University of Wisconsin - Madison

Position Vacancy ID: 82909
Title: ACCOUNTANT - JOURNEY

Working Title:Asst. Financial Administrator
FTE:1
Schedule - Range:07-03
Organization:GRADUATE SCHOOL - ADMINISTRATION
Schedule
Comment:		Standard hours - 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Occasional nights and weekends may be required.

Job Summary:Under general supervision from the Financial Program Supervisor at Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), perform extramural support accounting duties at the journey level; including grant and contract financial report preparation and grant and contract fiscal administration. Coordinate the University's extramural support operations. Interpret and analyze financial data. Design, test, implement and maintain automated and/or manual financial systems. Develop, install and maintain policies and procedures to document extramural support financial system operations. Establish and maintain financial accounts, journals, ledgers and other records within an automated and/or manual financial system. Produce various and specialized accounting reports. Allocate revenues and expenses among funds. Establish internal control mechanisms. Train, advise and instruct University Management (i.e. faculty, Dean's Offices, Business Managers and their staffs) on extramural support policies and procedures. Compose and negotiate research contracts. Determine when, how and where special entries should be made. Compose specifications for new or special reports. Prepare extramural support training materials and documentation. Verify automated financial system integrity. Determine when special cost centers are necessary. Determine compliance with accounting standards. Project financial revenues. Determine cost allocation and methodologies. Decide which of a number of policies, regulations, or procedures apply to a particular situation. Perform agency internal and external reconciliation. Determine and define parameters for managing fixed assets. Establish and maintain records and reports according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principals (GAAP). Develop and maintain grantor agency relationships. Train, advise and instruct University Management in extramural accounting operations.

The duties and responsibilities allocated to this position are those involved in the financial administration and accounting of the extramural grants and contracts awarded to the University by Federal, Corporate, State, Municipal, Foreign, and Philanthropic sources.

 

Goals and Worker Activities

A.25%Prepare Grant and Contract Financial Reports, Invoices and Statements.
1.Interpret and analyze University accounting data. Analyze expenditures for compliance to approved budget, funding source's policies, and guidelines. Consult with funding source management as necessary to resolve problems with financial reporting and invoicing policies and guidelines. Coordinate preparation of correcting and adjusting entries by University Business Managers and their staff personnel. Review and approve appropriate entries. Reconcile campus department's accounting information to official University accounting control information and the approved budget. Verify automated cost allocations (e.g. indirect costs and fringe benefits) for compliance to funding source's policies and correctness of computation.
2.Create financial reports, invoices and statements. Develop formats for financial reports, invoices, statements and supporting schedules for funding sources without required formats for categorizing expenses and revenues. Formats must meet funding source's policies and guidelines as well as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Create financial reports, invoices, statements and supporting schedules in appropriate format as provided by funding source or self-developed annually. Compose correspondence related to the submission of financial reports, invoices and statements.
3.Coordinate submission of financial reports, invoices and statements. Obtain all necessary signatures from University faculty and section's Extramural Support Supervisor certifying accuracy of financial reports, invoices and statements. Obtain, as needed, all non-financial information (e.g. progress or technical reports, publications) from University Management for submission with financial material. Assure all materials, including refund check if any, are submitted to the funding source.
   
B.20%Establish and maintain procedures and systems for fiscal management of grants and contracts.
1.Analyze and interpret approved budgets, award documents and contracts from funding agencies for all fiscal requirements. Negotiate through written and oral correspondence with the funding source (Federal, State, Municipal, Foreign, Philanthropic, etc.) to increase/decrease funding, clarify, modify or remove inappropriate or unacceptable grant/contract terminology and conditions. Notify University Management of specific grant/contract financial restrictions and conditions through written and oral correspondence.
2.Develop, install and maintain policies and procedures for University Management to ensure compliance with all fiscal requirements of funding source.
3.Establish and maintain an on-line or manual financial system which documents accounts requiring future reporting and/or invoicing in chronological order as well as the types of required reports and invoices.
4.Establish, maintain and reconcile supplemental grant/contract records to ensure compliance with specific grant provision or restrictions. May include cost sharing, fixed assets, budgetary restrictions, etc.
5.Develop and maintain extensive working knowledge of current computer applications, both mainframe and PC based applications.
6.Create and administer subaccounts under large interdisciplinary block grants, including establishing and maintaining financial accounts, ledgers and other records within an automated and/or manual financial system.
7.Initiate, review and record on-line and manual closing entries onto the University accounting system.
8.Conduct monthly postaudits of inactivate accounts on the Shared Financial System, thus preventing future activity and marking projects for the yearly purge
9.Audit and prepare semi-annual and quarterly Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Business Reports for the Federal Government.
   
