Accountant

The Department of Neurology is seeking applicants for the position of Accountant 3 to join our post‑award research administration team. Neurology has been a center of excellence for more than four decades and supports one of the top research programs in the U.S. with over 200 faculty serving as leaders in the neurological sciences.

We are actively seeking a highly motivated Accountant 3 to manage research funding for Principal Investigators with complex grant awards. This person will perform a wide range of accounting functions including designing and performing ad‑hoc analyses, developing and maintaining complex data models, analyzing large data sets, and reconciling complex accounts. Our department has seen dramatic growth in federal and nonprofit grants and gifts, including the addition of several externally‑funded research initiatives that span multiple departments, laboratories, institutions, and compliance offices.

We are seeking a candidate with a passion for supporting research, the ability to multi‑task, to be extremely detail‑oriented, self‑motivated, and a team player. This person must also have excellent communication skills that allow high level interactions with a diverse academic and medical community.

This position is hybrid (working on‑site and working from home). The employee will need to be on‑site a few days a month subject to operational need.

• Perform complex and detailed reconciliations, closure processes, research, and critical analyses. Identify, prioritize, and resolve complex financial issues which may span multiple areas; identify underlying issues; recognize exceptions; recommend solutions.
• Research possible solutions and make recommendations to department leadership based on audit / report reviews and identified accounting issues; advise leadership regarding business activities; provide cost analyses; plan studies; and determine business activity costs.
• Research, synthesize data; interpolate results from large amounts of data, identify trends in data, draw conclusions, develop solutions, present and implement recommendations, and create follow‑up analysis.
• Develop complex financial data and metrics, reports for a variety of internal and external audiences.
• Develop, design, or modify solutions for major segments of a program or accounting system; develop, recommend, implement and document new or revised policies and procedures.
• Review, design, and implement appropriate internal control programs, research new regulations, and implement approved changes.
• Manage compliance program for area of responsibility, interpret internal policy and external regulations, and create and/or review complex compliance reports.
• Lead and execute unit or cross‑functional projects and teams, make decisions regarding projects and programs affecting operational effectiveness, policies, or processes.
• Lead and support unit and organization strategy and change‑management initiatives. Analyze existing systems and processes; identify greater efficiencies and improved internal controls opportunities; incorporate new regulations; recommend solutions that may require policy changes or new processes.
• Develop, recommend and implement new or revised policies and procedures for better controls and efficiencies. Participate in critical analysis of existing systems and processes, identifying and implementing process‑improvement opportunities.
• Act as a lead, train, coach, and review the work of other staff, as needed. Contribute primarily through applying individual expertise.
• Other duties may also be assigned.

• Eight years of experience in sponsored project administration.
• Experience managing multiple projects and timelines in a dynamic research setting.
• Working knowledge of federal Uniform Guidance, sponsored project guidelines, and the research regulatory environment.
• Experience with Stanford systems a plus, to include Stanford Electronic Research Administration (SeRA), Oracle Financials, Business Intelligence, and iLabs.
• Certified Research Administrator, Project Management Professional, or similar certification preferred.

Bachelor's…