"ORA Operations Coordinator"

ORA Operations Coordinator

Posting Number: JR107137
Location: Colorado

Engineering a world of possibilities
Mines Office of Research Administration (ORA) has a unique opportunity for a detail-oriented problem-solver to support the complex and integral work of the department.

ORA manages the research portfolio for the Colorado School of Mines including proposal development, contracting and accounting for externally sponsored research and other programs. For more on the department, please visit https://ora.mines.edu/.

In this role, you will partner closely with ORA Leadership and staff to coordinate both strategic priorities and operational duties for ORA. Your day will be filled with coordinating ORA's general operations, assisting with strategic projects, training of new ORA staff, supervising undergraduate student employees; developing and maintaining procedures, forms, and external communications; logging incoming awards into the ORA database; facilitating annual audit functions; assisting in the daily upkeep of the ORA database; and serving as ORA's expert in procurement and travel policies.

This position requires someone who thrives in supportive, yet autonomous roles with an adaptable and versatile approach to their work. In ORA no one day looks like another, so you'll need to be able to set priorities each day as you manage projects and route inquiries to the right person on the right team. You'll get to work with lots of campus partners and contractors, and you'll supervise student workers, too. This is a busy job, working with a top-notch team of research administration professionals in a supportive and dynamic environment. Sound like something you would like? Apply today!

This position is typically hybrid, with a mix of at-home and in-office work based on business needs. Candidates must be able to commute to campus in Golden, Colorado.

Primary Responsibilities

ORA Operations Coordination

• Ensure that office wide policies and procedures are kept current including making sure all new policies, procedures, forms, etc. are branded according to office and school conventions.
• Manage the operating budget for the office and will be responsible for estimating/forecasting budget needs, preparing accurate budget documents, ensure budget and expenses comply with school policy and recommend budget adjustments to Director. Analyze budget spending and optimize the budget based on spending data and past performance.
• Work closely with Director and the leadership team to monitor and achieve the ORA strategic plans and the FA&O Mines@150 strategic plan. Provide support related to long-term strategy planning and execution.
• Manage the procurement of all hardware, software and services related to ORA business. Maintain competency and a deep understanding of procurement policies and procedures.
• Develop internal reports for the management team. These reports will be focused internal metrics tailored to each unit. Examples include, account receivable reports, processing timelines, etc.
• Primary responsibility for maintaining the ORA website and making sure it stays current with ORA policies, procedures and federal regulations.
• Prepare communications to campus and other departments. Develop, maintain and present training materials for ORA as appropriate for campus. Supports ORA Staff with the creation and promotion of Training sessions.
• Process physical checks to Research Billing and the Bursar's office.
• This position will be responsible for maintaining and tracking professional development opportunities for ORA staff. This position will review upcoming webinars, conferences, etc. for content and make recommendations to management on ORA attendance.
• Coordinate quarterly ORA on-campus retreats and staff development meetings. This will include preparing the agendas and content, finalizing accommodations, and ensuring staff participation.
• Make travel arrangements and conference registration arrangements for ORA. Assist with the generation and submission of travel authorizations and travel expense reports via the travel and expense management system.
• Coordinate scheduling of various meetings and trainings as necessary. Manage the Director's calendars. Maintain ORA vacation and hybrid work calendars.
• Coordinate the hiring of new employees by scheduling interviews for hiring managers and interview committees. Ensure the new employee has all the equipment and electronic access they need - computer, monitors, etc.
• Oversee the first two weeks of training for new staff. Including Office function, School structure, strategic planning, unit specific tasks and general system walk through.
• Enter and inactive new Agencies into Banner/Workday and ensuring accurate sponsor coding in our financial and non-financial systems.
• Maintain profiles and granting appropriate permissions into the various systems. ORA maintains several profiles in external sponsor systems that need user management.

Award and Contract Processing

• Log all incoming awards actions, Research Contracts and At-Risks into the ORA database and routing to the appropriate Contract Administrator for review and approval. Monitor for actions that would delay the logging of an award, determine action steps to resolve the delay to ensure timely logging of the award, research contract or at-risk.
• Support and coordinate with Contract Administrator team regarding any necessary changes to be made to the award logging process. Responsible for responding to Mines Program Assistant queries related to award receipt questions.
• Create and manage the office's electronic filing system in compliance with the approved structure which includes the assignment of the grant number used in the school's financial system.
• Oversee the annual collection of audit certifications from sub-recipients which includes sending out the annual certification to every active sub-recipient, tracking who has returned a completed copy, following up for those that still need to submit and preparing the file for management review.
• Assist with other sub-recipient monitoring including the submission of required monthly federal reports such as those required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. Ensure accurate records are reflected in both external and internal tracking systems.

Post Award Administration

• This position is primarily responsible for the compliance and success of the federally required Time and Effort certification program each semester. This position will need to ensure that all Time and Effort certifications are completed in order to ensure compliance with federal regulations. This position will be primarily responsible for continuously maintaining process and audit documentation. This position will respond to Time and Effort audits and queries.
• Assist the ORA Director(s) with managing external audit requests, open record requests and other similar requests for information.
• Collect subrecipient invoices, reviewing for appropriateness, soliciting faculty approval, and entering into the financial system.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Administration, Accounting, Business, Finance, or equivalent advanced training and experience
• 3+ years of professional experience in an administrative environment (including budget formulation, execution, and analysis).
• Demonstrated experience in developing and providing trainings
• Moderate level Excel skills
• Excellent organization and communication skills
• Experience working successfully with a diverse constituency
• Excellent budget and bookkeeping skills
• Experience creating professional-quality documents including letters, meeting minutes, presentations, and reports

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working for a higher education institution
• Understanding of research administration

Salary and Benefits

$62,000 - $65,000

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate's education, training and experience as well as the position's scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes: Flexible health and dental care options, Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year - including a week-long winter break for entire campus, Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution, Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents), Free RTD Ecopass.

How to Apply

Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status), Upload a resume or CV, Upload a cover letter.

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.