C.15%Administer fiscal operations of grants and contracts.
1.Review daily accounting data approved by University Business Managers (e.g. requisitions, travel expense reports, payment to individual reports, payment transfer requests and salary transfer requests) to assure compliance with University, state and funding source regulations.
2.Evaluate the need for, and initiate adjustments to, the appropriate on-line Shared Financial System data bases to reflect administrative or processing changes (e.g. indirect cost and budget adjustments, spending control edits, termination dates, change in Principal Investigator, ledger generation and distribution, etc.).
3.Coordinate requests from University Management for grant/contract modifications (e.g. rebudgeting, no-cost time extensions).
4.Notify University Management in written and oral correspondence official changes to approved project's terms and conditions.
5.Identification and certification of matching or cost-sharing dollars.
   
D.15%Provide training, instruction and guidance in extramural support to University Management.
1.Train, instruct and guide University Management through written and oral communications, in interpreting extramural support policies and procedures of the University, Federal, State and various funding sources.
2.Train, instruct and guide University Management through written and oral communications, in interpreting extramural accounting information either on the Accounting Ledger Sheets or the on-line systems (i.e. Shared Financial System, WISDM reporting, etc.).
3.Develop and maintain an extensive working knowledge of funding sources policies and procedures; contact with funding agencies management and staff is required on an ever-increasing basis.
4.Develop and maintain an extensive working knowledge of University operations (e.g. Accounting, Purchasing, Property Control, etc.) and the inter-relationships between these operations and extramural support operations.
5.Prepare materials and present knowledge in formal training sessions and seminars offered by RSP to University Management.
6.Maintain an extensive working knowledge of Federal Circulars A-110, A-21, A-133, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
   
E.10%Prepare, compose, negotiate and administer subcontracts.
1.Coordinate University Management's efforts to contract with a third party to conduct portion of the scope of work of an approved grant/contract.
2.Prepare and compose subcontract incorporating terms and conditions of University and funding source's approved grant/contract.
3.Negotiate with subcontractor (corporate, municipal, foreign, educational, individual, etc.) in written and oral communication to clarify, modify or remove inappropriate or unacceptable contract terms and conditions.
4.Obtain signatures from subcontractor and authorized University officials, and develop correspondence for distribution of signed agreements.
5.Administer the approval of payment of invoices for work performed by the subcontractor.
   
F.10%Administer grant and contract revenue.
1.Coordinate deposits of extramural support revenue by University Management and/or Research Administration staff; including allocation to appropriate funds, accounts and revenue codes.
2.Verify revenue is received on a timely basis.
3.Reconcile receipts to accounting of federal funding source or their auditors.
4.Coordinate through written and oral correspondence the follow-up procedures for delinquent payments to ensure collection.
5.Determine if refund of any unspent funds is due to the finding agency; and generate action to obtain refund check.
   
G.5%Special Projects.
1.Assist in site visits by funding sources or discussions with federal and non-federal auditors concerning system and/or individual project audits.
2.Attend meetings as RSP Departmental Representative at the University, Regional and/or National level.
3.Develop non-routine statistical reports or surveys as needed by the Extramural Support Supervisor or Director.
   

Knowledge and Skills

  1. Knowledge of professional accounting theories and principles.
  2. Knowledge of governmental cost accounting practices and principles
  3. Knowledge of University, State, Federal and/or Nonfederal rules and regulations preferred.
  4. Good oral and written communication skills.
  5. In-depth experience with interpreting and analyzing complex financial data, accounts, ledgers, and system processes.
  6. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
  7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
  8. Experience in preparing formal documentation.
  9. Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
  10. Excellent organizational and time management skills.
  11. Knowledge of computer applications, automated data analysis and data entry techniques.