Job Details
Job Location
Torrance Campus - Torrance, CA
Position Type
FT 100% - 40 hours per week (FT Benefit)
Salary Range
$80000.00 - $95000.00 Salary
Description
Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst
Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA)
Overview
The Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst, Sponsored Projects Accounting (“SGCA”) serves as a member of the Sponsored Projects Accounting team within the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at The Lundquist Institute (“TLI”). The SCGA will be responsible for a portfolio of complex awards from various federal, state, local, and non-profit sponsors with major duties to include payment plan set-up; invoicing and federal drawdowns; payment processing; accounts receivables; external and internal financial reporting; financial award management; and closeout of sponsored awards.
The SGCA will also be responsible for providing comprehensive post-award management of sponsored funding that supports Institute policies, sponsored award terms and conditions, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations, supports and improves the financial expertise of SPA, and builds processes to support SPA and the TLI research community.
The SGCA works independently, is able to prioritize multiple duties and deadlines, and understands the importance of the research administration profession. The SGCA has a high degree of proficiency in research administration including sponsored administrative and financial management, reporting, and more complex award procedures and is able to problem-solve a wide range of issues with limited structure.
Responsibilities
• Responsible for timely set-up of sponsored awards financial information including all milestones within portfolio, manage, and monitor sponsored award accounts in TLIfinancial systems on a continuous basis
• Responsible for timely set-up of bill plans within portfolio; utilize standardized reporting queries to effectively maintain bill plan information in finance accounting system for all sponsored research accounts; review and implement approved requested research account updates
• Responsible for quality control verification of all Bill Plan setups monthly
• Responsible for timely billing of sponsored research awards within portfolio; create and generate invoices to sponsors for all sponsored contracts, including letter or credit (LOC) cost, prepaid and other scheduled invoices, and submit sponsor invoices to ensure timely payment for all non-LOC awards; research and obtain information required for invoices; communicate with sponsor contacts on a regular basis to ensure the delivery and receipt of invoices; run, review and analyze queries and reports to ensure that all invoices agree with the prebill report
• Provide analytical reports and/or analysis to management, as needed; identify any patterns or discrepancies within data
• Responsible for timely processing of payments received for sponsored research invoices within portfolio
• Responsible for the timely monitoring of accounts receivables of sponsored research invoices within portfolio; utilize Finance reports to review and analyze accounting data and unidentified accounts receivable billing and/or payment discrepancies; prepare and distribute reminder letters to sponsor contacts regarding outstanding receivables; contact sponsors on outstanding accounts receivable and past due invoices
• Responsible for award management of sponsored awardswithin portfolio; utilize finance reports to review and analyze accounting data to identify errors or areas of concern, and develop recommendations for solutions; monitor over expenditures, both billed and unbilled accounts receivable, deferred revenue, allowance for doubtful accounts and grants unapplied deposits to ensure monthly values are within target ranges; cost transfers and expenditures for sponsored awards to ensure allowability and allocability
• Provide assistance to Principal Investigators (PIs) and department administrators in interpreting sponsored award terms and conditions and maintaining best financial practices
• Work collaboratively with all PIs and department administrators to resolve issues related to budgets, date ranges, expenditures, invoicing, financial reporting, other reporting, and closeout as needed
• Responsible for timely approval of grant-related items, including but not limited to human resource actions (salary allocation forms, payroll journals), purchasing (new requisitions, changes, etc.), cost transfers (AP vouchers, journals, etc.) and expense reports
• Responsible for timely financial reporting of sponsored awards within portfolio
• Responsible for close-out of expired sponsored awards within portfolio; prepare sponsor refund requests related to sponsored awards; prepare all credit billing and small balance write-offs; utilize un-posting functionality to correct deposit applications; work with PI to transfer over expenditures to non-sponsored projects
• Responsible for analysis and distribution of operationalreports weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually as determined by reporting schedule; run Finance reports; analyze and distribute delivered and created reports
• Work closely with SPA leadership and administration to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements
• Work with SPA leadership to provide supporting documentation, and/or status updates for audit items within portfolio
• Participate in specialized training activities, developingdocumentation, and improving TLI business processesrelated to sponsored programs
• Perform other duties as assigned
Desired Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in business, finance or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience; Master's Degree in business, finance or related field preferred
• Five to seven years of relevant work experience directly related to sponsored research administration in a higher educational, academic medical center, or research institute setting
• Proficiency in Office of Management and Budget 2 CFR 200 (“Uniform Guidance”) regulations and NIH, Department of Defense, and other major funding agency policies, procedures, and payment mechanisms
• Familiarity with 2 CFR 200 requirements and the Single Audit process
• Advanced-level proficiency with enterprise-wide accounting system, general ledger accounting/financial systems; common desktop database & spreadsheet applications; proficiency in mathematical calculations and formulas in Microsoft Excel
• Demonstrated advanced-level ability with automated billing, accounts receivable and/or cash management systems and processes; reading, analyzing, and interpreting documents such as financial reports, accounts and ledgers
• Demonstrated advanced-level proficiency in analyzing accounting data, identifying errors and/or areas of concern, and making appropriate recommendations to resolve issues
• Ability to create an effective environment of self-audit to ensure accuracy of billing, deposit and collection functions
• Ability to maintain accurate records in accordance with sponsored requirements, applicable regulations, audit requirements, and Institute record retention policies
• Proven independent judgment in interpreting guidelines, adapting procedures, or recommending approaches or solutions to sponsored award management
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines with little to no supervision
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to speak comfortably with individuals at all levels, including faculty, administrators, sponsors, and other external collaborators
• Excellent writing, communication, organization, and execution skills required
• Ability to work in a deadline-driven, fast-paced environment, while prioritizing competing deliverables