Grant Specialist, SOM, Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. VCU School of Medicine comprises 18 clinical departments, eight basic health science departments, and 11 affiliated institutes and centers, and provides preeminent education to physicians and scientists in order to improve the quality of healthcare for humanity. All full-time university staff are eligible for our generous benefits package that includes choices for health, vision, and dental coverage, life-insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, flexible spending accounts, tuition benefits, significant paid-time off,12 paid holidays, and more. Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/university-and-academic-professional-benefits/

Position Summary:

The School of Medicine is seeking an experienced financial specialist who is looking for an opportunity to support financial operations in the School’s Infectious Diseases Division. The Grants Specialist, will provide professional grants administration oversight, and fiscal management within the VCU University guidelines for the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases.

Core Responsibilities:

Financial Management (45%):

-Assist with the compilation of annual budgets and projections of financial needs and activities for current and future fiscal years.
-Generate and approve routine purchase orders, requisitions, travel reimbursements, and refunds using a pCard or Realsource
-Ensure compliance with university policies, to ensure that budget goals are maintained for VCU.
-Back-up for travel authorizations
-Collaborate with the Director in maintaining and managing salary distribution
-Make adjustments and corrections to previous transactions to ensure expenses are attributed to the correct accounts.
-Collaborate with the Director on the financial management of projects.
-Monitor, evaluate and maintain accurate files on all deposits and expenditures per account to ensure compliance with University policies; prepare monthly financial summaries for the Director to monitor budgets with alerts for surplus and deficit spending; monitor personnel expenditures and update the Director as needed.
-Communicates and/or advises appropriate faculty and staff about new financial policies and procedures.
-Collaborate with the Director in producing monthly financial status reports of grants

Research Funding Administration (45%):
-Collaborate with the Director on the financial management of research projects.
-For grant proposals, assist with budget development and compile University or Sponsor's budgetary documents.
-Work with the Director to ensure grant proposals are processed according to VCU policy and in a timely manner.
-For funded projects, ensure Banner accounts are established timely and budgets loaded correctly.
-Monitor, evaluate, and maintain accurate files on all deposits and expenditures to ensure compliance with University policies; prepare monthly or quarterly invoicing for the sponsor.
-Collaborates with the Director to provide reports to sponsors as required by the project requirements.
-Provide quarterly reports to the Director by account showing the balance at the beginning of the fiscal year and the current balance.
-Process transactions within Banner for individual accounts to ensure that salary and other costs are correctly attributed to each account.
-For continuations, carry-forwards, and extensions, ensure compliance with University and sponsor policies and assist the Director in completing necessary reports.
-Prepare final financial report summary for the Director and assist in closing the grant.
-Demonstrates a commitment to risk assessment(considering cost, benefit, and impact) -utilizes identified internal control mechanism -practices routine verification of the accuracy of data

Other Duties as Assigned (10%):
-Attend all team meetings prepared to discuss any achievements or opportunities for improvement related to assigned duties and attend all annual retreats and special functions.
-Attend any supervisor-required meetings, program week, trainings, competencies, and/or site visits.
-Assist the Director with special projects.

Minimum Hiring Standards:
-Ability to prepare financial analyses, reports, projections and organize fiscal information/records
-Ability to draft/prepare written communications
-Excellent oral and written communication skills
-Strong computer skills, including spreadsheet, database, and word processing skills
-Ability to work independently and efficiently

-Ability to work in a diverse environment required

Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field. Equivalent experience accepted
-Experience working with the Banner system
-Experience working in an academic healthcare setting is preferred
-Experience in providing fiscal, bookkeeping, and accounting services with experience in research grants and contracts administration.
-Knowledge of HIPAA and ability to implement privacy and confidentiality practices.

Additional Information-
ORP Eligible: No

Hours / weeks - 40 hours weekly

Days /hours - Monday - Friday, Generally 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Title Details:
University Title: Financial Specialist 1, FS
University Code: 18211N
University Job Family: Financial Services

Position will remain open until filled

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.