Grants and Finance Associate

Department Development Economics Center About the Department The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer. Job Summary The job performs routine pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications, and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with guidance from others. The Grants and Finance Associate will support the operations of a portfolio of funding including sponsored research awards for UChicago Development Innovation Lab. This role will report to the Director of Finance and will collaborate with DIL Research Teams on a portfolio of DIL projects. This is a great opportunity to gain experience and take on responsibility in finance, accounting, sponsored research, and general operations in a non-profit research environment.

Responsibilities

Coordinates all post award activities for the assigned portfolio within the Development Innovation Lab (DIL). Coordinates and executes active grant management activities, including preparation and submission of interim and final close-out financial reports and award modifications, amendments, no-cost extensions, re-budgeting, PI concurrence and carry-over requests. Partners with University Research Administration (URA) to monitor post-award activities, such as timely submission of applications and financial reports; draft budget summaries, and requests for no-cost extensions; Handles straightforward post-award activities including account creations, regulatory and compliance monitoring, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, cost center charges, equipment inventory (if any), invoice and contract preparation for procurement, grant closing process, and account closing. Prepares summaries of grants and payroll effort allocations for Principal Investigators and research team, meets with them, and responds to their questions. Coordinates with other departments/units/divisions regarding multi-investigator grants. Serves as department contact for annual audits for their given portfolio. Work collaboratively with DIL Researchers and DIL partners to develop spending plans for new projects, proposals, and other initiatives. Take the steps needed, gathering information and ensuring grant compliance, to execute on the spending plan as outlined by the PI, Research Managers, or Research staff. Support the Research Portfolio manager with proposal development by understanding sponsor formatting guidelines, preparing supporting documents, and collecting proposal elements. Assist in maintaining compliance with grant rules and regulations (both University and Sponsor). Responds to and researches accounts receivable/payable inquiries including payments to vendors and reimbursements to individuals with guidance and direction from others. Coordinate providing guidance to research teams on how to meet project goals within compliance constraints. Support coordination on grant audit requests. Portfolio of responsibility may include federal grants. Attends institutional and outside training classes that cover grant submissions, financial management, pre and post award topics, and computer training. Meet consistently with Research Teams and Research Portfolio Managers to review account portfolios. Maintains unit-wide costing allocation spreadsheet for each fiscal year and executes cost allocation updates within Workday. Creates and executes journal entries to support correction of mis-posted items in the financial system. Review and facilitate approving transactions within the university’s financial and procurement systems as a project manager for grants and IADF’s, assuring compliance with approved budgets and obtaining additional stakeholder input as needed. Examine financial reports for consistency, accuracy, and compliance. At the direction of the Director of Finance and research teams, resolve errors and work collaboratively to prevent repeat occurrences. With the Director of Finance, develop and maintain tools for tracking key financial data. Maintain project specific budgets, prepare forecasts with research teams, and assist in tracking expenses to budget with research managers across the organization. Every month, review budget to actual financial reports and payroll allocations with the research teams and the Director of Finance, and conduct data entry to execute the team’s spending plan. Assists the Director of Finance in annual or monthly fiscal closing. Draft financial reports. Attends institutional and outside training classes that cover financial, payroll and reporting systems. Supports full accounts payable (A/P) cycle and payment operations including all aspects of vendor payments. Understands and complies with the Accounts Payable policies and procedures, and reviews and audits all supplier invoices for policy compliance. Coordinates the processing of invoices with the operations team, reimbursement requests with research team, and non-payroll payments to individuals, partnerships, corporations, vendors, suppliers, and other entities by providing the account distributions for all payments and contracts. Conducts a thorough review of transactions across all payment types (ACH, wire transfers, checks, and cards) to ensure all international vendors are being paid by wire. Prepares various aging and business metrics reports to review invoices and payment status. Develops and administers accounts payable database; analyzes and manipulates data and prepares standard and ad hoc statistical reports as required. Assists with vendor contact and supplier set-up in the University systems, and resolves issues as arises with non-payment of financial transactions. Coordinates with the Director of Finance on the back-office audit function for staff GEMS expenses. Understands and complies with the Accounts Payable policies and procedures, and reviews and audits all supplier invoices for policy compliance and ensures that invoice amounts are within the stated budget. Share knowledge, expertise, and best practices with other finance and grant management staff members. Assists in the review of all applications against University guidelines, in addition to drafting progress reports, non-competing applications, amendments, and budgeting. Responsible for all data entry and preparation of grant reports and trend analysis. Researches new avenues for funding, research and grant opportunities. Ensures that notices of relevant opportunities are brought to faculty attention. With guidance and direction from others, works with sponsors to draft proposal budgets in accordance with unit or University needs. Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through Apply tot his job