Senior Research Financial Compliance Analyst

University of North Texas - Fort Worth, TX

Full-time - Mid Level

Fort Worth, TX

10,001+ employees

Educational Services

About the position

The Senior Research Financial Compliance Analyst at the University of North Texas Health Science Center plays a crucial role in ensuring the financial integrity and compliance of research projects. This position is situated within the Office of Sponsored Programs Accounting, which collaborates closely with the Office of Sponsored Programs to manage externally sponsored funds. The analyst will be responsible for various financial compliance tasks, including managing time and effort reporting, overseeing sub-recipient invoicing, and ensuring adherence to institutional policies, federal regulations, and sponsor requirements. This role is essential for maintaining accurate financial reporting, award closeouts, and cash management of both sponsored and non-sponsored projects. The analyst will also be tasked with developing and delivering complex training sessions on research administration topics to ensure compliance with federal and state policy changes. They will actively participate in testing new systems and process improvements, providing valuable feedback to enhance operational efficiency. Additionally, the Senior Research Financial Compliance Analyst will serve as a campus expert on issues related to research administration, particularly in high-risk audit areas, to mitigate risks across the university. This position requires a strong understanding of accounting principles, contract and grant procedures, and research administration processes, particularly post-award management. The analyst will work collaboratively with various departments and stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate submission of financial documents and reports, thereby minimizing financial risk to the university and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for accurate billing, accounts receivable management and financial reporting for highly complex awards to minimize financial risk to the University, ensuring compliance to avoid fines and penalties.
• Responsible for highly complex award administration including accurate processing of cost transfers journals with a high degree of accuracy to minimize liability to the University, new award review for quality checks, assists with audits, utilizes multiple sponsor and internal electronic systems and websites, data entry, and electronic files.
• Develops and delivers complex campus-wide training on a wide array of research administration topics to ensure compliance with federal/state policy changes.
• Actively participate in testing of new systems and process improvement and provide feedback.
• Remains current on issues in field of research administration to serve as a campus expert and mitigate risk campus-wide, including high-risk audit areas of research administration.
• Develops and implements various financial reporting tools to ensure compliance with changes and accurate reporting to sponsoring agencies with varying levels of legal and financial risk, including development of internal controls.
• Work with Principal Investigator and Departmental Administrators on proper closeout of projects including account analysis and directing department on processing transactions required to close out sponsored project account timely.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of sub-recipient invoices, verifying compliance with sub-award agreements and sponsor regulations.
• Review and approve sub-recipient invoices, ensuring costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
• Track and monitor sub-recipient expenditures against approved budgets to ensure proper use of funds.
• Reconcile sub-recipient invoices with internal records and address any discrepancies.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for sub-recipients regarding invoicing matters, facilitating effective communication and issue resolution.
• Coordinate the preparation and submission of effort reports, ensuring timely and accurate reflection of employee time spent on various projects.
• Ensure effort reports are certified by appropriate personnel and match documented work.
• Conduct regular internal audits of effort reporting to ensure compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and four (4) years' of accounting, professional business administration, grant and contract administration, or research administration experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Strong knowledge of contract and grant procedures and ability to apply the accounting practices.
• Strong knowledge of principles, concepts, and theories of accounting.
• Thorough understanding of key attributes in PeopleSoft or similar Accounting System and its impact on reporting, billing, and recovering costs.
• Knowledge of research administration processes particularly post award research administration.
• Experienced with OMB Uniform Guidance, Cost Accounting Standard (CAS).
• Strong working knowledge of Excel.
• Ability to independently diagnose and solve problems using sound judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to independently analyze accounting transactions and reconcile financial information.
• Strong customer service skills. Work collaboratively with different process partners.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Able to build positive working relationships with departments, various process partners in the university, and within the organization up/down/side levels.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of federal regulations (e.g., Uniform Guidance) and sponsor guidelines.

Benefits

• Commensurate salary based on experience
• Retirement eligibility under TRS
• Comprehensive health insurance options
• Paid holidays and vacation time
• Professional development opportunities
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible work schedule options