Finance & Accounting Coordinator

Department

SSD Development Economics Center: Staff and Temporary Employees

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 provides professional support in monitoring the operating and capital budgets for divisions and/or University-wide administrative units. At the instruction of others, performs work that contributes to development of long and short term financial goals, business strategies/plans, and financial forecasts/models for major service programs and initiatives. Utilizes rudimentary knowledge of finance to help coordinate quarterly and year-end reporting for the operating budget. The Accounting, Grants and Finance Associate will support the operations of a portfolio of funding including sponsored research awards for UChicago Development Innovation Lab (DIL). This role will report to the Finance and Grants Manager and will collaborate with DIL Research Teams on a portfolio of DIL projects. This position is responsible for supporting and sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices with other finance and grant management staff members. 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

• 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, ensuring data accuracy and consistency across records.
• Creates and executes journal entries to support correction of mis-posted items in the financial system, and performs regular account reconciliations to ensure financial data integrity.
• 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 Finance & Grants Manager and research teams, resolve errors and work collaboratively to prevent repeat occurrences.
• With the Finance & Grants Manager, 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 the budget to actual financial reports and payroll allocations with the research teams and the Finance & Grants Manager, and conduct data entry to execute the team’s spending plan.
• Assists the Finance & Grants Manager in annual or monthly fiscal closing, including preparing supporting schedules and reconciliation.
• Drafts financial reports and data summaries for internal stakeholders, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and consistency of data presentation.
• Maintains organized digital record keeping of financial and accounting data to support accessibility, transparency, and audit readiness.
• Attends institutional and outside training classes that cover financial, payroll and reporting systems.
• May be assigned special projects or other related work as needed.
• Coordinates all post award activities for the assigned portfolio within 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.
• Maintains organized, accurate, and audit-ready grant records and documentation across systems, ensuring data integrity throughout the grant lifecycle.
• 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); portfolio of responsibility may include federal grants.
• 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, including compiling and organizing supporting financial data and documentation.
• Attends institutional and outside training classes that cover grant submissions, financial management, pre and post award topics, and computer training.
• 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 Finance & Grants Manager 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
• Routinely prepares budgets, creates accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.
• Helps to prepare monthly reports, conducts and correct errors in accounts using existing procedures that are in place, and provides advice on the financial impact of human resources and academic affairs decisions
• 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 < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, economics or finance; or minor/concentration in accounting.
• Experience: Experience submitting grant proposals to a variety of sponsors; managing post-award activities, especially projects that are funded by multiple sponsors; working in a higher education or non-profit environment; cross-cultural communications and working at an international organization; project management; core accounting functions (reconciliations, journal entries, general ledger maintenance); accounts payable/receivable and processing financial transactions in an accounting software system (e.g., Oracle and Orbit); maintaining and organizing financial and grant data across multiple systems; prior experience working with generally accepted accounting (GAAP); preparing financial reports, budget-to-actual comparisons, or data summaries; budget planning and forecasting, ledgers, and invoice; supporting audits or compliance reviews.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong financial data management and analysis.
• Good interpersonal communication and client service skills, both verbal and written.
• Good planning and organizational skills to balance and prioritize work.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diverse workforce in a complex research environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, and comfortable with a consultative approach to interacting with employees.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Resourceful problem-solver and critical thinker, be proactive in leveraging opportunities and anticipating and averting problems.
• Ability to handle all employment information and issues with absolute discretion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, advanced Excel skills preferred.

Working Conditions

This person is expected to work a minimum of three days in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References Contact Information (3)(required)

Employment Details

• Job Family: Financial Management
• Role Impact: Individual Contributor
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 37.5
• Drug Test Required: No
• Health Screen Required: No
• Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required: No
• Pay Rate Type: Hourly
• FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
• Pay Range: $27.82 - $36.00
• Benefits Eligible: Yes

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.