Finance & Accounting Coordinator

Department

About the Department

Job Summary

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:

Work Experience:

Certifications:

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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.
• Experience managing post-award activities, especially projects that are funded by multiple sponsors.
• Experience working in a higher education or non-profit environment.
• Experience in cross-cultural communications and working at an international organization.
• Project management experience.
• Experience with core accounting functions, including reconciliations, journal entries, and general ledger maintenance.
• Experience with accounts payable/receivable and processing financial transactions in an accounting software system (e.g., Oracle and Orbit).
• Experience maintaining and organizing financial and grant data across multiple systems, with strong attention to accuracy and detail.
• Prior experience working with generally accepted accounting (GAAP).
• Experience preparing financial reports, budget-to-actual comparisons, or data summaries for internal and external stakeholders; experience with budget planning and forecasting, ledgers, and invoice.
• Experience supporting audits or compliance reviews, including organizing documentation and financial records

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)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Role Impact

Scheduled Weekly Hours

Drug Test Required

Health Screen Required

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

Pay Rate Type

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FLSA Status

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Pay Range

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

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. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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About Us

The University of Chicago is an urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. Our commitment to free and open inquiry draws inspired scholars to our global campuses, where ideas are born that challenge and change the world.

We empower individuals to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas. Students in the College develop critical, analytic, and writing skills in our rigorous, interdisciplinary core curriculum. Through graduate programs, students test their ideas with UChicago scholars, and become the next generation of leaders in academia, industry, nonprofits, and government.

To learn more about the university click here http://www.uchicago.edu/

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