Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Sponsored Projects (Remote) - Financial Services

Scheduled Hours

40

Position Summary

As one of the top Research Institutions in the country with roughly $900 million in funding, the AVC for Finance and Sponsored Projects directs the activities of Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) and the Office of Sponsored Research Services (OSRS) with a staff of 55 and has an annual budget of more than $4 million. Maintains dual reporting to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance & CFO and to the Vice Chancellor for Research. Leads and ensures proper administration for a broad set of operational and compliance functions that govern sponsored projects. SPA & OSRS serving as the official institutional signatory for the university's sponsored projects.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Key contact for faculty, departmental and central office staff, and executive management interacting with them on a regular basis, providing an excellent service orientation and offering assistance and expertise in sponsoring agencies policies and practices.

• SPA provides billing, accounts receivables, federal letters of credit and financial reporting to external sponsors (federal, state, local, non-profit, foundations, industry…), including the review and approval of expense transactions within the Workday (WD) FIN system. Partnering with the Controller’s Office, serves as the lead and point of contact for all internal and external (Federal, state, local & Uniform Guidance) audits. Accountable for the university's external financial reporting related to sponsored activities and the Federal Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Assistance (SEFA).

• Leads the OSRS organization responsible for reviewing and submitting proposals for extramural funding, ensuring proposals adhere to internal and external policies and to prevent delays in funding, review or return of applications. Specific reviews include budgets, regulatory assurances, internal policies, and agency requirements.

• Manages ongoing activities of the award process. Verifies and ensures the accuracy of awards and compliance adherence to internal and external regulatory requirements/assurances and functional space. Responsible for agency grant negotiations, overseeing the distribution of award notices and funded applications, and other agency correspondence. Sets up and maintains related accounts in WD FIN for all sponsored projects.

• Coordinates implementation of fringe benefit and F&A rates in WD and RMS for both SPA & OSRS.

• Coordinates and supports effort reporting cycles. Participates in discussions about effort reporting issues that arise from departments and internal audit. Works directly with the department to resolve.

• Optimizes the functionality of research-related systems (Monday.com/Workday/InfoEd) and provides guidance to steering committees and workgroups. Responsible for stewarding research data and partnering with the Data Governance team to ensure consistent definitions and accuracy of data. Supports the implementation and enhancement of electronic forms and metrics monitoring.

• Works closely with staff to provide the necessary training and development to keep pace with innovations in research and the administration process thereof. Establishes performance standards, assess training, development and education needs, and ensure that the competencies of SPA/OSRS staff are consistent with the scope of work required for the university to be successful.

• Directs department operations and leads in the design of department policies and procedures. In coordination with departmental leadership, plans and coordinates goals and objectives to ensure integration of workflow.

• Oversight for the recruitment and hiring of SPA positions, including participating in interviews, and addressing performance issues with staff.

• Collaborates with HR on workforce planning, additional budget requests, and compensation planning.

• Serves as Data Steward for Research Administration.

• Serves on IT governance committees – Administrative Domain Committee and Research Admin Subcommittee.

Working Conditions

• Remote position. 
• Travel to various campus locations associated with meetings with faculty, staff, and central offices as required. 
• Travel to Washington, DC and other domestic locations for professional meetings and seminars approximately six to eight times per year.

Preferred Qualifications

• Business degree with Finance and/or Accounting emphasis.
• Masters in Business Administration.
• Certified Public Accountant.
• Demonstrated effective financial analytic skills.
• Ability to formulate and translate complex financial, compliance and administrative matters into functional