Associate Director, Post-Award

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or [email protected] . For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778. 

Job Description

The University of Nevada, Reno, Sponsored Projects department is recruiting for an Associate Director, Post Award.  This position is responsible for the financial management and compliance oversight for the University’s sponsored projects. This includes managing the projects’ budget and spend activities; financial reporting and award closeout processes. The position is responsible for establishing internal controls that ensure sponsor compliance while leveraging technology for process efficiencies.  The Associate Director serves as the University’s Fiscal Officer and the point of contact for audits and institutional reports involving sponsored projects.

The Associate Director is responsible for managing a team of grant accountants, providing guidance, supervision, and performance evaluation. The position reports directly to the Executive Director of Sponsored Projects.

As the Associate Director for Post-award, the incumbent's responsibilities are multifaceted, with a significant portion of the role dedicated to supervision and management. This involves providing leadership in overseeing post-award financial activities, including review, reconciliation, reporting, fiscal compliance, and award closeout. Collaborating with various university departments, the Associate Director ensures strict adherence to financial policies set forth by the university and funding agencies.

Active participation in the search process is a key aspect of the role, where the Associate Director mentors, supervises, and trains members of the Post-Award team. Serving as the authorized financial officer for all sponsored projects, they provide direction and general supervision, establishing performance standards and conducting evaluations. Additionally, the Associate Director plays a crucial role in assisting the Executive Director in collecting and reporting relevant metrics to support Research & Innovation strategic goals.

Another significant portion is dedicated to serving as the Sponsored Projects Grants Configuration Partner in the realm of Workday. This involves identifying configuration changes and collaborating with project teams and business analysts to implement these changes during the pilot phase. Acting as a subject matter expert for grants modules in Workday, the Associate Director facilitates meetings, discussions, and demonstrations with other NSHE campuses to garner support for configuration changes. Active coordination with business analysts and contribution to governance meetings are essential components of this role.

Addressing system issues with campus end-users and conducting system testing for new configurations are crucial tasks. Defining criteria for new reports, functionalities, and invoicing in Workday, the Associate Director serves as the Workday grant module expert, evaluating releases and making recommendations on status or necessary changes. A significant focus is also placed on training post-award and university support staff, extending training and communication efforts to other campuses.

The remaining responsibilities are dedicated to reporting and audits. This involves maintaining up-to-date knowledge of federal and other sponsor regulations governing grant and contract administration. Ensuring accuracy and timely submission of various reports, including NSF HERD, Sponsored Projects annual reports, Indirect Cost reports, Cost Share reports, Risk Account reports, NSHE Sponsored Programs annual reports, Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, foreign awards and contracts reporting, CASB-DS-2, and ad-hoc reports is a critical aspect of this role.

The Associate Director is actively involved in generating reports and analyses of financial and business needs to support compliance reviews and decision-making for sponsored projects. Oversight of the university's annual single audit and any other program audits as requested by sponsors is part of their responsibilities. Serving as the primary point of contact for external and internal auditors, the Associate Director reviews responses to all audit requests and site visits. Additionally, they play a proactive role in developing and implementing policies and procedures to promote process improvement while adhering to relevant university, state, and federal guidelines.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree and six years of relevant professional experience; OR

Master’s Degree and four years of relevant professional experience

Relevant Experience: Grants and contracts financial management, compliance audits, financial systems configuration, university fiscal administration.

Preferred Qualifications

CPA. MBA, CRA and/or CFRA

Schedule or Travel Requirements: 

In-frequent (mainly to conferences and professional development workshops)

Compensation Grade - D

Expected Range - $100,752 - $125,940

To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules  and select Administrative Faculty by Grade. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 17.50% contribution is generously matched by the University.   With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow!  All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada. 

Perks of Working at UNR

• Health insurance options including dental and vision - Health Insurance

• Generous annual and sick leave and life insurance  – Faculty Benefits

• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers an annual or semester membership and family membership options.  E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center

• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.

• Several Diversity Committees and Affinity Groups focusing on campus-wide diversity initiatives to ensure we are working to create a diverse and welcoming campus climate. Diversity Groups

• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate

• No state income tax!

Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees

The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.  Faculty Grants-in-Aid

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program

Department Information

Sponsored Projects at the University of Nevada, Reno works with University employees, external sponsors, and subcontractors to achieve funding for research and other scholarly activities and to provide oversight and advice on issues of federal, state, and institutional compliance, laws and regulations. Sponsored Projects assists the University in assuring that maximum public benefit is derived from sponsored projects funding.

Contact Information

Katie Tracy - [email protected]  

Irving Martinez - [email protected]  

Exempt

Yes

Full-Time Equivalent

100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, or additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at [email protected] .

Please attach the following documents to your application 

1) Resume/CV

2) Cover Letter

3) Contact information for three professional references

4) Please write a brief statement (one page maximum) about how you would contribute toward our mission of creating a culturally inclusive environment in the role for which you are applying.

Posting Close Time

Applications must be received by 11:59pm on April 2nd. This posting will close at 12:00am on April 3rd. 

Posting Close Date

05/5/2024

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

  

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.

  

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

  

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

  

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

    

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes). 

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading American public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine – and it delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. In recent years, the University has expanded to include two additional locations: the Redfield Campus in south Reno and the Wayne L. Prim campus in Incline Village, which is the home of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe.

 As part of the Nevada System of Higher Education – comprised of two research universities, one state college, four community colleges and an environmental research institute –  the University is committed to developing strong partnerships with each of these institutions for the benefit of all Nevadans.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its nearly 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University’s website .

University of Nevada, Reno