Grants Finance Analyst II

Position Summary

The mission of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) Office for Research is to facilitate the highest caliber of biomedical research, from basic to translational to clinical, among the VP&S faculty, students, and staff at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).

As a member of the Post-Award Team, the Grants Finance Analyst II contributes to CUIMC?s research mission by supporting grant-related post-award administrative activities for the basic sciences and other participating departments in VP&S.

In this role, the Analyst II will independently manage a sponsored award portfolio for faculty members with a wide range of research projects, in order to ensure compliance with federal, sponsor, and institutional regulations. Key areas of responsibility will include setting up accounts and budgets; conducting budget planning and projections; performing financial reconciliation; performing payroll accounting; and assisting with close-outs and reporting.

Responsibilities

Post-Award Grant Administration

• Independently maintains a portfolio of Sponsored Project accounts. Performs monthly budgeting, projecting, and reconciling of research finances for portfolio of accounts. Updates monthly portfolios and ensures continued accuracy of information.
• Leads monthly meetings with PIs to address financial portfolio. Drafts portfolio summaries to prepare for meetings, collaborates with manager on post-meeting summaries and action items.
• Sets up new grant accounts and budgets and modifies existing awards with new incoming funding, collaborating closely with Sponsored Projects Administration and senior team members as needed.
• Reviews and sets up subaward agreements, monitors and reviews all related subaward invoices to seek PI approval, ensure invoices are processed in a timely manner and set up new grant accounts and budgets.
• Trains under the direction of senior staff to deepen skills in financial analysis, management of multiple award types, and Notices of Awards and communication.
• Serves as initial point of review for accuracy of grant related invoice and expenditure payments, requisitions, purchase orders, interdepartmental invoices, expenditure corrections, and journal entries.
• Ensures that research funding is allocated and spent in accordance with PI plan and all applicable guidelines.
• Performs accurate and timely payroll accounting for assigned grant-related personnel, including initiating and documenting salary distributions, cost transfers, clearing suspense and repository accounts.
• Tracks internal and external support for faculty and research personnel.
• Manages award close out process and the University year end close-out procedures.
• Maintains records in accordance with internal procedures, demonstrating compliance with sponsor and sponsor agreements, and University regulations concerning project expenditures, equipment, and other fiscal concerns.
• Assists faculty with grant progress reports, necessary compliance documents, review of summary statements and responses.
• Supports updates to team trackers based on PI meetings and regular Sponsored Project needs.
• Performs all other duties as assigned within scope of practice and/or training.

Strategy and Continuous Improvement

• Continuously develops and maintains sound knowledge of federal rules and regulations that govern research grants as well as stays informed about sponsor terms and conditions for submitting and administering grant awards.
• Participates in and/or supports special team projects and initiatives.
• Supports management on implementation of improvements and changes.
• Keeps current on all organizational policies, goals, and initiatives.
• Successfully completes all required university, systems, and department trainings.

People and Stakeholder Management

• Works collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues, faculty, and other stakeholders on all aspects of grant administration.
• Contributes to team learning culture by mentoring Specialists, providing support to colleagues, demonstrating self-development, and keeping current on relevant professional development topics.
• Demonstrates professionalism and accountability in interactions with internal clients through clear, respectful, and timely communication and responsive follow-up.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 3 years of related experience, including prior post-award grant management experience.
• Knowledge of finance and accounting best practices as applied to grant management, good working institutional knowledge and knowledge of the principles of sponsored project financial management, and proficiency with online systems for grant management (e.g., eRA Commons, InfoEd, and ASSIST).
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, including strong Excel skills. Must possess advanced Excel skills, including familiarity with creation and use of complex pivot tables, lookup functions, and other features for formatting, manipulating, and analyzing data.
• Capacity to work with a high degree of independence and successfully within a deadline driven, multi-tasking operating environment.
• Project management skills, including leadership, technical project execution, stakeholder communication and team collaboration.
• Strong customer service orientation, with the ability to interact and collaborate positively, constructively and effectively with multiple constituencies.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and resourceful.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of sponsors and sponsor requirements.
• Familiarity with Columbia systems.