Finance Manager

About the Role

The Finance Manager (FM) collaborates with Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure smooth financial management and oversight of a diverse funding portfolio. The incumbent manages sponsored award portfolios for assigned PIs, including post-award financial reconciliation, budget planning and projections, and timely processing of all post-award financial activity such as salary changes and appointments. The FM serves as the first point of contact for all the PI’s post-award financial needs and works with post-award colleagues to ensure efficient processing and reconciliation of financial activities.

Responsibilities

• Award planning, including initial kick-off meetings for all related parties.
• Formulate financial projections and revise award budgets as necessary.
• Analyze expenses and projected spending to maximize the use of available funds and ensure compliance with sponsor, university, and Research Foundation requirements and policies.
• Assist with adhering to specific reporting guidelines and requirements set by external sponsors, including report format and content expectations.
• Create internal financial reports and conduct meetings with faculty members to review their research portfolios effectively.
• Periodically review the effectiveness of the financial reporting process and meeting structure, adjusting as necessary to improve efficiency and communication.
• Serve as the liaison between PIs and various administrative units across UB.
• Work collaboratively as part of a team and serve as a resource for other research administration staff.
• Foster a supportive environment, advocate for faculty members, and help overcome challenges in achieving funding goals.

Skills

• Relationship Building: Skill in building positive relationships with PIs, faculty members, and administrative colleagues.
• Advocacy: The capacity to advocate for the needs of PIs, foster a conducive atmosphere for realizing funding objectives, and maintain adherence to the intricate regulatory landscape of managing sponsored programs.

Benefits

Working at UB comes with benefits that exceed salary alone. Personal rewards include comprehensive health and retirement plan options. The university focuses on creating and sustaining a healthy mix of work, personal, and academic pursuits to support work-life effectiveness.

About the Organization

The University at Buffalo (UB) is one of America’s leading public research universities and a flagship of the State University of New York system, recognized for excellence and impact. UB is a premier, research-intensive public university dedicated to academic excellence, with research, creative activity, and people positively impacting the world. Like the city it calls home, UB is distinguished by a culture of resilient optimism, resourceful thinking, and pragmatic dreaming.