"Research Accountant II"

Job Details

Research Accountant II

Posting Number: JR107585
Location: Colorado

Engineering a world of possibilities
The Research Accountant II at Mines is responsible for the expense management of research grants and contracts in the Office of Research Administration (ORA). This person is a key member of the research team and serves as a resource to faculty and administrators in the financial administration of sponsored research awards. Essential duties include the set-up of new awards in the financial system, expense and account monitoring, financial reporting, financial closeout and other post-award financial analysis and support for sponsored awards.

As a Research Accountant II, you will interpret federal, state and School terms and advise Mines' research community on their application. This position requires critical thinking skills to apply regulatory interpretation to sponsored activity. You will also be responsible for independently compiling, analyzing, and presenting financial data. In addition, you will be required to work with campus constituents including faculty and staff to manage and reconcile sponsored activity.

This is currently a hybrid work environment and will require on campus presence at regular intervals.

For more on the Office of Research Administration, please visit their website: https://ora.mines.edu/.

Primary Responsibilities:

Award Set-Up and Modifications

• Transactional responsibilities include: create new research accounts and amend existing accounts in the School's financial system and ORA's enterprise project tracking system. Utilize information obtained from the legal agreement, proposal documents and other project related documents. Decides appropriate financial codes to input into the School's financial system to accurately administer and monitor awards in accordance with federal regulations, sponsor terms and conditions, and School policy.
• Serve as subject expert for Sponsor agreement format, financial terms and conditions to be able to perform setup appropriately and provide consultation.

Award Financial Monitoring

• Monitor, review and reconcile award budgets, balances and expenses. This includes deficit monitoring and expense review both pre-expenditure and post-expenditure. Expenses must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with grant terms and conditions, the budget limits and period of performance.
• This position will work with the other ORA staff (i.e. Contract Administrators) to review deficit spending requests (currently, At-Risk Spending Requests) to determine if the financial risk to the School is acceptable under current policy and practices.
• Review, approve, and perform transactional salary redistributions and journal entries as needed to ensure proper expenditure accounting.
• Identify, investigate and resolve discrepancies or errors found within research accounts. Resolution will require coordination with the applicable faculty members, ORA staff members, other departments and/or project sponsor, as applicable.
• When allowed under the terms and conditions of the agreement, the Research Accountant will approve faculty requests for no-cost time extensions, budget deviations, and pre-award spending.
• Assist the Property Manager in the Controller's Office to ensure all equipment is titled, accounted and tagged properly within School systems and per regulations.
• Develop and/or update ad-hoc reports using data from Workday, Cognos or other database applications for tracking, diagnostic and financial analysis of sponsored activity.
• Develop templates to improve and expedite financial administration of awards (i.e., tuition proportionate to salary calculation, re-budgeting, closeout workbook, etc.)
• Develop and improve effective business practices, standing operating procedures as it relates to award financial monitoring.
• Serve as subject expert on the financial monitoring of awards

Award Reporting

• Prepares and accurately submits required financial reports within sponsoring agency timeframes. This position will analyze the financial statements, supporting documentation and other necessary information for each research account to ensure accurate financial reports are submitted.
• Prepares and accurately submits required non-financial reports within sponsoring agency timeframes. This includes Property Reports, Patent Reports, Cost Share reports, etc.
• Utilize School systems, such as Workday, Cognos and ORA's project software, to extract data needed for required reporting. Successfully navigate sponsor reporting systems to submit required reports.
• Serve as subject expert on financial and non-financial reporting

Award Closeout - 20%

• Determines and performs all closeout actions required by sponsoring agency and School policy and procedures, including, but not limited to:
• Maintain a detailed tracking of closeout activities
• Track all outstanding accounts receivable actions to successfully coordinate the process of financial closeout between the grant sub-ledger and the school's General Ledger
• Perform final expense review and account reconciliation
• Serve as subject expert of award closeout.
• Develop and improve standing operating procedures as it relates to Award closeouts

Training and Process Improvement

• Provides guidance, advice, and training in policy, procedures, and regulations related to research administration to faculty, department administrators, college fiscal officers and other administrative departments.
• Actively participate in office wide process evaluation and reengineering efforts. Critically evaluate process and procedures with a goal of efficiency and optimal resource utilization. Make recommendations for improvements to management and lead improvement efforts if approved.
• Provide Campus Training on procedures and compliance topics
• Actively participate in office wide process evaluation and reengineering efforts. Critically evaluate process and procedures with a goal of efficiency and optimal resource utilization. Make recommendations for improvements to management and lead improvement efforts if approved.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration or the equivalent in experience
• 4 or more years of Sponsored Research accounting experience
• Demonstrate ability to serve as a subject expert in various topics related to research accounting & other post award administration responsibilities.
• Experience with a high-volume portfolio with a variety of different sponsors
• Working knowledge of federal and other pertinent external research regulations.
• Ability to use spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, and enterprise financial systems
• Demonstrated customer service skills, the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community and ability to meet multiple deadlines
• Analyzation and problem-solving skills including the ability to use independent judgment
• Effective oral and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher Education, and/or government accounting experience
• GASB knowledge and experience
• Uniform Guidance knowledge

Salary and Benefits

$70,100 - $76,000

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

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

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.

This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy based on business needs.

References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.

Note: This posting has been extended and will close at 11:59p.m. on November 23, 2025. Application review will begin November 3, 2025. Please apply by November 2, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. as applications received after that date may not be reviewed.