(Remote) Sponsored Projects Reconciliation and Reporting Manager - Shared Services - West Virginia University

Description

The Shared Services Center at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Sponsored Projects Reconciliation and Reporting Manager.

About the Opportunity

The Sponsored Projects Reconciliation and Reporting Manager supervises the teams in the Shared Services Center that provide transactional support related to payroll distribution lines and adjustments as well as monthly report generation and distribution for all sponsored project activity. These teams provide funding reconciliation and reporting related to payroll lines and fringe adjustments along with expenditure detail and summary reports at the college/department level.  The manager provides day-to-day guidance and performance management for team members.  Maintains appropriate staffing levels to ensure all services and quality levels are achieved.  Provides deep functional expertise in the areas of research administration as it relates to federal, state, agency award specific and university regulations, policies, and procedures. Ensures operational processes and related systems are fully optimized.  Frequently engages with financial managers in colleges, schools, and other units across campus and other teams in the Shared Services Center.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week 
  
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
  
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
  
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
  
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
  
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
  
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the transactional support team responsible for sponsored projects payroll distribution lines, adjustments, fringe accounting and expenditure activity.
  
• Trains team to have a full understanding of award requirements as related to payroll funding and actively communicates with the team as part of the full labor adjustment process.
  
• Works with team and colleges/departments to determine reporting needs and contacts for proper development and distribution of expenditure and encumbrance data
  
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a thorough understanding of various financial modules, from a functional perspective, and their integration within the overall financial and administrative systems.
  
• Manages and distributes Salesforce cases as it relates to the day-to-day workload coming in from the Shared Services Center customer base.  Case requests and associated data are often ambiguous and requires the manager to assign to staff appropriately based on their skillset.
  
• Provides Tier 2 Inquiry support (phone, email, and chat) to unit contacts regarding payroll distribution adjustments, funding lines, and fringe transfers.
  
• Maintains a high level of understanding of research administration and current governmental guidance (example:  OMB Uniform guidance)
  
• Guides team members in review, approval and auditing of payroll expenses charged to sponsored projects.
  
• Helps establish and foster working relationships with Sponsored Projects Accounting staff to effectively design lines of communications and workflow processes for distribution adjustment approvals
  
• Ensures complex problems are resolved and tracked using the case management system.
  
• Manages issue escalations.  Provides guidance to staff and handles escalated issues directly as appropriate.  Identifies opportunities to provide corrective services to address customer complaints.
• Engages with other SSC managers, grant managers and strategic business advisors in the units and/or Principal Investigators to identify process challenges as they surface in order to implement process improvements to better serve the needs of our customers.
• Randomly audits payroll adjustments and other requests completed by the team to ensure cases are handled timely and accurately.
• Monitors internal reports generated from the case management system to identify areas of improvement and to mitigate risk.
  
• Understands and promotes the working relationships between the Division of Finance, strategic leaders in the colleges and schools and the SSC to ensure service goals are achieved.
  
• Ensures high quality, efficient services to the research community and aids in planning and implementation of process improvements as needed.
  
• Actively monitors and uses metrics and trends to determine where process improvements and training opportunities exist to improve the payroll distribution adjustment activity among the team.
  
• Interfaces with customers to understand expectations and follow-up to ensure satisfactory resolution of requests.  Maintains customer relationships through clear, effective, and timely communication.
  
• Works closely with the Director of Sponsored Projects Financial Management to ensure service levels are meeting expectations and that team is effectively trained in process and functionality changes.
  
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
  
• Stays informed on financial policy, plans and programs as well as regulatory updates for sponsored activity areas and provides team with regular updates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5 years of experience in the following: 
  • Project leadership
  • Researching and collecting data.
  • Customer service and communication experience typically acquired through prior work in a customer service setting.
• 3 years of experience in the following:
  • Preparing financial calculations and reports for a large customer base.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to lead a team through prior project team leadership and/or supervisory experience.
• Ability to exercise appropriate judgment to resolve staffing and performance issues and determine the appropriate course of action to resolve a customer issue.
• Demonstrated ability to research and apply critical thinking skills to resolve complex issues
• Ability to develop and maintain effecting working relationship with other members of the SSC and members of the WVU units.
• Ability to identify and address areas of continuous improvement and implement change.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and carry out assignments with minimal supervision
• Ability to analyze data to solve problems
• Excellent organization skills and the ability to work with a variety of constituencies to address complex issues in an accurate and timely manner
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team through prior project team leadership and/or supervisory experience.
• Experience with Research Administration including working with sponsored awards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MAP/Oracle