(Remote) Senior Grants Resource Specialist - Sponsored Projects - West Virginia University

Description

The Shared Services Center at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for two (2) Senior Grants Resource Specialist positions.

About the Opportunity
The Sponsored Projects Accounting Grant Resource Specialists provide general financial and accounting support with award setup, billing, and financial reporting to comply with Federal and State regulations and University policy regarding post award accounting issues.   Ensures professional service and quality levels in all phases of post award financial management issues are achieved.   Provides deep functional expertise in the areas of research administration as it relates to federal state, agency award specific and university regulations, policies and procedures.  

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week 
  
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
  
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
  
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
  
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
  
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
  
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Contributes to institutional policy development and coordination and application of systems and procedure pertaining to sponsored funds administration. Includes rendering mandatory financial reports, billings, and invoices. Also includes preparing, submitting, and presenting executive briefings to Directors, Assistant Directors, Deans, Chairs, Principal Investigators, Business Officers, etc. on post award accounting issues affecting the University. Assists Director of Sponsored Projects Financial Management with analysis of post award related issues of the University/Corporation and development of recommendations for new policies, practices, and procedures. 
  
• Reviews and interprets all funding agency financial aspects of awards and determines applicability of generally accepted accounting principles, federal and state regulations, and institutional policies and practices. Develops, maintains and monitors comprehensive schedule for each award to ensure expenditure data is collected and accounted for in the institutional accounting system and reported to the appropriate sponsor. 
  
• Performs comprehensive review of all billing terms and conditions including timelines and deadlines to ensure compliance with all federal, state, and other regulations affecting grants, contracts or cooperative agreements. Includes implementation and utilization of all external invoicing and reporting systems covering the initiation of accounts, roles, set ups, security, maintenance and reconciliations. Incumbent is also responsible for all required training, site reviews and agency assistance pertaining to external accounting and billing systems as mandated by the sponsor. 
  
• Performs detailed closeout processes as required by federal, state, and other regulations on all University and Corporation sponsored agreements upon completion or termination. Responsible for the following activities as part of the closeout process: 
  
  • Detailed audit of expenditures to determine the allowability and allocability of direct costs as defined in the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Guidance, agency regulations, and award documents. 
    
  • Review of all billable expenditures for compliance and subsequent collection of account receivables. 
    
  • Validation of final billing or report in conforming to agency approved budget. 
    
  • Verification of fringe benefit rates and facilities and administration rates applied to amounts expended on award funds in conjunction with both negotiated rates and award terms and conditions. 
    
  • Verification and compilation of all applicable personnel service effort reports. 
    
  • Verification of associated cost sharing activity as required or defined in the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Guidance, agency regulations, and award documents. 
    
• Maintenance of complete file for each sponsored award and archival of file in accordance with institutional policy. 
  Directly responsible for accurate accounting and monitoring of receivables database in the accounting system at detailed level. Analyzes assets to determine appropriateness of each based on age of receivable, dollar amount, specific awarding agency and agency practice, institutional policy, and state law. Ensures accounts receivable are reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Provides monthly detailed report to Director regarding outstanding receivable issues. Assists Shared Services - Accounts Receivable staff in reconciling and posting of payments for sponsored research activity. 
  
• Responsible for developing and preparing managerial and operational reports regarding institutional accounts receivable using a variety of reporting tools and/or personal computer software. Analysis is utilized by central administration in determining expected University and Research Corporation cash flow. Information is also provided to external customers for review, analysis or other agency mandates or needs.
  
• Responsible for completing collection activities required by due diligence based on institutional policy and incumbent’s professional judgment. Includes monitoring accounts receivable and responding to payment issues. Also analyzes accounts receivable for viability and recommends accounts for collection agency, Court of Claims, legal action, and/or write-off. Once determinations are made, incumbent is responsible for placement of overdue accounts with collection agencies and any resulting communication or informational needs. 
  
• Responsible for notifying Principal Investigators, Deans, Chairs, and departmental business officers of problematic issues and following through to ensure resolution and appropriate accounting. Problems encountered are complex, varied and may require significant informal training of Principal Investigators and departmental support staff concerning institutional policy/procedure and federal and state agency requirements for sponsored awards. 
  
• Anticipates and analyzes operations and management information needs, responds by outlining reporting needs. Produces informational reports on as needed or periodic basis determined by operational needs utilizing various system reporting tools and/or personal computer software. 
  
• Serves as liaison between University/Corporation and external agencies/consultants concerning issues related to post award accounting. Requires interaction with internal and external sponsor personnel including Presidents, Vice Presidents, Chief Financial Officers, and other administrative and financial representatives. Also acts as institutional agent signing official certifications confirming expenditures are correctly reported and in compliance with applicable award terms and conditions. 
  
• Responsible for developing and maintaining thorough understanding of various modules of the University financial systems and their integration. Knowledge of Oracle modules (Human Resources, Accounts Payable, Grants Management, Accounts Receivable, and General Ledger) and how they integrate. Also, knowledge of State of West Virginia Accounting system and how it relates to revenue, expenditures, general ledger and cash is required. 
• Participates in job-related continuing education seminars and workshops. May involve in-state and out-of- state travel. 
• Trains university personnel including classified staff, non-classified staff and faculty on issues pertaining to financial management of sponsored research activity. Training can be informal or formal and pertains to award management in accordance with federal and state regulations, institutional policies and procedures, as well as individual award terms and conditions. Training also includes proper use of general accounting transactions and forms for sponsored activity and the use of appropriate reporting tools within Oracle Grants Management module. Training function may also include development of programs and materials and preparation of unit staff to deliver training programs to academic and research units 
• Carries out special projects (system testing, audit assistance, process reengineering, etc.) to achieve institutional missions and unit objectives as time and workload dictates. Participation may include coordinating, working with, or leading assigned project team on innovating new or improved methods of operation, developing policy or procedure drafts, and implementing new or improved system enhancements. 
• Retrieves archived data in electronic databases and stored paper formats to provide information to sponsors concerning various aspects of their accounts. 
• Acts as backup to Lead/Senior Corporate Accountant and other positions within unit and may on occasion be required to perform others' duties. 
• Positions also participate in several institutional processes as needed which may require limited amounts of weekend work hours.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• A minimum of two (2) years of combined experience in the following:
  • Accounting, banking, finance, or related field   
  • Project management experience
  • Work experience which provided analytical and communication skills
  • Customer service or related experience
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  
• Excellent computer skills with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe applications.
  
• Incumbent must possess the ability to work independently and carry out assignments with minimal supervision.
  
• Ability to analyze data, solve problems and provide useful reporting tools.
  
• Ability to prepare, manage and maintain budgets and financial reports and provide reconciliation reports among clustered accounts.
• Ability to learn and implement WVU, State, and Federal policies and procedures relative to budgetary and grant related matters.
  
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting Uniform Guidance and other federal regulations.
  
• Must be skilled in working with grants and contracts in a higher educational environment. 
  
• Incumbent must have excellent organizational skills and be able to work with a variety of constituencies and address complex issues in an accurate and timely manner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or other related field
• Experience in complex/high volume university/college/private entity business, accounting or finance department is preferred