Clinical Trial Financial Manager

Department
BSD OCR- Post Award

Job Summary
The job provides professional support for pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications, and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with moderate guidance and utilizes knowledge of University and business drivers.

The Clinical Trial Financial Manager provides administrative support in an intensive customer service environment for the Clinical Trial Financial Group CTFG within the Office of Clinical Research for the Biological Sciences Division.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a primary account administrator for clinical research study accounts.
• Creates accounts and works within the financial accounting system, Oracle.
• Allocates, authorizes, monitors, and controls expenses on clinical research study accounts.
• Manages check and wire-transfer deposits and earnings invoicing for industry-funded clinical trials.
• Maintains accurate accounts receivable and payable data in OnCore CTMS and VETS (Visit Earnings Tracking System).
• Facilitates timely reconciliation and close-out of terminated clinical trial financial accounts.
• Maintains, oversees, reconciles, and corrects errors in accounts. Processes clinical research and core bills for payment.
• Partners with CT Contracts Managers on budgetary amendment implementation.
• Communicates regularly with study staff on accrual tracking and provides training in study financial management.
• Works with other administrators on the procurement process including purchasing, internal requisitioning, and personal and travel reimbursements.
• Partner with grants administrators to manage financial and administrative aspects
• Project proposal preparation, submission, and post-award grant administration.
• Advises and assists in relationship management and communications with funding agencies, subcontractors, and others.
• Monitors expenditures on approximately 560 - 700 active individual faculty accounts.
• Proposes solutions to discovered problems and fixes according to proper policy and compares actual spending to original budget and identifies any variances with the particular attention being paid to faculty salary.
• Develops a working knowledge of University policies and procedures as well as a working knowledge of policies and procedures of various funding agencies.
• Creates and maintains excel spreadsheets and databases to track Division's clinical research.
• Works closely with Section Administrators and Department Leadership to effectively manage faculty clinical research accounts and ensure proper spending.
• Seeks new avenues for funding and grant opportunities and ensures that notices of relevant opportunities are brought to faculty attention. Works with sponsors to draft proposal budgets in accordance with University needs, with a moderate level of guidance and direction.
• Handles straightforward post-award activities including account creations, regulatory and compliance monitoring, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, cost center charges, equipment inventory, invoice preparation, grant closing process, and account closing.
• Prepares summaries of grants and effort allocations for Principal Investigators, meets with them and responds to their questions. Coordinates with other departments/units/divisions regarding multi investigator grants. Serves as department contact for annual audits and agency site visits.
• Performs other related work as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree.

Experience:

• Working knowledge in Oracle, Business Objects, and academic medical operations.
• An understanding of fund accounting principles, federal and major non-federal post-award policies, allowable cost policies, and fundamental academic policies, allowable cost policies, and fundamental academic medical research accounting.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong computer skills including word processing, database management, and spreadsheet skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Flexible and adaptable.
• Knowledge of general accounting standards and auditing.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Sound financial and analytic skills.
• Research issues and propose solutions to problems.
• Demonstrated initiative in improving processes and enhancing systems.
• Exercise sound judgment, discretion and tact.
• Exceptional time management skills and the ability to handle multiple, concurrent tasks within deadlines.
• Work with individuals from across the division and University.
• Proficient in research methods and funding sources.
• Expertise with clinical trials.
• Background with federal and non-federal regulations for grant management.
• Proficiency with fund accounting.
• Familiarity with federal and non-federal grant and contract policies

Working Conditions

• Office environment.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
Financial Management

Role Impact
Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours
40

Drug Test Required
No

Health Screen Required
No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No

Pay Rate Type
Salary

FLSA Status
Exempt

Pay Range
$75,000.00 - $100,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.