Assistant Director of Grants and Finance

* Job Type: Officer of Administration

* Bargaining Unit:

* Regular/Temporary:
Regular

* End Date if Temporary:

* Hours Per Week: 35

* Standard

Work Schedule:

* Building:

* Salary Range: $92,000 to $105,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Columbia Engineering is a school responding to the needs of society and pushing disciplinary frontiers. We are at the forefront of many strategic areas of research, from environmental sustainability and the human genome to infrastructure sensors, nanotechnology, and data sciences. Additionally, the School has launched close to a dozen centers over the last five years. These centers span multiple departments and schools within Columbia University and nationally with peer institutions.

With these expanded operations and complex organizational structures, we seek an individual to assist us in Columbia Engineering's central operations to provide support for the budget and financial matters of these research areas and centers.

Reporting to the Director for Grants and Finance Services, the position supports the post-award administration and budget monitoring for research centers at Columbia Engineering. This individual will be a member of the Central Finance Office and work closely with the Research Centers and Academic departments to ensure proper and efficient sponsored projects financial management. In this role, the incumbent will leverage their expertise in post-award grant administration and organizational skills to collaborate with the various grant managers and business managers across the School.

This role will include, but not be limited to, supporting the post-award grants management for the school; the monitoring and auditing of budgets and grants to avoid overdrafts; the reconciliation of center and grant accounts as well as the preparation of financial reports for grant compliance; the production of monthly financial reports and forecasts; the oversight of payroll accounting transfers, journal entries, and expenditure corrections, as needed;

and performing related duties and projects as assigned when requested.

Responsibilities

(50%) Post-Award Grant Administration

* Act as an in-house expert resource to other grant administrators. Proactively works with the centers and academic departments to manage external and internal research funds.

* Work closely with the large research centers on all post-award functions if the center/department does not have a dedicated staff member, and plays a supporting role if the center /department has a dedicated finance and operations manager. 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.

* Provide award close-out guidance and support with liaising departments / centers. Serve as a resource on processes with obtaining sponsor approvals for no-cost extensions, re-budgeting, and carry-over requests if applicable. Assists with the University year-end close-out procedures, including, but not limited to, ensuring there is no grant overrun, all necessary grant expenses have been posted, SAPOS and POs are correctly accounted for and encumbered in ARC Sponsored Projects Financial reports.

* Payroll Accounting:
Perform calculations regularly for salary distributions and post-award management. Process and approve payroll accounting transactions as needed. Works with central finance team and departments on clearing suspense as needed.

* Maintain records in accordance with internal procedures, demonstrating compliance with sponsor and sponsor agreements, and University regulations concerning project expenditures, equipment, and other fiscal concerns.

* Assist with annual effort certification efforts of the School.

(30%) Budget Administration, Payroll Accounting,…