Location Santa Cruz
Full/Part Time Full Time
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JOB POSTING
This is an exempt, monthly paid position, eligible for UC benefits. See below.
This is a Santa Cruz based, hybrid remote-friendly position (with the possibility of being 100% remote within California) requiring a telecommuting agreement and adherence to the UCSC Telecommuting/Remote Work Guidelines. The employee shall be available in a full-time capacity during assigned telecommuting work hours (specific hours to be discussed with supervisor). While telecommuting/remote working, the employee is responsible for ensuring a worksite environment suitable for accomplishing their regular job duties during scheduled hours of work and, if applicable, arranging for dependent care just as they would if they were working at the regular UCSC worksite.
NO VISA SPONSORSHIP IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION.
Benefits to working at UC Santa Cruz include:
- Medical, Dental & Vision Care Insurance Plans
- UC Retirement Plans
- Group Term Life Insurance
- Legal Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Paid Holidays plus accrued vacation and sick leave
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit :
HOW TO APPLY
For full consideration, applicants should attach their resume and cover letter when applying for a job opening. For guidance related to the application process or if you are experiencing difficulties when applying, please review the Applicant Resources on our Talent Acquisition website.
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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)
Application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring unit for consideration. Materials submitted after the IRD will ONLY be forwarded at the request of the hiring unit. To ensure your application is routed for consideration, submit your materials before 11:59 p.m. on the IRD. Talent Acquisition cannot accept application materials outside of the jobs portal, and is unable to update submitted applications on an applicant's behalf, or forward communications to the hiring units. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.
The IRD for this job is:10-07-2024
ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ
UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The University of California Observatories (UCO) is a Multi-Campus Research Unit (MRU) funded via the UCOP Office of Research and headquartered on the UCSC campus. UCO operates on behalf of astronomers, researchers, postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students across the UC system who are engaged in research, education and training in optical and infrared astronomy. In addition to managing the technical, physical plant and public outreach operations of the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, UCO provides the scientific and administrative liaison to the shared Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii and the international collaboration for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project. UCO comprises extensive scientific and technical staff and facilities at UCSC and Lick Observatory as well as administrative and business services.
More information can be found at:
JOB SUMMARY
Under the general direction of the Associate Director for Business and Administration, the Senior Financial Analyst provides high level financial analytical support to UCO in the areas of grants and contracts management for instrumentation and fabrication projects, ensuring campus and federal policies and guidelines are observed and in place. The Senior Financial Analyst develops and presents complex labor recharge rates proposal, develops and supports the costing of instrumentation projects and applies activity based costing and activity based instrumentation project budgets. The incumbent is responsible for performing contracts and grants administration, financial accounting and process analysis, audit support, compliance and policies interpretation. Additionally, this role participates in database development and other duties in support of UCO's research and collaborative objectives. The incumbent produces ad hoc financial reports and performs modeling as requested by supervisor. They contribute to UCO's annual budget process and the annual fiscal close and reporting process.
APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
Budgeted Salary: $115,000 - $135,600 / Annually. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.
Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits
Schedule Information:
- Full-time, Fixed
- Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
- Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
- Shift Includes: Day
Employee Classification: Career appointment
Job End Date: None
Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus
Union Representation: Non-Represented
Job Code Classification: 007710 (FINANCIAL ANL 4)
Travel: Never or Rarely
JOB DUTIES
50% - Pre and Post Contract and Grant Administration of Fabrication and Instrumentation Projects
- Responsible for providing high-level financial analyses and management for the UCO portfolios of sponsored awards. Manages a diverse portfolio of related activities overseeing all aspects of post award activities and provides all necessary support for all pre and post award activities.
- Works with Associate Director, faculty, researchers and project managers to develop cost proposal budgets for scientific studies and instrumentation projects. Supports project managers with the proposal submission for major UCO fabrication and instrumentation projects according to sponsoring agency terms including clauses of risk and/or complexity. These areas include the protection of intellectual property rights, indemnification and insurance requirements, mitigation of publication restrictions, ownership of equipment and research data, export control issues, use of sensitive data and potentially burdensome financial and invoicing obligations.
- Works with UCO project managers and Principal investigators to prepare and track project budgets, development schedules and earned value reporting throughout the project phases. Prepares reports according to project management, PI, and funding agency guidelines.
- Drafts proposal memos, and advises of potential risk or compliance factors. Provides guidance to faculty, researchers and staff on policies by interpreting and explaining award conditions and requirements.
- Coordinates the timely review and acceptance of awards with complex terms with OSP and Research Division, University Legal Counsel, Extramural Funds Accounting, UCOP Office of Technology Transfer, Principal Investigators, and project managers.
- Supports the establishment of standardized project reporting processes to support the project managers and P.I.'s. Collects data, allocates costs and prepares financial reports and budgets for instrumentation, optics and technology development projects.
