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Departmental Research Associate, Office of Research and Creative Scholarship

Employer
University of Montana
Location
Montana, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
May 14, 2021

Job Details



The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) invites applications for a Departmental Research Associate ( Budget Analyst III) . The person assigned to this position will provide grant proposal assistance for faculty submitting grant proposals through the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (RCS). They will be responsible for learning about sponsor requirements, consulting with faculty to determine their needs, and developing multi-year grant budgets.

Also, the person assigned to this position is expected to:

  • Responsible for reviewing grant budgets, assisting faculty with the preparation of grant budgets, and will be working with the Principal Investigator (PI) in the setup of new grants as they are awarded. The Principle Investigator is the person to whom the grant was awarded
  • Perform post-award work once grants are awarded and received. When the grant is operational, the DRA will need to review the grant expenditures and assist in determining whether expenditures are allowable;
  • Monitor grants throughout their individual terms of the grant so that the grant doesn’t exceed the budget
  • Review the grant transactions for allowable expenditures at each month-end
  • Adjust budgets if the grant funds have been over-spent
  • Immediately notify PI if adjustments are required due to a grant that is over-budget, work with the PI to solve the overage by the end of the month, or earlier if possible
  • Compare the actual budget to actual expenses and if there is far more budget than expense, the PI should be notified. Some grants flow fairly consistently throughout the lifetime of the grant but others have a particular season in which they can conduct their research. This means that a grant with a short field season may employ a large number of people to assist with a short season
  • In conjunction with the PI, the person assigned to this position will review the grant budget, make necessary adjustments, reconcile, and review indices, account codes, and balances. If there is insufficient funding, the person assigned to this position will need to identify and move expenditures to another fund type. They will need to contact the PI and work to bring the grant into alignment with a positive balance
  • Responsible for monitoring spending on restricted projects and forecasting costs to determine the feasibility of project initiatives
  • Provide routine financial updates and work directly with project managers to monitor spending, plans for costs throughout the project period, and how to best support the research;
  • The individual in this position must be resourceful and will be required to keep apprised of specific grant and sponsor regulations;
  • Responsible for preparing contracts such as Letters of Appointment, Graduate Student contracts, faculty contract adjustments, and staff compensation instructions based upon project needs and coordination with the employee’s academic department. This must be done in concert with the Budget Director
  • Establish and maintain productive working relationships, and act as a liaison for, positively representing RCS through effective interaction with the public, the sponsored programs office, academic departments, campus administrators, faculty, staff, and students
  • Working cooperatively with other University units that allocate funds through RCS to award other sources of RCS funding and by effectively coordinating with collaborators


This position requires incumbent to develop a working knowledge of University of Montana policies and procedures for research administration; develop proficiency with platforms for federal grants and contracts; develop advanced knowledge and experience with the University of Montana’s databases and systems, including UM Data Warehouse, GrizMart, U-Approve, and InfoGriz; develop a working knowledge of University research policies and procedures, as well as ensuring compliance with federal rules and regulations.

Minimum Required Skills and Experience
  • Associate's degree (or equivalency) in addition to three (3) years of closely related experience; or any combination of experience and education that provides the competencies necessary to successfully discharge the duties and responsibilities assigned to the position.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of budget management, practices, and procedures.
  • Understanding of budget preparation, expense and revenue categories, and the ability to perform salary calculations.
  • Ability to monitor grant activity and reconcile grant accounts.
  • Effective interpersonal, public relations, and communication skills, including the ability to work with diverse individuals.
  • Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and to grow and develop working knowledge, skills, and abilities along with having the ability to work independently.
  • Ability to independently demonstrate growth that includes higher-level decision making and complex data analysis.
  • Demonstrated organizational time-management, multi-tasking skills, and the ability to meet deadlines in a busy environment.
  • Knowledge of the correct application of pertinent federal regulation to monitor and track account expenditures.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience applying professional budget management practices and accounting principles.
  • Ability to learn about sponsor guidelines for grant proposal development and financial management.
  • Experience in job-costing or tracking project specific costs.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelors degree in Business, Accounting, or a related field
  • Knowledge of federal requirements for core facility oversight and management.
  • Knowledge and/or ability to calculate Facilities and Administration (F&A) application and recovery.
  • Experience in developing and maintaining excel workbooks to track actual costs and expense projections to budget.
  • Software experience in Banner, Grizmart, UApprove, or UMDW.
  • Experience in governmental or grant accounting.
  • Experience in pre-award and/or post-award financial grant management.


About the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, UM and Missoula

The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship supports the educational and research mission of the University through advocacy and advancement of basic and applied research, creative work, and academic scholarship, and fosters an environment where research, scholarly activities, entrepreneurship, and economic development thrive.

The University of Montana is a unit of the Montana University System with over 10,000 students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 72,000, surrounded by mountain grandeur which was recently ranked in the “ top 20 best college towns with a population of less than 250,000 ” by the American Institute for Economic Research and ranked 9th in Outside Magazine’s “ The 16 Greatest Places to Live in America” in 2014 . Many national publications recognize Missoula for its high quality of life . Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests and nearby Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere. The University of Montana offers eligible employees a generous benefits package that positively separates UM from other local employers and offers many programs and policies to support work-life balance for its employees.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action : Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.



To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.



Position Details

Position Title: Budget Analyst III

Position Number: NEW

Department: Office of Research and Creative Scholarship

Work Schedule: Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year, Position requires an alternative work schedule.

Salary: $22.503/hrFor questions and details regarding the staff compensation plan, email the Compensation Department .

Union Affiliation: FOCUS - MFPE

Probationary Period: Six months minimum

Benefits Include : Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to the Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)

Candidates are required to submit the following materials online via "New Resume/CV" button below

A complete application Includes:

  1. Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position.
  2. Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience.
  3. Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references.


Need additional help? Check out our UM Jobs FAQ website.

Job Location Missoula, United States
Position Type Full-Time/Regular

Company

University of Montana.

At UM, we approach everything with creativity because that’s what this evolving world needs. We are stewards of this place, its history and our future. We are driving forward together, affecting change that is right for our place and people. We know of no better place than Montana and its university to make a lasting impact on the common good.

As Montana’s flagship university, we set a high bar for academic studies, creative accomplishments and scientific exploration which benefit our students, our community and the world at large.

The University draws a diverse, global population to Missoula – our home and the state’s second-largest city with about 80,000 residents – and helps cultivate an educated, engaged and vibrant community. Our students receive a world-class education in a broad range of subjects that include the arts, sciences, trades, graduate and postdoctoral study and professional training.

Our main campus, nestled in the heart of western Montana’s stunning natural landscape, spans 56 acres at the base of Mount Sentinel and along the Clark Fork River, and includes the park-like Oval at the center of campus, more than 60 architecturally unique buildings and a 25,200-seat football stadium. UM's 180-acre South Campus offers student housing, a golf course, soccer fields and an outdoor track facility. Missoula College occupies two sites, one just across the river from the main campus, and one on the southwest side of Missoula.

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