Research Accountant I

About the Role

Plans, directs, and manages accounting activities within Grants Management Accounting.

Responsibilities

• Performs entry-level professional accounting duties under general or close supervision, applying established policies, procedures, and accounting principles.
• Understands the life cycle of a grant, being able to comprehend and interpret sponsoring agencies contracts and guidelines. Apply this knowledge to the sections in the department, Grants Accounting (GA), Support Center (SC), and Cash Management (CM).
• Identifies problems and inconsistencies in all grant related activities to include budgets, post award expenses, overdrafts, billing, accounts receivables, and revenue for closeout review and determine appropriate corrective actions and procedures.
• Maintaining documentation for audit purposes or agency requests.
• Working with university departments, sponsoring agencies and any third-party agency systems needed.
• Performs statistical analyses to determine trends, estimates, and the impact of significant changes to sponsored awards.
• Monitors compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, sponsoring agency guidelines, federal, state, and University policies and procedures.
• Collects appropriate data and prepares federal, state, local and private financial statements and reports according to funding agency requirements. Reporting cost, revenues, property, cost-share data and any other requested information.
• Collaborate with internal departments to address any changes to the sponsoring award.
• Assists in the collection of and preparation of external audit materials.
• Provides training to campus as needed on sponsored projects processes.
• Assists in the training of new personnel within the Grants Management Accounting department.
• Assists with various special projects as needed, such as the testing of institutional software systems.
• Knowledge of all Microsoft Office software and able to learn and use institutional software systems, to include Peoplesoft, R&I Tools, GART, Milestones Database and Subcontract Database.
• Other duties as assigned.

Grants Accounting

• Responsible for all award set up in Peoplesoft, manages all accounting activity throughout the award life cycle, including budget and cost transfers, assisting with on demand requests.
• Prepares and submits financial reporting based on agency requirements.
• Works closely with multiple departments to ensure cost share requirements are set up and met in a timely manner.
• Reviews and processes all subcontract payment activity within the awards.
• Addresses any errors with pending transactions in collaboration with internal departments.

Support Center

• Reviews and approves payment documents in Peoplesoft with grant funding to include non-po vouchers, expense reports, APS forms, purchase requisitions, IDTs, E-forms and, SNOAs, working closely with university departments to resolve any compliance issue.
• Evaluates summer double deductions on grants, works directly with Budget department to have corrections processed in a timely manner.

Cash Management

• Runs billing process in PeopleSoft for award activity for all contract types, that includes CRB, LOC, and Fixed.
• Prepares billing reconciliation for invoice accuracy and reviews the unbilled transactions.
• Applies funds received both via check and ACH to corresponding invoices.
• Works on sponsor refunds and write offs.
• Responsible for reconciling AR account to GL activity.
• Responsible for preparing and maintaining the receivables aging reports.
• In constant communication with sponsoring agencies to obtain pending receivables.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Degree in Finance from four-year College or university
• Experience: No prior experience required.

Schedule

• 40 hours per week, standard Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
• Flexibility is required on evenings and weekends

Pay

• $45,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Benefits

• Medical, Prescription, Life Insurance and Wellness platform
• Voluntary Benefits: Dental, Vision, Additional life insurance, UT Flex, Short and Long-term disability plans
• Retirement Programs
• Longevity Pay
• Paid Vacation & Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Discounts & Perks
• Employee Education Assistance program
• And much more!