Finance Manager

Job Summary

The Finance Manager provides financial management support to the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair (ME). The position manages departmental budgetary and accounting matters and assists the Chair with annual budget development and implementation. This position is responsible for departmental accounting, contracting, and purchasing while ensuring compliance with GASB principles of accounting and state fiscal rules. This work is done through audit and analysis of financial transactions and records, interpretation of statements and reports, research, re-education, and investigation of financial items that may not be well defined or understood by others. The position provides financial process and procedure training to individuals and units as assigned. The Finance Manager must work cooperatively with other offices and departments on campus. The position requires a strong knowledge of accounting and budgeting in all funds (general, auxiliary, gift, grant, and plant) as well as an understanding of the CU Foundation accounting system.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is pioneering scientific breakthroughs, launching innovative technologies and educating creative engineers that will solve today's societal challenges by improving human health, enabling security and promoting sustainability.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Departmental Financial Oversight

• Assist the Department Chair with financial planning and budgeting for general-fund, auxiliary, grant and gift accounts by investigating, analyzing, and interpreting financial data based on past expenditures, anticipating budget allocations, and tracking current and future commitments. Provides financial reports to the Chair and external relations board as needed.
• Monitor and review the department budget, ensuring that funding distributions are accurate and financial transactions are both appropriate and allowable.
• Lead all aspects of the department’s procurement process, ensuring compliance with university and state fiscal rules.
• Serve as approving official for departmental procurement cardholders, journal entries, cash transfers, Marketplace orders, non-employee reimbursements, and travel reimbursements.
• Act as a resource to provide communication and clarity regarding purchases in compliance with the Fiscal Code of Ethics policy.
• Serve as the department's primary interface to the college’s Director of Budget and Finance on financial, budget, and expense questions.
• Implement department policies and procedures by interpreting Federal, State, and University rules to stay in sync with financial restrictions in collaboration with the college’s Director of Budget and Finance.
• Set up and monitors subcontracts with other companies and/or universities.-moved to contracts and grant
• Process payment for department bills.
• Calculate and distribute ICR to faculty members and calculates course buydowns. Tracks ICR splits and that ICR splits are accurate.
• Distribute and track Faculty startup funding.
• Provide payroll oversight for faculty, staff, graduate student, and hourly appointments. Confirms and tracks faculty and graduate student contracts. Works with faculty to process faculty summer salaries. Collaborates with financial professional and HR coordinator to gather graduate student appointment information each semester. Processes tuition remission and fees using graduate awarding form for specific graduate appointments.
• Investigate and process funding entries and payroll expense transfers.

Contracts and Grants Management

• Advise faculty on the status of their accounts, explains prevailing accounting rules, and helps prevent overspending on grant accounts and/or the purchase of items not allowed by a grant.
• Document and track cost share requirements.
• Update information and determines status of grant awards in collaboration with OCG personnel. Responds to questions from OCG, SPA, or other campus units on grant funds or expenditures.
• Provide faculty with a workbook of all speedtypes for that PI showing budget, expenditures to date and forecasting.
• Work closely with PIs on graduate student funding, summer salary funding, deficit resolutions, award close-out processes, and internal and external sales activities.
• Work with PIs on internal and external sales activities. Helps with the service contract process, service agreement speedtype set- up, and invoicing customers
• Collaborate closely with the Conflicts of Interest Office (COI), monitors COI plans and keeps the Chair of the Department informed of concerns.
• Process budget journal entries for award funding splits between PIs and Co-PIs
• Help provide documentation to CCO invoicing team for sponsor invoicing.
• Create and monitor subcontract SPOs with other companies and/or universities, and ensures that PIs approve all invoices for processing.

Supervision

• Supervise three full-time employees, Accounting Technician and Financial Professionals, by coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; conducting training; implementing enforcing systems, policies, and procedures.
• Evaluate annual performance and on a continuous basis for coaching and performance feedback, setting goals, cultural leadership, and reports any disciplinary action to the Office Manager, as needed.
• Collaborate with team on new processes to increase efficiency and provide better customer service.
• Ensure compliance with University and College policies. Approves leave requests and monthly timesheets.
• Meet with team on a weekly basis to understand each employee's current workload and making sure the team is meeting its goals.
• Provide day-to-day management of professional development and feedback.
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

What You Should Know

All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to comply with the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement . New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

What We Can Offer

Starting salary is $75,000.00 - $82,000.00.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field from an accredited university and five years of accounting, finance, or related experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute.

What You Will Need

• Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communications, collaboration and problem solving.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of internal control principles.
• High-level computer skill proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Word and Excel) and databases.
• Ability to work independently as well as on a team.

What We Would Like You To Have

• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, and/or business administration in a complex environment that includes budgetary responsibilities.
• Two years of supervisory experience.
• Working knowledge of PeopleSoft Finance and HR.
• Knowledge of administrative, budgetary, and fiscal principles and practices in a higher education environment, including budgeting and fund accounting.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective and trusting working relationships with faculty, administrators, and staff.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of internal control principles.
• Sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural, political and geographical differences, with ability to work well with faculty, staff and students from around the world.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. A current resume.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by 6/28/2022, for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: recruiting@colorado.edu