Financial Operations Manager

Position Information

The Financial Operations Manager (FOM) Facilitates the financial operations for the Department of Physics & Astronomy, which include contract & grant administration, purchasing, travel, and financial matters under the general supervision of the Financial and Administrative Officer (FAO); Fully responsible for departmental financial and administrative function in the FAO's absence. Directly supervises four employees and indirect supervision of additional support staff in the absence of the FAO. Exercises independent judgment in solving day-to-day operational problems and making recommendations concerning departmental resources, policies, practices, and operations. Anticipates operational problems and develops recommendations for review and implementation. The Department of Physics & Astronomy supports 44 faculty and 195 non-senate academics, postdocs, graduate students, and 15 administrative staff; $21 million dollars per year in expenditures and $10 million in extramural funding administered over 250 discreet fund sources; 80 proposals submitted per year; over 75,000 assignable square feet of space in 4 office and laboratory buildings.

The full salary range for the Financial Operations Manager is $86,600 - $159,400 annually. However, the expected pay scale for this position is $86,600 - $110,000 annually. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, licensure and certifications, experience, and other business and organizational needs.

Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a UCR staff position. Currently, we are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for staff.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• 20% — Participates in the creation, maintenance and reporting of operational and budget processes, academic and/or staff FTE, finance, human resources and space planning.

  The FOM serves as the financial manager for the department, responsible for all university generated research funds (extramural/campus), faculty start-up funds, gifts, course material fees, and costshare funds. Oversees department funding distributions, making recommendations on expenditure control and the achievement of appropriate resource allocation. Manages financial projections to accurately predict year end fund balances. Responsible for reconciling monthly payroll reports and coordinating salary cost transfers to ensure that fund sources and personnel effort percentages are reported in a timely and accurate manner. Reviews daily post-authorization notices (PANs) posting to the financial system for appropriateness and accuracy.

• 20% — Supervises the work of a department with responsibility for quality and quantity of work.

  Responsible for the direction, evaluation, training, development, and monitoring daily activities of direct reports. With suitable training and appropriate supervision, ensure departmental compliance with strong internal controls; By networking with other departmental managers, control unit personnel, and internal auditors, maintain knowledge of the most current internal control practices and procedures.

• 20% — Department expert for the management of all extramural activity. Supervise Contract and Grant Analysts as they prepare monthly financial statements for faculty and submit proposals using various web-based systems such as Cayuse424, NSF Fastlane, Research.Gov, and UCR's Electronic Campus Approval Form (eCAF). Reallocate responsibilities as workload changes occur, maintaining a balanced and fair distribution of responsibilities and effort. Serves as back-up support for Analysts during heavy proposal deadlines and/or staff shortages.
• 15% — Prepare monthly, annual, and ad hoc financial reports of departmental operations that incorporate history, current picture, and trends to support senior level decision making. Reconcile financial reports to the financial system ledgers; ensure that all financial transactions are reviewed promptly and that all required correcting entries are well explained, approved, appropriately documented, and posted in a timely manner. Manage financial operations so that only minimal correcting entries are necessary. Remain current on emerging information technologies, particularly as they relate to departmental financial, purchasing, and travel operations. Attend financial system user group meetings, college administrators meetings, college financial managers' meetings, Contract & Grant User group meetings, etc. Disseminate relevant information to those not in attendance. Responsible for fiscal year end closing.
• 10% — Participates in the development and monitoring of policies and procedures for departmental operations.

  Responsible for the application of all University policies and procedures as related to the departmental financial, purchasing and travel operations. Regularly reviews department processes, anticipates operational challenges and develops effective solutions to ensure compliance and efficiency. With guidance from FAO, communicates new processes, policies, and guidance to department staff, faculty and research personnel. Respond to requirements and requests from the college Dean's office, Accounting, Internal Control, and other campus offices.

• 10% — Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the function.

  Responsible for quality and quantity of work. Oversees complex Center and/or Outreach grants, and serves as the main contact for resolving problems or questions from Accounting, Financial Aid, Graduate Division, and Research office department units.

• 5% — May manage systems and procedures to protect departmental assets.

