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Job Description
POD 3’s mission is to provide the best possible experience for our faculty with regard to financial and administrative needs. Agility, accuracy and collaborative initiatives will enable us to move quickly and offer value added solutions. We will continuously seek new ways of working smarter for better results. We do this to provide our faculty and staff the tools they need to make decisions and advance excellence in their scientific endeavors.
Duties and Responsibilities
Financial / Reporting:
• Prepares regular and special accounting and financial reports for department needs using a broad knowledge of Vanderbilt systems, accounting practices and organizational business units and using creative problem-solving skills.
• Prepares detailed invoice back-up for Sponsored Projects using generally accepted accounting principles by maintaining regular communication with intra-departmental administrative teams to promote consistency in accounting practices.
• Prepare monthly financial projections consisting of all faculty funding sources.
• Prepare and submit both non-compensation and compensation retroactive cost transfer requests, which includes identifying the transactions to be moved, obtaining the required information for the transaction, and completing the appropriate form and cost transfer memo.
• Assist with grant/project close outs by researching and determining which outstanding commitments need to close and submitting those items to Purchasing Services to close.
• Monitoring retroactive cost transfers to ensure they’ve been processed, especially on closed projects.
• Monitor closed grants/projects for late charges in order to move them to the appropriate project within the 90-day period.
• Troubleshoot iLab and CORES billing issues, adding, and removing billing numbers, granting access to members and any other cores support as needed.
• Researches, analyzes, and reconciles data from Research Finance deficit reports.
• Identifies and researches variances and make recommendations using applicable Financial Management budget guidelines and generally accepted accounting principles.
• Advises AO regarding budgetary matters; resolve routine budget issues using excellent communication skills and creative problem-solving skills.
• Serves as liaison with other departments (BRET) to provide budget and cost accounting information using excellent oral communications skills promoting consistency in accounting standards and reporting.
• Prepares, monitors, and approves invoice payments for subcontracts using a broad knowledge of Vanderbilt systems, accounting practices and organizational business units using creative problem-solving skills.
• Assist AO with FFR’s (Closeout financial reports) for appropriateness and approve. Review and analyze data to ensure department closeout numbers match Research Finance. Involves communication with Research Finance and AO to answer questions and ensure expenditures were allocable, allowable and consistent with the AIMS of the project.
• Assists AO in gathering extensive financial information for annual budget submission.
• Ability to analyze and foresee problems and use critical thinking in all aspects of financial reporting is essential in this position.
• Prepare/submit project (internal) budgets for revision and renewals.
• Independently manage assigned projects
Procurement:
• Work with the procurement team to research open encumbrances quarterly (or as needed close to grant closeout) and any payment issues. Follow up with labs, procurement, or vendor on any issues.
• Place procurement orders when needed by labs.
• Serves as backup to AO for Expense and Procurement approvals.
Other:
• Oversight and tracking of payment for ESA’s (Employee Service Agreements) and NSBA (Non Sponsored Billing Agreements).
• Assist with any ad hoc reporting needs as needed by AO.
• Track and reconcile invoicing as needed on subcontracts to ensure timely payments/billings.
• Assist as needed with expense report review and oversight.
• Engage in problem solving with faculty as needed on routine matters.
• Prepare annual reports such as equipment inventory and space inventory.
• When necessary, serve as point person for common lab equipment failures and plant op needs for WCNDD.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting or related field
• Master’s Degree in Business, Accounting or related field is preferred
• At least five years of relevant experience is necessary. Additional related experience may substitute for required education.
• MUST have strong background with Excel
• Prefer someone who has Oracle experience
• Prefer someone who has had grants management experience in an educational institutional setting
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community is strongly preferred.
• Vanderbilt experience is preferred.
• Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities is strongly preferred.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.
Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.
