Sponsored Project Financial Specialist

University of Colorado Anschutz – Office of Grants & Contracts, Financial Services

About the role

The Office of Grants and Contracts (OGC) provides central administration of research awards, serving principal investigators and administrators in obtaining and managing extramural funds in compliance with university and sponsor guidelines. The university manages a large, diverse portfolio of sponsored research, including Federal NIH and NSF grants, Federal contracts, State grants and contracts, private industry clinical trials, and association grants.

This position is responsible for the creation and closeout of awards/projects within the system, approving budget and expense activity, invoicing, and assisting departments in the fiscal management of their sponsored projects through central post-award support. At the Senior level, this role operates independently with minimal supervision, serves as a department resource, and participates in process improvement working groups with internal and external partners.

We are looking for someone with positive energy, motivation, vision, and a desire for continuous learning; a strategic mindset and forward-thinking approach; a belief that strong relationships are key to success; a can-do attitude; and a focus on providing solutions based on the requirements and necessary outcomes of those we serve.

Responsibilities

• Sponsored Projects Award Modifications and Setup (15%)
  • Review all awards for terms and conditions, billing and payment information, reporting requirements, and other provided details to perform setup in the PeopleSoft Grants system.
  • Communicate with sponsors if F&A rate or dollars have not been applied correctly.
• Award Invoicing/Billing (10%)
  • Complete monthly and quarterly billing of contracts to create account receivables.
  • Work with sponsors and departments to address invoicing concerns, questions, and actions.
  • Submit invoices to sponsors according to award/contract requirements.
• Financial Reporting Creation & Submission (15%)
  • Prepare and submit financial reports by the due date, including Federal Financial Status Reports and non-Federal Reports of Expenditure, based on sponsor deadlines.
  • Perform tasks to determine if changes are needed to bring the project into compliance with sponsor requirements.
• Financial Management of Awards/Projects (10%)
  • Monitor project budgets, indirect cost rates and charges, overspending, and fiscal and sponsor compliance.
  • Use the grants WorkCentre and other tools to monitor the portfolio, analyzing data to ensure accuracy. Communicate tool deficiencies to leadership for improvement.
• Award Closeouts (15%)
  • Perform closeout tasks to ensure deliverables are met, cash balance is zero, outstanding encumbrances are cleared, cash transfers are completed, and revenue reconciliation is finalized.
  • Monitor projects at least quarterly to ensure revenues are applied correctly in PeopleSoft by reconciling accounts receivable and revenue recognition processes.
• Sponsored Projects Cost Transfers Review and Approval (20%)
  • Monitor the reallocation of expense approvals for compliance with policies.
  • Apply documentation to explain errors and support transactions for review.
• Sponsored Projects Subcontract Review and Approval (15%)
  • Investigate sub-award agreements for the budget period and analyze contract language to determine if carry forward is allowed.
  • Ensure no changes are required for partially executed contracts. If errors are found, communicate them to the contracts team for review and correction.
• Customer Service (ongoing)
  • Conduct regular meetings with departments and respond timely and professionally to emails and phone calls from sponsors, principal investigators, department administrators, and other OGC units.
• Senior Professional Key Responsibilities
  • In addition to the duties above, appointments at this level will join process improvement working groups with internal and external parties.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications
  • Intermediate Level:
    • A bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, social/behavioral sciences, physical sciences, nursing, healthcare, finance, accounting, business administration, business, or a directly related field from an accredited institution.
    • At least one (1) year of professional experience in grants, contracts, finance, expense/federal reporting, or a related field.
    • Substitution: A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may substitute for the bachelor’s degree on a year-for-year basis.
  • Senior Level:
    • A bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, social/behavioral sciences, physical sciences, nursing, healthcare, public administration, finance, accounting, business administration, business, or a directly related field from an accredited institution.
    • At least two (2) years of professional experience in grants, contracts, finance, expense/federal reporting, or a related field.
    • Substitution: A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may substitute for the bachelor’s degree on a year-for-year basis.

  Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

• Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in the administration of sponsored research or other central research-related office in higher education, government, or other entities engaged in sponsored research.
  • General accounting and/or financial experience.
  • Experience with process documentation and process improvement.

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels.
• Strong interpersonal, teamwork, and customer service skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications (Excel, Access, Word).
• Excellent time and workflow management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.

Schedule

This role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of a minimum of 2 days per week on campus, with additional days as needed for training, in-person meetings, or during peak times.

Benefits

University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package, including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options.
• Dental: Multiple plan options.
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision.
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of gross pay.
• Paid Time Off:
  • Vacation Days: 22 days/year (maximum accrual 352 hours).
  • Sick Days: 15 days/year (unlimited maximum accrual).
  • Holiday Days: 15 days/year.
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses.
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service.
• Many additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage.

This position may be eligible for overtime compensation, depending on the level. Total compensation extends beyond base pay, including generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions.

Pay

The starting salary range for this position is:

• Intermediate Level: $55,000 - $66,541
• Senior Level: $60,000 - $71,936

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. The university is unable to provide work visa sponsorship or employment authorization for this position now or in the future.