Research Accountant

Current UC employees must apply internally via Success Factors

The Government Cost Compliance department (GCC) in the Office of Research ensures university-wide compliance with applicable federal cost principles and established university policies.

The GCC department is seeking to fill a Sponsored Research Accountant 2 position. This role will manage financial aspects of research grants and sponsored projects, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, sponsor regulations, and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The position serves as the liaison between Principal Investigators (PIs) and research administrators, providing guidance on post‑award financial matters related to salary reallocations and effort certification.

It involves day‑to‑day administration of grants, including managing salary transfer requests and ensuring effort certification compliance.

• Review and approve salary cost transfer requests, verifying accuracy and approving associated personnel change requests.
• Oversee labor verification processes by managing required employee training, issuing notifications for overdue statements, and resolving issues that prevent statements from being generated or distributed.
• Administer grant awards from various funding agencies, establishing and maintaining accurate grant records and files.
• Close out grant accounts by reconciling accounts, sampling unusual transactions for compliance, preparing final invoices and reports, and ensuring non‑financial reports are submitted. Pursue collection of past‑due invoices.
• Review award notices, create and maintain grant accounts per agreements, add and modify budgets, and request award set‑up in the Student Financial Aid System.
• Manage a portfolio of moderately complex awards, serving as the principal source of information on grant policies, procedures, and financial policies.
• Recommend process improvements and provide input to departmental discussions.
• Perform other assigned duties based on departmental need. This job description may change at any time.

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• Six (6) years of relevant work experience and/or other specialized training may be used in lieu of the education requirement.

Two (2) years of experience in accounting, finance, grants with customer service.

• Strong knowledge of salary cost reallocations and effort reporting requirements, preferably in a regulated or higher education environment.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage complex documentation and meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent organizational and time‑management skills with the ability to track multiple requests and processes simultaneously.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to interact with employees at various organizational levels.

• Office environment; no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application process. Attach these documents before submitting your application. Failure to provide these documents may result in your application not being considered.

To apply you must create a profile and submit a complete job application through the UC applicant portal. We are unable to consider applications submitted via other websites. For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations, contact UC HR at jobs.

UC offers an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well‑being, financial security, and work‑life balance. Highlights include:

Comprehensive Tuition Remission

UC provides tuition remission for you and your eligible dependents, covering tuition costs for nearly all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university.

Robust Retirement Plans

As a UC employee, you will choose between state pension plans or an Alternative Retirement Plan, with UC contributing 14–18% of your salary based on position.

Real Work‑Life Balance

UC prioritizes work‑life…