Finance and Accounting Senior Professional

About the Role

The Senior Finance and Accounting Professional serves as a departmental lead for financial management in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder. This position manages complex financial matters across research grants, contracts, auxiliary funds, and departmental accounts, ensuring compliance with GASB principles, state fiscal rules, and university policies. The role provides strategic guidance, advanced problem-solving, and mentorship to junior staff while collaborating with faculty, Principal Investigators, and campus partners to advance the department's research and academic mission.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Award Financial and Administrative Duties:
  • Advise faculty on proposals and awards, including budgets, forms, and regulatory requirements.
  • Draft budget justifications for proposals upon request.
  • Communicate with the Department Chair and Manager of Finance and Operations for large and complex proposals.
  • Provide detailed financial information regarding proposal cost share requests.
• Post-Award Financial and Administrative Duties:
  • Oversee and analyze assigned research funds, ensuring compliance with regulations.
  • Maintain awareness of award terms and conditions.
  • Convene project kick-off meetings for new awards.
  • Design and implement internal accounting procedures.
  • Perform post-award management, including subcontracts and grant closeouts.
  • Reconcile and forecast project expenditures.
• General/Ad Hoc Financial and Administrative Support:
  • Oversee general, auxiliary, gift, royalty, and plant funds.
  • Mentor junior staff and provide training.
  • Serve as a liaison with campus units.
  • Provide financial leadership for department events.
  • Solve complex financial challenges and lead process improvement projects.
• Reconciling, Analyzing, Reporting, and Projecting:
  • Develop and present advanced financial reports to senior leadership.
  • Review funding levels and process additional funding requests.
  • Reconcile expenses and ensure compliance with regulations.
  • Maintain multiyear budget projections.
• Purchasing Support:
  • Oversee procurement requests for budget availability and sponsor allowability.
  • Lead process improvement initiatives for procurement and reimbursement.
  • Ensure compliance with policies for expenditures and procurement card reports.
• Personnel & Payroll Support:
  • Advise faculty on budget forecasting for personnel.
  • Support new hires and funding assignments.
  • Coordinate tuition remission waivers for graduate students.
  • Review fellowship awards for graduate research assistants.
• Summer Research Support:
  • Oversee faculty summer research payroll, ensuring compliance.
• Collaboration and Professional Development:
  • Back up team members and participate in campus initiatives.
  • Attend training and professional development events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• 3 years of professional-level financial management and administrative support experience.

Skills

• Outstanding customer service skills.
• Ability to serve as a subject matter expert and mentor junior staff.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to solve complex, non-standard problems independently.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule: 2 days a week on campus. Standard business hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday. On-campus presence may be required during onboarding, training, and professional development events.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $68,000-$72,000 annually.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance; and an ECO Pass for local transit. Access to world-class outdoor recreation and additional perks through the CU Advantage program.