Director, Contracts and Grants Accounting

Job Description Summary:

Provides leadership, management and strategic direction in the performance of a comprehensive set of post award financial functions: billing and financial reporting, accounts receivable, collections, compliance, award close-out, and other critical accounting functions. Supervises and coordinates the activities of supervisors and senior level staff. Collaborates with finance business partners, contract managers, and finance functional leaders through an integrated finance office to implement and maintain effective and efficient sponsor financial reporting and invoicing procedures.

Has primary responsibility for one or more specialized financial and accounting functions for the institution. Ensures longer-term functional objectives are translated into shorter-term tasks, and establishes processes/procedures to ensure the effective and efficient operation of a somewhat complex function. Has authority to take whatever action deemed advisable or necessary, subject only to organizational and departmental policies and rules. Provides innovative solutions to complex problems that impact program's or project’s success. Serves a resources to others. Must directly manage exempt level employees. May manage nonexempt employees directly or through supervisors/leads.

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

• Oversees the billing and collection function for contracts and other awards from the Academies’ Federal and private sponsors.  Accountable for unbilled and aged receivables and works with Contracts & Grants Accounting (CGA) staff, finance business partners, and other team and functional leaders to resolve issues. 

• Maintains seamless and integrated processes that supports timely sponsor financial reporting and invoicing. Co-leads cross-functional administration of sponsor financial management and award compliance activities.  Works closely with program financial support teams to provide ensure seamless customer service to program divisions and sponsors, consistent with the Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) core values and service level agreements

• Directs accounting for contracts and grants, including project accounting set-up and overseeing month-end and year-end close processing, journal entries, cost transfers, revenue recognition, and accounts receivable.

• Directs the preparation of audit schedules and supporting documentation for a wide range of internal, external, and regulatory audits.

• Maintains effective liaison with auditors and staff to facilitate audits of NASEM records and resolve any discrepancies.

• Oversees the closeout process, ensuring contracts and grants are closed-out in a timely and efficient manner.

• Provides leadership and mentors employees. Trains and develops employees to successfully perform current responsibilities and encourages development of staff.  Interprets and ensures consistent application of organizational policies.  Initiates personnel actions, including performance and compensation reviews and disciplinary actions.

• Serves as Subject Matter Expert for the financial system modules that support the accumulation of program costs, billing, and accounts receivable.

• Leads a multi-disciplinary group of employees in projects that will maintain integrity of the accounting records for sponsored awards. 

• Advises Finance Business Partners and other staff in administering post award financial information in accordance with NASEM policies and sponsors’ requirements regarding records, reports controls, and conditions governing expenditure of funds; provides training to program staff on allowable costs and project financial management. 

• Establishes and maintains procedures and guidelines for financial post award administration.  Ensures the procedures and guidelines are uniformly understood and properly administered

• Serves on various multi-disciplinary teams convened for special projects.

• Maintains an appropriate standard of confidentiality. When handling secure, privileged, sensitive, or confidential information and matters, maintains strict confidence and exercises care to prevent disclosure to others. Accesses confidential information for work-related reasons only, following the policies and procedures of the organization. Ensures that any privileged, sensitive, or confidential information is securely stored, disposed of, and transmitted according to the Institutional guidance. Ensures procedures are in place to maintain and protect confidentiality and to prevent disclosure. Trains and updates staff/team members on these issues periodically.

NONESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Related duties and special projects as assigned.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Required Knowledge, Skil