Research Accountant I

Research Accounting is responsible for post-award administration of over 200 million dollars in externally funded grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The Research Accountant I position is responsible for the post award administration of sponsored projects from various awarding agencies. This position involves all aspects of the sponsored project post-award process, including: award review; fund set up; monitoring of expenditures to ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional policies; invoicing; drawdowns; reconciliations; reporting; and closeout. In addition, this position serves as a liaison between the principal investigator, the departmental administrators, and the awarding agencies.

Salary

$45,370 to $60,070

Essential Functions

• Reviews and interprets legal documents for financial terms and conditions
• Reviews account set up in financial systems to ensure financial terms recorded with appropriate key attributes
• Prepares financial reports
• Verifies and performs analysis of PI’s effort, cost sharing commitment, equipment purchases, administrative expenses, sub-awards, unallowable expenses, etc.
• Works with departments and process partners to resolve issues
• Monitors sponsored project activity, including cost overruns, cost sharing and unallowable / administrative expenses, throughout project lifecycle to ensure compliance
• Performs final award closeouts for assigned departments or sponsor award range
• Performs detailed reconciliations and overall analysis of expenditures
• Handles special or complex projects as assigned
• Ensures all allowable costs are billed to sponsor
• Serves as a resource on grant and accounting procedures, University and sponsor policies
• Completes other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Works with department administrators to review and analyze costs for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness, and to ensure compliance with sponsor’s requirements and university’s policies

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
• 1 year of related experience in a professional accountant role
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
• Good knowledge of contract and grant procedures and ability to apply accounting practices
• Good accounting concepts and analysis of accounting transactions
• Knowledge of OMB Uniform Guidance, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), GAAP
• Strong working knowledge of Excel
• Ability to independently diagnose and solve problems using sound judgment and decision-making capabilities
• Skilled to independently analyze accounting transactions and reconcile financial information
• Strong customer service skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with different process partners
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, finance or related field
• E xperience as an accountant in a university/non-profit environment
• Experience in research accounting or Federal contract administration.

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

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