Contracts Administration Director jobs in Trenton, NJ

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment, and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans.

Job Title: Director of Grant Financial Administration

Job Category: Non-Unit

Close Date: N/A

Salary: $95,000

For non-unit positions, salary commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a competitive benefits package.

Position Summary:

The Treasurer's Office is responsible for the College’s strategic financial planning, including investments and debt management, auditing, accounting, budgeting, procurement services, grant accounting and payroll. We strive to execute our fiduciary responsibilities effectively by engaging in continuous process evaluation and improvement and by providing a wide array of value added and customer-centered support services for students, faculty, staff and external constituents.

The Director of Grants Financial Administration is a key member of the accounting team who works directly with the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research (OGSR) and funding source contacts for all grants. This position performs complex accounting functions; analyzes financial data/reports for accuracy and compliance with TCNJ Standards. The primary function of this position is the post-award financial function. Including, but not limited to, verification of account setup up including budget and financial aspects, ensuring expenditures are allowable, budget adjustments are within awarding agency guidelines, all expenses are invoiced, and payments received, maintaining accurate financial data, financial reports are timely and accurate, effort reporting, and project closeout. The projects are to be managed in accordance with federal, state, and funding agency regulations as well as TCNJ’s policies and procedures. This position will also assist in maintaining and monitoring the financial accounting system and related subsystems; prepare financial reports and statements for various stakeholders; and assist in establishing and monitoring internal controls to safeguard resources and improve efficiency. This role supervises one additional support staff and reports directly to the Controller and may also serve as back-up for other accountants within the department as determined by the Controller.

Main Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with OGSR to ensure awarded grants follow Federal OMB guidelines and any regulations required by funding agencies.
• Serves as principal liaison between accounting department and OGSR and coordinates information flow.
• Establish a regular meeting schedule with OGSR team members to keep them informed of current financial status of current programs compared to budget and total grant funding.
• Advises and educates management on status of active grant awards
• Reviews expenditures of grant funds and ensures compliance with grant requirements and government regulations.
• Prepares, reviews and approves into the general ledger approved journal entries, invoices and receipts. Maintains adequate controls and documentation to help ensure accuracy of entries.
• Reviews monthly salary allocation, fringe benefit charges, indirect cost calculation and revenue recognition of grant accounts.
• Lead preparation for and support during periodic funder program reviews.
• Assist as needed with the annual audit; prepare requested audit schedules and support., including SEFA/SESA
• Responsible for providing much of the information for grants which fall under review with the annual Single Audit in accordance with Uniform Guidance and working with auditors directly on that project.
• Assist with review of the accounting internal controls and the development of compensating/alternate controls to strengthen identified weaknesses. Lead role for making necessary changes, both regulatory and in house
• Prepare annual survey requests related to research areas, including Annual NSF HERD survey
• Prepare periodic Federal Indirect Cost Rate applications following OMB guidelines to secure the maximum rate possible.
• Participates in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other system upgrades and conversions.
• Other duties as assigned
• Supervisory responsibilities of one support staff, Grant Accountant

Required Qualifications:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required; Master's degree preferred; CPA, and/or a CFRA (Certified Financial Research Administrator) certification preferred.

• If the candidate does not have a Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA) certification, at hire, the candidate should commit to securing CFRA certification within 1-3 years of hire.

• Demonstrated evidence of engagement with the Research Administration field (e.g., NCURA [National Council of University Research Administrators] or SRAI [Society of Research Administrators International]) or commitment to engage

• Minimum of Three to Five (3-5) years progressive experience in post award grant accounting and reporting within a university or non-profit environment and experience with managing multiple funders (e.g., NSF, NIH, NASA), and funder types (federal, state, foundation)
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the federal regulations relating to grants including OMB Circulars A-122 and A-133, and 2 CFR Part 200. Thorough knowledge of fund accounting principles, processes and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Familiar with policies, process and procedures regarding financial transactions; including GL analysis and month-end and year-end closing processes.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and supervising staff
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred
• All skills, abilities, and education will be considered for minimum qualifications

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Knowledge of Oracle Cloud Financials desired
• Intermediate use of computers and Google and Microsoft Office Suite Applications including Docs, Forms, Sheets, Mail, Word, Excel, and Power Point, with advanced excel skills including VLOOKUP's and Pivot Tables.
• Work independently and foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures across the College and within all levels.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks/requests/assignments and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to function effectively under tight deadlines and high volume.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate and direct others on projects.
• Ability to develop a high degree of skill in working independently and successfully handling complex, difficult, and ambiguous situations.
• Ability to be a team player who works well collectively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve common goals.
• Ability to communicate effectively, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work with a diverse group of faculty, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders.
• Knowledge of financial systems.
• Excellent customer service skills.

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

Employer Qualifications:

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and reference checks.
• Residency Requirement: In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, effective September 1, 2011, new public employees in certain positions (faculty exempt) are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one (1) year of employment. Applicants must meet the requirements listed.

About TCNJ

TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings.

Employee Benefits:

As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public university career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including:

• Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans
• Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program
• Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program
• Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee affinity groups
• New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.)
• Access to extensive learning opportunities

To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more!

Application Instructions

Qualified candidates should apply online at: careers@tcnj.edu and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable candidate is selected.