Accounting, Grants, and Finance Coordinator - DIL

About the department

The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

Job summary

The Accounting, Finance, & Grants Coordinator will support the operations of a portfolio of funding including gifts, grants, and institutional UChicago Development Innovation Lab. This role will report to the Accounting, Finance and Grants Manager. This is a great early career opportunity to gain experience and take on responsibility in finance, accounting, sponsored research, and general operations in a non-profit research environment. 

Responsibilities 

• Finance and Accounting (50%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager:
  • Participates in regular meetings with Research Teams and Research Portfolio Managers to review account portfolios, preparing materials in advance and documenting action items as directed
  • Maintains unit-wide costing allocation spreadsheet for each fiscal year and executes cost allocation updates within Workday following established procedures and Manager approval
  • Creates and executes journal entries to correct mis-posted items in the financial system, with Manager review for non-routine corrections
  • Reviews financial reports for consistency, accuracy, and compliance; at the direction of the Manager and Director of Finance, researches and resolves routine errors and documents issues to help prevent repeat occurrences
  • Maintains tools for tracking key financial data as established by the Manager; updates project-specific budgets, assists in preparing forecasts with research teams, and supports tracking of expenses to budget across the organization
  • Assists in reviewing monthly budget-to-actual financial reports and payroll allocations with research teams and the Director of Finance; conducts data entry to execute approved spending plans
  • Supports annual and monthly fiscal closing processes by completing assigned tasks and preparing documentation as directed
  • Drafts financial reports for Manager review and approval
  • Support Managers in budget preparation. 
  • Attends institutional and outside training classes covering financial, payroll, and reporting systems to build expertise in the role
• Sponsored Research (30%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager:
  • Assists with post-award activities for assigned portfolio, including preparation of financial reports, award modifications, no-cost extensions, and carry-over requests for Manager review and approval
  • Handles routine post-award transactions including account creations, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, invoice preparation, and account closing, escalating non-standard issues to the Manager
  • Prepares grant and effort allocation summaries for Principal Investigators and research teams; responds to straightforward inquiries and refers complex issues to the Manager
  • Supports proposal development by assembling materials, preparing supporting documents, and ensuring adherence to sponsor formatting guidelines as directed
  • Assists in maintaining compliance with grant rules and regulations; supports audit requests by gathering documentation as assigned
  • Attends training on grant submissions, financial management, and pre/post-award topics to build expertise in the role
• Procurement (15%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager:
  • Supports the full accounts payable cycle including vendor payments, invoice processing, reimbursements, and non-payroll payments to individuals and external entities
  • Reviews and audits supplier invoices for policy compliance and budget alignment; provides account distributions for all payments and contracts
  • Conducts transaction reviews across all payment types (ACH, wire transfers, checks, cards) to ensure international vendors are paid by wire
  • Prepares aging reports and payment status summaries; maintains A/P tracking tools and generates reports as needed
  • Assists with vendor and supplier setup in University systems; resolves payment issues as they arise
  • Coordinates with the Manager on back-office audit functions for staff GEMS expenses.

Minimum qualifications

• Education
  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, economics or finance; or minor/concentration in accounting.
• Competencies
  • Must be able to deal effectively with a diverse workforce in a complex research environment
  • Strong oral and written communication skills, and comfortable with a consultative approach to interacting with employees
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Must be a resourceful problem-solver and critical thinker, be proactive in leveraging opportunities and anticipating and averting problems
  • Must handle all employment information and issues with absolute discretion - confidentiality is essential
  • Must be proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel, advanced Excel skills preferred

Preferred qualifications

• Experience
  • 1-3 years of experience in accounting, operations, grant administration, finance, or other related field
  • Experience with budget planning and forecasting, ledgers, invoices, and fiscal reporting
  • Experience with financial and accounting systems such as Workday or Oracle/Peoplesoft
  • Working with generally accepted accounting (GAAP)
  • Experience submitting grant proposals to a variety of sponsors 
  • Experience managing post-award activities, especially projects that are funded by multiple sponsors 
  • Experience working in a higher education or non-profit environment
  • Experience in cross-cultural communications and working at an international organization 
  • Project management experience
• Preferred competencies
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Good interpersonal communication and client service skills, both verbal and written.
  • Good planning and organizational skills to balance and prioritize work.

Working conditions

Location: Chicago, IL

Candidates must be willing to travel extensively and flexibly as needed for their respective responsibilities. This person is expected to work a minimum of three days in the office.