• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range:

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Administration of the Chemical Engineering Department (with dot-line reporting to the Department Chair), the incumbent manages and administers the Department's financial and budgetary affairs in collaboration with the Director of Finance and Administration. S/he is responsible for financial operations of the Department that include: coordinate and process the daily financial transactions of the department to ensure compliance with university guidelines; oversee accounts payable transactions on university electronic accounting systems; monitor and audit budgets and grants to avoid overdrafts; Department and grant account reconciliation as well as preparing financial reports for grant compliance; produce monthly financial reports and forecasts; oversee payroll accounting transfers, journal entries and expenditure corrections, as needed; approves faculty travel and business expense reports and honoraria; serve as liaison with Accounts Payable department as well as with outside vendors; manages pre-award, post-award for the department, supervises one Administrative Assistant; oversees the administration of GRA/DRA appointments and their related financial aid grant/departmental support; perform related duties and projects as assigned; when requested, the incumbent may be asked to support the other functions of the Department.

Responsibilities

• (45%) Budget Administration, Financial Controls, and Reporting: Budget Administration and Reconciliation. Under the direction of the Director of Finance and Administration, actively administers the department???s administrative operating budget. Performs monthly reconciliation of departmental accounts, and actively monitors department expenditures to prevent overdrafts. Investigates and resolves variances, and recommends budget modifications to adjust levels of spending.
  • Internal Controls. Assists in developing, and is responsible for implementing and enforcing, the department???s financial transaction- and accounting. Monitors departmental financial activity to ensure compliance with departmental, SEAS, and University policies and procedures. Coordinates with SEAS Finance, CU Internal Audit, SPA/SPF, and other internal stakeholders to comply with any audit requirements.
  • Reporting and Advising for Director, Faculty, and Chair. Generates financial and special reports to aid in departmental planning; advises the Director of Finance and Administration, individual faculty, and the Chair on general financial matters.
  • Closing and Reporting. Provides data analysis and reporting, and works in close collaboration with the SEAS Finance team to complete all year-end transactions for the Department.
  • Internal Collaboration. Serves as a liaison with A/P, the Dean???s Office, and other internal CU stakeholders on financial and operational matters.

• 40% Grants: Pre-Award. Manages the pre-award process for the department. Works with SPA and faculty on submission deadlines. Prepares and reviews grant proposals, budgets, justifications, outgoing sub-awards and other related documents. Submits grant packet through Rascal. Prepares pre-award documents as needed.
  • Post Award. Manages the post-award process for the department. Works with SPF and faculty, staff on grant spending. Reviews notice of award, terms and conditions. Sets up awards, project budges, and effort allocation. Monitors expenses, balance, and monthly reconciliation. Responsible for project close-out. Assist faculty with annual effort certification.

• (10%) Daily Transaction Approvals and Oversight: Approval of Transactions. Provides approval of departmental finance transactions including Travel and Business Expense Reimbursements (TBERs) and Purchase Orders (PO). Reviews supporting documentation and ARC system entries to ensure accuracy, and manages the workflow of the departmental finance support staff to ensure timely, accurate, effective processing of expenditures and purchases. Controls and monitors
  • Initiation of Transactions. Reviews cost transfers, salary distribution requests (SDRs) to ensure proper allocation of expenditures within the department???s and Dean???s Office accounts. Approves departmental P-Card Transactions.
  • Journal Entries. Initiates journal entries and oversees allocation of expenses to departmental funding sources. Creates projects and chartfields as needed.

•       (5%) Perform related duties and projects as assigned; when requested, the incumbent may be asked to support the other functions of the Department.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required plus three to five years of related experience. Must have or be able to quickly acquire a detailed knowledge of Columbia University electronic systems, including ARC, RASCAL, FFE, and legacy applications (AP/CAR and DARTS). Internal candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Must be able to work as a team player with faculty, PIs, and administrative staff. Attention to detail and strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills required.
• Must have initiative, discretion, and the ability to establish priorities and work under pressure with good judgment and with supervision. Must be able to meet strict deadlines. Knowledge of high-level spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Office and Excel) is required.
• Experience in financial administration and supervisory or management experience required. Experience in a university environment and strong supervisory experience with union employees preferred. Experience with database software applications preferred.
• Extensive grant experience highly preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.