Research Accountant

The College of Sciences (COS) brings together the mathematical, physical, and biological sciences in a research-intensive environment that simultaneously values excellence in teaching and strong community engagement. The COS Research Office is the nucleus of research administration and support, providing a full suite of pre- and post-award services to enhance the research, teaching, administrative, and outreach functions of the College. Key office responsibilities include proposal development and submission, portfolio management, effort reporting, and responding to departmental and faculty post-award and other research administration needs.

Please visit our Sciences Strategic Plan and the College of Sciences Culture Charter to learn more about the College of Sciences.

NC State promotes an integrated approach to problem-solving that transforms lives and provides leadership for social, economic, and technological development across North Carolina and around the world. NC State's land grant mission of teaching, research and service is dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. Applicants are encouraged to review the institution's mission, vision and strategic plan, and consider how their background, interest and experience would enable them to support the university.

Essential Job Duties

The Accountant II is responsible for overseeing the fiscal management of a diverse portfolio of sponsored projects/ledger five (L-5) grant accounts within the College of Sciences. This includes working with the Accounting Technicians to ensure the initiation of transactions such as rebudgets, no-cost extensions, reconciliations, and similar are done in a comprehensive and timely manner, and interfacing with the PostAward Accountants to make corrections if needed, so they can be approved. It also includes proactively monitoring projects to resolve emerging issues quickly, meeting with faculty to assist with budget forecasting and long-term financial planning, resolving fiscal management problems across departments and units (including the college HR office and the college finance office), and answering complex financial questions for faculty.

The position also requires significant knowledge of, and consistently navigating all compliance issues within the University, Federal Government, and Agency guidelines, as well as communicating those compliance issues to faculty and the Accounting Technicians as needed to ensure compliant fiscal management. The ideal candidate for this position will have robust familiarity with federal and non-federal grants, fellowships, contracts, and research administration, be comfortable working as part of a team, the capacity to prioritize multiple tasks, organize and delegate tasks to the Accounting Technicians, and the capacity to solve complex budgeting and research administration problems. The role requires being proactive in reporting and project management and finding solutions to problems when compliance concerns arise.

Other Responsibilities

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

Require post-baccalaureate credentials plus 1-2 years experience; a bachelor's degree and 2-4 years experience may be substituted for the advanced degree on an exceptional basis.

Other Required Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team effectively and efficiently, requiring minimal supervision.

• Possess excellent analytical and verbal/written communication skills. Strong attention to detail.

• Ability to work under pressure.

• Experience with grants management and federal circulars.

• Ability to assess and resolve unprecedented problems that require research and review of policy, procedures, and regulations.

• Apply judgment for problem resolutions or program requirements.

• Ability to understand and properly apply complex requirements, regulations, and concepts well enough to explain to others.

• Ability to take initiative to identify and recommend process improvements with a focus on increasing efficiency and customer service.

• Ability to mitigate/resolve situations to customer satisfaction.

• Strong computer skills, including Word, Access, Excel, and the Windows environment, or similar software.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 years of post-award experience in the administration of sponsored awards or a Master's Degree.

• Knowledge of the University and State financial processes.

• Experience/knowledge of Cost Accounting Standards, Uniform Guidance, and ledger 5.

• PeopleSoft financial experience and knowledge of PeopleSoft actions

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

N/A

Valid NC Driver's License required No Commercial Driver's License required No