- Reconciles multi-year budgets with multiple fund sources, including Federal, Gift, University, and other Agency funds. Utilizing various database and spreadsheet applications, prepares and distributes monthly financial reports. Maintains full financial accountability for all agency awarded contracts and grants, including sub awards and project closeout.
- Reviews and approves expenditures on multi funded projects, ensuring adherence to University, Campus and Agency policies and procedures.
- Manages other types of agreements such as Material Transfer Agreements (MTA's), Consortium Agreements, Memorandum of Understanding, Site Use, Loan and other agreements.
20% - Financial Analysis and Reporting
- Provides analytical support for complex budget, financial, and resource analysis for budget planning and reporting annual requirements. Generates, modifies, and develops new financial reports, and analyzes and forecasts budgets, for all related contracts, grants, gifts, endowments, and labor recharge fees.
- Develops innovative solutions to highly complex recharge and self-supporting operations. Gathers, analyzes, prepares and summarizes recommendations for financial and/or resource plans, including annual forecasts of sources and uses of funds.
- Expedites processes on campus as necessary with the Budget Office, General Accounting, Recharge Committee, Capital Projects, Disbursements, Business Contracts and other campus departments, for a variety of issues.
- Perform various analyses and comparative feasibility studies. Performs other Ad hoc financial reports as assigned by the Director, Deputy Director, and/or Associate Director.
- Serves as backup to Associate Director and Research Analyst.
15% - Financial Accounting
- Manages the development, calculation, and review of the UC Observatories Technical Fabrication Recharge rates and submission of the annual self-certification. Gathers information from a variety of sources and prepares information for monthly recharge billing. Identifies systematic problems and implements solutions.
- Ensures financial processing functions are performed with accuracy and completeness. This includes posting of monthly recharge transactions, data validation, and billing statements. Monitors workflow and operations of recharge activity. Reconciles, researches, and resolves discrepancies. Prepares analyses of comparative labor costs, trends and forecasting.
- Develops detailed expenditure forecasts. Analyzes data from the monthly labor reporting and billing process. Maintains historical database. Researches and prepares comparisons with similar outside institutions.
- Confers with Associate Director regarding the effects on recharges of changing labor and benefits rates, taking into consideration client and unit impact, and how best to respond. Reconciles and produces quarterly variance labor reports.
10% - Financial Database and Systems Support
- Under the general direction of the Associate Director, designs, develops, deploys, administers and supports financial and database systems that facilitate effective operations of the UCO business services.
- Provides leadership and expertise in the implementation, testing, maintenance and upgrade of computer systems and databases in support of the UCO Financial Reporting system.
- Participates in the strategic planning and development of functional requirements, objectives and designs for database development projects.
- Performs user and enterprise needs assessments, and conducts needs analysis to determine requirements and to develop recommendations for solutions.
- Participates in the management and migration of data across databases.
5% - Audit Support. Policy Compliance and Interpretation
- Makes recommendations on maintaining and strengthening internal controls to protect University resources.
- Ensures compliance to OMB A-21 and specific agency policies. Manages account structure, including appropriate establishment and tracking of internal activity codes. Compiles data and prepares confidential statistical reports.
- Participates in all internal and external audit activities.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
- Thorough understanding of research administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment.
- Demonstrated experience with the applications of principles and practices of financial management, fiscal planning and analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial issues.
- Demonstrated contract negotiation skills.
- Demonstrated experience in preparing and tracking schedules and earned value as necessary, report to project managers and funding agencies.
- Advanced level in the use of Microsoft Excel. Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Project or other equivalent project tools.
- Demonstrated competence in the use of database software in financial analysis, fiscal management and financial reports.
- Demonstrated experience in developing, producing and completing complex reports for various funding agencies, projecting multi-year expenditures and outcomes as they relate to individual projects, and the department as a whole.
- Advanced communication skills to effectively present complex finance related information both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner.
- Excellent verbal communication skills.
- Excellent written communication skills.
- Ability to function as a member of a team.
- Demonstrated ability to work in high pressure situations to meet deadlines and accommodate interruptions. Ability to maintain flexibility to redirect efforts when priorities change.
- Demonstrated problem solving skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced degree in Finance/Business/Accounting administration or equivalent experience performing a range of financial functions such as fiscal planning analysis, budgetary systems or forecasting for a UC or comparable non-profit environment.
- Education in a technical field (e.g. engineering)
- Advanced knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.
- Sufficient experience in a technical field to communicate with technical staff in the development of fabrication budgets and recharge proposals.
- Proven ability to assess and contribute to development of automated systems to facilitate project/award administration.
- Strong financial project management skills.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
- Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
- Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
- Will be required to work a hybrid work schedule, days of the week and number of days to be determined, and be able to fulfill requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
- Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
- The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
- Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.
SAFETY STATEMENT
All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is available at: This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.EEO/AA
The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees.
For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy please visit:
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: