Job Description

Special instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies (Rice360), a multidisciplinary institute at Rice University, is a leader in global health technology education, research, and implementation, with a distinctive focus on experiential and problem-based learning. Rice360 develops highly effective, low-cost healthcare solutions addressing critical healthcare needs in underserved communities and educates a cadre of future leaders to continue to innovate and implement solutions. Rice360 works closely with partners in underserved communities throughout the world, including low- and middle-income countries and the United States.

Working under the supervision of the Director of Finance and Operations, the Research Accountant II is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of complete and accurate financial records for the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies. This includes:

• Assisting in the management and tracking of gift, grant, and institutional funds
• Reviewing and processing all financial documents to ensure that expenses follow university and sponsor guidelines and that sufficient funds are available on the appropriate fund
• Reconciling departmental records with the university accounting system
• Preparing detailed accounting reports and financial projections

Please note: This position is posted as “Research Accountant II” for recruitment purposes; however, the official title for the selected candidate will be “Rice360 Senior Research Accountant.”

Workplace Requirements:

This is a Houston-based full-time position (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) with occasional early morning, evening, or weekend work required to accommodate time zone differences for meetings with partners.

Hiring Range:

$61,000–$69,000/year, contingent upon qualifications and experience.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 2+ years of experience in grant-funded research budget oversight, expenditure tracking, and analysis
• Advanced knowledge of contract and grant procedures and the ability to apply accounting practices
• Advanced knowledge of accounting principles, concepts, and analysis of accounting transactions
• Advanced knowledge of Uniform Guidance and Cost Accounting Standards
• Advanced working knowledge of Excel

Preferences:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting, business administration, finance, or a related field
• Related experience in research budget oversight in a higher education academic, government entity, or not-for-profit setting
• Prior experience working with Rice University financial systems (e.g. Banner, iO)

Essential Functions:

• Reviews and interprets legal documents for financial terms and conditions
• Reviews account setup in financial systems to ensure financial terms are recorded with appropriate key attributes
• Prepares financial reports
• Monitors sponsored project activity—including cost overruns, cost sharing, and unallowable/administrative expenses—throughout the project lifecycle to ensure compliance
• Performs reconciliation and overall analysis of expenditures and final award closeouts