Post Award Grant Specialist

Position Summary

The Post Award Grant Specialist is a key member of the grants accounting team working directly with program directors, the office of sponsored projects, and the accounting/finance team on all grant related activity. The Post Award Grant Specialist will play a key role in the administrative support, fiscal compliance and fiscal management of sponsored programs, campus and community programs, and all other support programs. The Post Award Grant Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for faculty serving as PI’s on the grants and work directly with them throughout the life of an award providing guidance/assistance on administrative and fiscal processes such as purchasing supplies, projecting costs, interpreting complex policies and regulations, and providing data for securing sponsor agency approvals for grant related actions. Responsibilities include faculty financial support, contract and grant management, accounting and finance, procurement, and travel expense reimbursements, including procurement and expense report approvals. This position serves as a subject matter expert on communicating policies and procedures, as well as related regulatory guidance, providing training, correcting transactions and ensuring completion of financial records. Duties include assessing the efficiency of departmental reporting and tracking procedures and recommending revisions as necessary. This position provides support for the administrative and fiscal management of grants and contracts and provides faculty with time needed to focus on the research activities that will continue to advance the University’s mission. In addition, this position may provide supplemental support for the department.

Essential Functions:

• Provides summary of grant terms, begin/end dates, identification of grant specific conditions and regulatory requirements. Manage tracking of reporting deadlines per award terms and conditions and communicate deadlines to PI, OSP and Senior Grant Specialist, Post Award to ensure deadlines are met.
• Performs post-award tasks including procurement, contracts, monitoring spend in accordance grant document and internal policies and procedures, submission and/or approval of invoices and expense reimbursements for grant activity
• Provide project budget oversight including monitoring, tracking and/or reconciling transactions, variances and payroll funding distributions and expense transfers; prepare and submit budget revisions and funding updates; provide financial reporting; and meet regularly with the Principal Investigator and/or Senior Grant Specialst, Post Award
• Perform standard accounting functions to support budget, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement, and travel and expense reimbursement activities including preparation of journal entries; verification of grant coding in WorkDay; month-end and year-end closes, along with related grant year offcycle reporting; reconciliations and audits; reporting and records management
• Coordinate human resources actions as they apply to personnel paid on grants and monitor payroll expenditures
• Manage in kind and matching funds, as per grant terms
• Review sponsored project charges are allowable, applicable, and allocable to the project based on the Code of Federal Regulations Uniform Guidance (UG) and University policies and procedures
• Manage effort and payroll certifications and ensure compliance, provide training on effort certification, as needed, for grant teams
• Manage and maintain regulatory files, including approval and sponsor correspondence
• Support sponsored project close out procedures; remove unallowable charges from project and obtain cost center approval for operating expense; ensure project has posted for close out; review closing project 90, 60, and 30 days prior to project end date to ensure timely processing or identification of need for no cost extension, if available
• Assist in creation of department tools and resources to assist faculty and staff to streamline project management.
• Assists Senior Grant Specialst, Post Award in Fiscal Year-End. Provides the accounting team with the list of purchase orders that need to be reviewed for closeout or updated for the next fiscal year. Administers grant journal entries for fiscal year-end
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, finance, or related field required
• One to three (1-3) years’ relevant experience in grant and contract accounting, budgeting and reporting within a large non-profit.  
• Knowledge and understanding of the federal regulations relating to grants including Uniform Guidance regulations pertaining to grants preferred
• Not-for-profit accounting experience preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.
• All skills, abilities, and education will be considered for minimum qualifications.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Knowledge of Workday Financial and Grant modules desired
• Ability to participate as an active team member of the Department and University to work toward a common goal. Contributes fully to the team effort and plays an integral part in the smooth running of teams without necessarily taking the lead.
• Accepts personal accountability, proactively seeks resolution for personal limitations head-on; and supports honesty and respect towards others, the company and oneself.
• Actively seeks to influence, build effective relationships and gain alignment with peers, functional partners and/or external partners to accomplish business objectives. 
• Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.  Ability to generate and/or recognize imaginative or creative solutions that generate successful outcomes.
• Understanding of contracting regulations, guidelines, policies and procedures covering grant and contract requirements.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proficient in prioritizing work to meet deadlines, and multi-task while maintaining flexibility in the work environment in accordance to the organization’s values.
• Intermediate use of computers and Microsoft Office Suite Applications such as Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook with advanced excel skills including VLOOKUP’s and Pivot Tables. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individual of constituencies in a diverse community.  Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing while providing excellent customer service.
• Work independently and foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures across the organization and within all levels.

Travel: No Travel Required

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Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies.  Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.  For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

Compensation Range:

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff and serves over 41,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community and a commitment to diversity. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our diverse student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.