Research Financial Analyst

Responsibilities

1. Provides post-award financial administration and management of contracts and grants administration, gifts, endowments, and privately funded projects for faculty research programs in accordance with organization policy and agency requirements.
2. Responsible for complex analysis and coordination of the financial aspects of Contracts, Grants, Clinical Trials, and Discretionary funds management for Principal Investigators (PIs) and their laboratories.
3. Key aspects of the position include interfacing with the Departmental Divisions and Finance Office, the UCSF Office of Research, the UCSF Controller’s Office, Supply Chain Management, the UCSF Development Office, the UCSF Human Resources Office, and extramural and intramural sponsors.
4. Ensure that the awards/gifts/discretionary funds of his/her assigned PIs are managed rigorously according to sponsor, UC, and departmental requirements and following planning, budgeting, and spending practices that are efficient and minimize audit risk.
5. Prepare and provide monthly portfolio reports to PIs and other stakeholders that summarize and provide sufficient detail for financial review and planning.
6. Prepares journal entries, payroll funding entries, and retroactive payroll expense corrections.
7. Maintains and reconciles ledger accounts in a timely manner.
8. Aid PIs in reviewing and certifying award verification via the UCSF Award Verification portal in a timely manner.
9. Applies professional knowledge/experience to prepare, review, and/or approve financial transactions such as Supplies/Services purchases via BearBuy and Expense Reports via Concur.
10. Meet monthly (no less than quarterly) to review portfolio status, planning, and to provide guidance and counsel on complex research administration matters, including compliance regulations, to principal investigators and department administrators.
11. Participate in training/educational sessions designed to increase knowledge of professional research administration concepts and practices, and department, University, and/or funding agency processes and policies.
12. Assist PIs and collaborate with the Pre-award team to prepare complex proposal budgets and support documents that are required by proposal guidelines.
13. Assists in support of audit as directed by senior staff and performance division financial support through updating funding distribution and journal processing.
14. Independently gathers information to perform financial analysis and other ad hoc assignments as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training
• Minimum 3+ years of related experience
• Thorough understanding of research administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment.
• Ability to manage a significant volume of transactions.
• Ability to perform complex financial analysis and customized reporting.
• Demonstrated competence in the use of spreadsheet and database software in financial analysis, fiscal management and financial reports.
• Ability to maintain independent judgment; strong organization and communication skills; and a customer service focus across broad and diverse subject areas.
• Maintains current knowledge of compliance regulations in all areas of research administration.
• Demonstrated knowledge of effective grant funding processes, procedures, and techniques.
• Strong writing skills in a variety of styles to draft persuasive text for a variety of audiences while ensuring adherence to funding sponsors' guidelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of applicable compliance requirements related to the use of human or animal subjects in research, financial conflict of interest, biosafety, etc.
• Demonstrated knowledge of generally accepted accounting, fiscal, and reporting principles.
• Experience with clinical trials research administration.
• UCSF Post-award Management, Compliance, and Cost Transfers.