Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Research

If you are a current Barnard College employee, please use the internal career site to apply for this position.

Job:

Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored Research

The Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored Research is the College's primary control owner for the accounting, compliance, and stewardship of:

• Endowment funds
• Restricted private gifts and grants
• Sponsored research grants (federal, state, and private)

Reporting to the Controller, this role ensures donor and sponsor intent is honored, restricted and sponsored activity is accurately recorded and reconciled, Uniform Guidance requirements are met, and financial reporting is complete, timely, and audit-ready.

This position serves as the Finance lead for post-award sponsored research accounting and is a key institutional control point for compliance with U.S. GAAP, NYPMIFA, and federal grant regulations (2 CFR 200).

• Serve as the named owner of internal controls related to endowment and restricted fund accounting, ensuring compliance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (NYPMIFA), donor agreements, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Review and interpret restricted gift and endowment agreements; determine appropriate accounting treatment and classification in the College's general ledger.
• Establish new restricted and endowment funds in Workday and endowment systems, ensuring accurate worktag structure and documentation retention.
• Oversee accounting for:
  • Endowment investment activity
  • Spending distributions
  • Releases from restriction
  • Related journal entries

• Serve as Finance lead for post-award accounting of sponsored research grants.
• Ensure compliance with:
  • Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
  • Federal agency regulations
  • Sponsor-specific award terms
  • Institutional policies
• Manage and perform:
  • Grant setup in Workday
  • Budget alignment and cost allocations
  • Fringe benefit;
    Interest & Indirect cost (F&A) recovery accuracy
  • Effort reporting financial validation (in partnership with HR/Provost)
  • Cost transfers and allowability review
  • Matching contributions
  • Subrecipient financial monitoring (in coordination with Sponsored Research | Institutional Funding)
• Review and approve expenses charged to sponsored grants to ensure allowability, allocability, and consistency with sponsor requirements.
• Support grant closeout processes, ensuring financial accuracy and timely reporting.
• Coordinate preparation of federal financial reports (FFRs) and other sponsor financial deliverables.

• Conduct monthly reviews of restricted and sponsored activity to identify:
  • Misclassifications
  • Overspending
  • Unallowable costs
• Maintain comprehensive documentation repository for:
  • Donor agreements
  • Grant award notices
  • Sponsor correspondence
  • Reporting history
• Escalate compliance risks to the Controller in a timely manner.
• Recommend corrective actions and process improvements to strengthen internal controls.

• Maintain accountability for monthly reconciliation of:
  • Restricted fund balances
  • Sponsored grant balances
  • Deferred revenue and receivables
  • Net assets with donor restrictions
• Ensure timely resolution of reconciling items.
• Partner with Treasury & Reconciliation to align restricted and sponsored activity with cash and investment balances.
• Oversee accounting and reconciliation of government grant activity, including financial aid programs where applicable.

• Serve as primary Finance lead for:
  • Annual financial statement audit (restricted net assets & endowment)
  • Single Audit (Uniform Guidance)
  • Sponsor audits and desk reviews
• Prepare and review:
  • SEFA schedules
  • Endowment roll forwards
  • Restricted net asset roll forwards
  • Grant compliance documentation
• Respond to auditor inquiries and coordinate documentation under the Controller's oversight.

• Partner with Budget & Planning to:
  • Forecast restricted fund utilization
  • Model endowment spending
  • Project sponsored research indirect recovery
• Advi…