Research Accountant (2 positions available)

Job no: 0036877, 0062304 (2 positions available)
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; Continuing
Department/School: Research, Innovation and Commercialisation
Salary: UOM 6 – $92,749 - $100,397 p.a. plus 17% super

• Two positions available!
• Fantastic opportunity to broaden your experience in a diverse role, within the context of research funding 
• Play a vital role in supporting our research community to deliver cutting-edge research
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About Us – Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC)
RIC is a specialist team dedicated to enabling the University's research and enterprise mission working closely with our academics, professional colleagues, industry partners, funding agencies and government agencies.  We have a passion to see our academics and their collaboration partners succeed, achieve research excellence and translate their discoveries into real-world innovation and impact.  

About the Role
As a Research Accountant within RIC, you will play a vital role in supporting our research community, providing accurate, compliant and timely financial accounting and audit services throughout the lifecycle of research projects.

Your responsibilities will include building strong working relationships with faculty researchers, finance managers, and other key stakeholders across the University and external funding bodies. Through proactive application of your expertise, you'll contribute to the development of processes and documentation, driving continuous improvement in service delivery to benefit the broader University community.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact on research outcomes while working in a collaborative and dynamic environment. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to advancing research excellence at the University.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Prepare financial reports and audit activities for submission to external sponsors.
• Ensure compliance with funding agreements, and thoroughly document transactions, reconciliations and activities undertaken to complete a financial report
• Calculate and/or distribute income on a periodic or ad-hoc basis and investigate and resolve variances to ensue income is attributed accurately
• Maintain a sound knowledge of current Australian Accounting Standards, University Policy and Procedures, relevant funding rules, and financial legislation
• Provide high quality, responsive expert services to the research community and to contribute to their understanding and practice of good financial management and compliance.
• Establish relationships with external funding bodies including Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, government and industry partners and international organisations.

Who We Are Looking For
This is an excellent career development opportunity for a motivated self-starter with a background in Accounting and high attention to detail, interested in working with research funding. 

You will have the opportunity to collaborate with diverse stakeholder groups, utilising your exceptional communication skills to communicate complex information in an easy-to-understand format and provide advice. You also have the ability to troubleshoot and navigate complex systems. 

As a solution-driven problem-solver, you will proactively spot and utilise process improvement opportunities to enhance our service delivery.

You will be autonomous while also being a team player looking to contribute to a collaborative team culture that values knowledge-sharing and professional development.

While not essential, CPA or CA qualifications will be highly regarded. 

You will also have:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline with subsequent relevant experience and/or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Demonstrated experience in multiple funding source account reconciliations, variance resolution, preparation and certifications of financial statements
• Experience in interpreting policy and contract conditions and provide advice, analysis and reasoned recommendations. Able to apply financial governance principles
• High level of attention to detail, organisational skills and demonstrated ability to prioritise workloads with minimal supervision in a high-volume environment to ensure timely delivery of reports
• Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to develop, influence and effectively manage internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Working knowledge of Visual Basic for Application (VBA) scripting to create and debug Excel macros is highly desirable. Experience with Workday, ERP and Cayuse (desirable).

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits  page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website  and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact Kim Groizard at [email protected] , with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Ana Gencic via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

Applications close: 28th APRIL 2024 11:55 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)

Position Description: 0036877_Research Accountant_PD.pdf

Position Description