Finance and Accounting Senior Professional

Job Summary

The Department of Earth Science (formerly Geological Sciences) atCU Boulder encourages applications for a Finance and Accounting Senior Professional! This position serves as a financial and administrative resource for the department, providing advanced guidance on a broad range of financial, accounting, and human resources functions that support faculty, staff, students, and research personnel. This position independently manages complex financial transactions and funding portfolios, including researchgrants, contracts, and other funding sources, and regularlyinterprets and applies university, state, federal, and sponsorregulations to ensure full compliance across diverse and oftenunique funding scenarios.

In addition to preparing and reviewing complex financial report sand analyzing budget forecasts, the Finance and Accounting Senior Professional advises department leadership on financial planning and resource allocation, often identifying issues and proposing solutions to non-standard or sensitive financial situations. The position serves as a primary departmental resource on research andlab financial operations.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The University of Colorado at Boulder is ideally suited to thestudy of geological sciences. At the junction of the high plainsand the Rocky Mountains, the Boulder area represents a naturaloutdoor laboratory where you can study geological features of allages in diverse settings and observe Earth processesfirsthand.

The department has research laboratories for studying rock andmineral deformation, soils, sedimentation, geo-microbial processes,petrology, isotope geochemistry, and mineralogy. Beyond the department, researchers also have access to a wide variety ofshared analytical facilities across the CU Boulder campus. The department is affiliated with several research centers and institutes (INSTAAR, CSDMS, CIRES, LASP) and offers a diverse setof resources for teaching and research.

The Department of Geological Sciences recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in maintaining academic excellence and an intellectually and culturally enriching environment. Weappreciate that diversity extends to different races andethnicities, gender identities, nationalities, disabilities, andbody types. As such, we expect all members of our Department torespect each other and to work to combat systemic racism and otherbiases. The Department is actively working on initiatives tofurther support a welcoming and inclusive climate and to increase the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff.

• Independently manage, analyze, and monitor a broad range of financial activities across research and lab funds.
• Evaluate complex funding scenarios to ensure compliance with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) principles, state fiscal rules, sponsor regulations, and University policies.

• Apply advanced understanding of financial, regulatory, and sponsor requirements to ensure department-wide adherence to fiscal guidelines.
• Serve as a primary resource for interpreting policies and resolving compliance-related questions for faculty, staff, and administrators operating in research and lab spaces.

• Lead the development, refinement, and implementation of internal accounting processes, adapting departmental procedures to meet evolving program, sponsor, and institutional requirements.
• Proactively identify procedural gaps, recommend improvements, and guide adoption of new practices.

• Independently be responsible for post-award management of sponsored projects, including subcontracts, collaborating…