and administrative systems while maintaining data integrity.

This position may be eligible for hybrid work in Colorado and requires a minimum of 3 days per week on campus in Golden, Colorado.

Responsibilities

Post-Award Department Leadership

• Build and manage the Post-Award team, including Research Accountants, Grant Administrators, Billing Specialists, and the Financial Compliance Analyst, handling all HR functions such as hiring, training, onboarding, performance reviews, and resolving personnel concerns.
• Determine work prioritization based on deadlines, workload complexity, and available resources; develop standard and ad-hoc reports for performance metrics.
• Resolve complex administrative or accounting issues, escalating to the ORA Director as needed.
• Develop and maintain a highly skilled, engaged, and service-oriented team; foster a respectful work environment capable of addressing new challenges and ad-hoc requests with accountability for accuracy.
• Ensure high-quality customer advising services to the campus community and implement service metrics and feedback reporting.
• Develop performance-based metrics and robust feedback loops between supervisors and employees.
• Promote professional development and continuous improvement within the team.
• Streamline support and user-facing resources to create a team known for creative problem-solving.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all Post-Award functions.
• Provide expertise and consultation on regulatory and policy issues and fiscal management of research projects to ORA staff, departmental administrators, and faculty.
• Stay current with federal regulations, OMB Circulars, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and Cost Accounting Standards; develop compliant policies and processes with strong internal controls.
• Assist in maintaining ORA’s Research Management software and the University’s financial system, specifically for Post-Award functions.
• Ensure adequate training materials and coordinate process changes with campus offices and faculty.
• Maintain quality control over financial data in Mines’ financial system.
• Develop Post-Award training materials for ORA staff and campus, including one-on-one trainings, larger sessions, and web-based communications.

Financial Stewardship and Reporting

• Oversee reconciliation of sponsored research accounts, including revenue, expenses, balance sheet activity, outstanding invoices, collection activity, subrecipient financial monitoring, and time and effort compliance certifications.
• Manage cash flow and financial reporting of research project expenditures and revenue; refer accounts receivables for write-offs or collections and authorize refunds to sponsoring agencies as needed.
• Ensure compliance with all financial and reporting requirements from sponsoring agencies; serve as the authorized organization official for financial report submissions.
• Analyze indirect cost revenue trends and ratios to forecast Mines’ indirect cost revenue; strategically align expenses for maximum reimbursement of the F&A rate.
• Oversee preparation of data for the University’s indirect cost rate proposal.
• Coordinate and prepare responses to audit requests; implement audit recommendations as necessary.
• Develop and enhance ORA’s fiscal reporting and analysis tools for ad-hoc analyses of sponsored research activity, rate-setting, and complex modeling.
• Build standard and ad-hoc reports using Mines’ business intelligence tools for financial monitoring by ORA staff and Mines’ Senior Leadership.
• Analyze data to identify compliance issues, accounting irregularities, and other concerns.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, or a related field.
• 10 years of progressive experience in accounting or financial management, with an in-depth understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial policies, and procedures in the public sector.
• 5 or more years of experience supervising professional staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, and evaluation.
• 5 or more years of progressive experience in sponsored project financial administration.
• Working knowledge of OMB Circulars and other pertinent external regulations.
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written).
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, including the ability to critically analyze information and make independent decisions.
• Demonstrated customer service skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies while meeting multiple deadlines.
• Experience with enterprise financial systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Public Accountant or other professional licensure.
• Working knowledge of public higher education systems.
• Experience with Workday, Banner (Ellucian), or other similar enterprise financial systems.

Pay

$110,000 - $140,000 annual salary. Mines considers a combination of candidate’s education, training, experience, the position’s scope and complexity, discretion and latitude required, work location, and external market and internal value when determining salary.

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options.
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year, including a week-long winter break.
• Fully vested retirement plan on the first day of employment, with generous employer contribution.
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50% discount for dependents).
• Free RTD Ecopass.
• Access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games.
• Access to the state-of-the-art Recreation Center (fitness classes, swimming pool, equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center).
• On-campus daycare center.