  Manages Enterprise Access Control system (EACS), granting appropriate department user access to campus financial and academic systems. Regularly updates travel system routing to facilitate travel reimbursement requests. Other duties as assigned.

Experience

• 6 - 10 years of related experience. — Required
• Previous supervisory/managerial experience. — Preferred

Education

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training. — Required
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance, or Master of Business Administration. — Preferred

Certification Requirements

• Preferred

Minimum Requirements

Solid knowledge of financial analysis and reporting techniques; human resources and risk management planning; accounting and payroll. Solid interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising, and counseling to effectively motivate others. Solid skills to quickly evaluate complex issues and identify resolution. Solid knowledge of common organization-specific and other computer application programs. Demonstrated skills in employee supervision and HR administration. Demonstrated experience with pre-and post-award phases of contract & grant administration. Solid knowledge of the organization's processes, protocols and procedures with a focus on budget, account and fund management and/or personnel management within labor contract(s) and personnel policy. Solid organizational and customer service skills to effectively manage multiple priorities. Interpersonal skills to effectively motivate others. Experience preparing grant proposal and/or operational budgets

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in an academic environment providing support for staff and/or faculty knowledge of current University policies and procedures and a working knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures which apply to this position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Solid knowledge of the organization's processes, protocols and procedures with a focus on budget, account and fund management and/or personnel management within labor contract(s) and personnel policy. — Required
• Solid knowledge of financial analysis and reporting techniques; human resources and risk management planning; accounting and payroll. — Required
• Demonstrated skills in employee supervision and HR administration. — Required
• Solid knowledge of common organization-specific and other computer application programs. — Required
• Solid organizational and customer service skills to effectively manage multiple priorities. — Required
• Solid interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising, and counseling to effectively motivate others. — Required
• Solid skills to quickly evaluate complex issues and identify resolution. — Required
• Experience preparing grant proposal and/or operational budgets — Required
• Interpersonal skills to effectively motivate others. — Required
• Demonstrated experience with pre-and post-award phases of contract & grant administration. — Required
• Experience in an academic environment providing support for staff and/or faculty knowledge of current University policies and procedures and a working knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures which apply to this position. — Preferred

Additional Information

In the Heart of Inland Southern California, UC Riverside is located on nearly 1,200 acres near Box Springs Mountain in Southern California; the park-like campus provides convenient access to the vibrant and growing Inland region. The campus is a living laboratory for the exploration of issues critical to growing communities' air, water, energy, transportation, politics, the arts, history, and culture. UCR gives every student, faculty and staff member the resources to explore, engage, imagine and excel.

UC Riverside is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse research universities in the country boasting several key rankings of which we are extremely proud.

• UC Riverside is proud to be ranked No. 12 among all U.S. universities, according to Money Magazine's 2020 rankings, and among the top 1 percent of universities worldwide, according to the 2019-20 Center for World University rankings.
• UC Riverside is the top university in the United States for social mobility. - U.S. News 2020
• UCR is a member of the University Innovation Alliance, the leading national coalition of public research universities committed to improving student success for low-income, first-generation, and students of color.
• Among top-tier universities, UC Riverside ranks No. 2 in financial aid. - Business Insider 2019
• Ranked No. 2 in the world for research, UCR's Department of Entomology maintains one of the largest collections of insect specimens the nation. - Center for World University Rankings
• UCR's distinguished faculty boasts 2 Nobel Laureates, and 13 members of the National Academies of Science and Medicine.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under state or federal law. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.

For information about our generous employee benefits package, visit: Employee Benefits Overview

Physical Requirements

• Bend — N/A
• Sit — Constantly
• Squat — N/A
• Stand — Occasionally
• Crawl — N/A
• Walk — Occasionally
• Climb — N/A

Mental Requirements

• Read/Comprehend — Constantly
• Write — Constantly
• Perform Calculations — Constantly
• Communicate Orally — Constantly
• Reason & Analyze — Constantly

Environmental Requirements

• Is exposed to excessive noise — No
• Is around moving machinery — No
• Is exposed to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity — No
• Drives motorized equipment — No
• Works in confined quarters — No
• Dust — No
• Fumes — No