Senior Financial Analyst

🔍 Business Affairs, Redwood City, California, United States

New

📁: Finance

📅   : 3 days ago Post Date

📅   : 107197 Requisition #

Stanford University is one of Silicon Valley's largest employers - and one of the most unique. Our mission is to educate future leaders and promote interdisciplinary, world-class research and teaching. This passion makes Stanford an intensely creative, rewarding, and challenging place to work. At Stanford University, not only are you part of an exceptional team that values innovation and education, but you also become part of a culture that brings out the best in you. Stanford is committed to fostering a workplace culture that promotes diversity, collaboration, and professional growth. Our culture offers career development programs, competitive pay that reflects market trends and benefits that increase financial stability and promote healthy, fulfilling lives.

Research—the creation of new knowledge—is key to Stanford’s educational mission. Stanford research has led to breakthrough remedies, devices, tools, and concepts, and hundreds of initiatives solely for the betterment of humanity. Among the inventions and discoveries that have resulted from Stanford research are MRI technology, DNA cloning, the Pill, heart transplantation, and digital music.

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) provides an array of high-quality services and expertise to support the research mission and sponsored projects administration at Stanford University. ORA is composed of Cost and Management Analysis; Property Management Office; Research Administration Policy and Compliance; Sponsored Receivables Management; Client Advocacy and Education; Organizational Insights; and the Office of Sponsored Research. ORA also provides oversight for the Stanford Electronic Research Administration (SeRA), eCertification, Clinical Research Invoicing System for Participants (CRISP), Electronic PI Lab Use Survey (ePLUS) systems. ORA manages the administrative processes related to a broad spectrum of research related agreements as well as the entire lifecycle of sponsored research from proposal submission and award negotiation through financial reporting and award closeout. ORA submits over 5,000 new proposals, reviews and negotiates over 7,000 agreements, and manages more than 7,500 active sponsored projects annually with a total research budget approaching $2.2 billion.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Senior Financial Analyst position is part of ORA’s Research Administration Policy and Compliance (RAPC) team. RAPC plays a multi-faceted central role in research financial compliance areas. The team consists of subject matter experts who oversee service centers compliance, quarterly eCertification process; are responsible for the annual Uniform Guidance (Single) audit and sponsored research audits; provide indirect cost burdening setup and compliance oversight; provide set up and oversight of campus-wide service centers; set up specialized expenditure allocation PTAs (EAPTA); and provide expert financial compliance oversight for sponsored awards. RAPC is the business process owner of Oracle Grants Accounting, eCertification and iLab shared facilities systems.
RAPC partners with the VP Dean of Research office and the Office of Sponsored Research to develop research financial compliance policies.
The Senior Financial Analyst reports to the Senior Director of Policy and Compliance and is a technical subject matter expert who administers the service centers compliance process, provides audit support, and assists the Senior Director application of internal policies and external regulations.

This position is eligible for hybrid or domestic (US) remote work.

A remote worker arrangement may be considered for candidates with the appropriate background and experience. Remote workers’ schedules are based in the Pacific Time zone.

CORE DUTIES*:

Perform highly analytical, complex finance and control functions; multi-dimensional and complex reconciliations and related analysis; prepare or review and approve complex transactions and higher level dollar value transactions. Examples include: complex service centers budgets and rates analysis, data review, and related analysis.
Research, and synthesize data; interpolate results from large amounts of data, identify trends in data, draw conclusions, develop solutions, present and implement recommendations, and create follow up analysis.
Identify and resolve unique issues with substantial significance; recognize exceptions and conduct in-depth analysis using advanced technical knowledge and experience. Recommend and develop solutions that may require policy changes or the development of new processes; maintain broader organizational and university perspective in decision making.
Review, design, and implement appropriate internal control programs, research new regulations, and implement approved changes.
Lead and execute unit or cross functional projects and teams, make decisions regarding projects and programs affecting operational effectiveness, policies, or processes.
Engage in continuous critical analysis of existing systems and processes; make recommendations to achieve greater efficiencies and improve internal controls. Define requirements, develop and implement complex test cases, perform testing and analyze results.
Lead and support unit and organization strategy and change management initiatives.
Provide training on new financial systems. Represent organization to client group(s) and external partners; serve as subject matter expert on matters that involve complex technical, financial, or subject matter expertise.
Assess client and business needs, and formulate recommendations to determine approach to managing and completing processes.
May supervise, train, coach, and review the work of other staff, as needed.
Monitor the status of monthly reviews and quarterly certifications and perform outreach follow-up as needed; monitor manual certification and certification exemption requests to obtain approval from the Senior Director.
Provide technical support to functional iLab system issues, troubleshoot end-users’ issues, provide guidance to campus users for navigating the iLab system.
Identify and resolve unique issues with substantial significance; use JIRA ticket system to log exceptions and conduct in-depth analysis using advanced technical knowledge and experience.
Implement appropriate service centers internal controls and compliance program, interpret internal policy and external regulations, and create and/or review complex compliance reports.
Engage in continuous critical analysis of the service centers financial processes; make recommendations to achieve greater efficiencies and improve internal controls. Define requirements, develop, and implement complex test cases, perform testing, and analyze results.
Assist Senior Director with audit support, and other compliance duties as assigned.

* - Other duties may also be assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and six years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience. Eight or more years of relevant experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Advanced proficiency in business applications, such as Oracle Applications, Microsoft Office suite, especially Excel.
Advanced knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning and financial systems; internet and computer literacy.
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Advanced professional communication skills, including ability to prepare materials for and clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, client groups, and management.
Strong project management skills and ability to contribute to or lead part of a multi-functional team.
Requires excellent communication skills and professional temperament for interacting with faculty and campus-wide users to guide and help address certification matters.
Establish good working relations with cross-functional teams including compliance officers for certification follow-ups, technical support teams for system issues, and campus-wide users.

Certifications and Licenses:

CPA or similar professional certification is highly desirable.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Routine extended working hours during peak cycles; travel to school/unit sites across university.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:

Constantly sitting.
Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks, use telephone, writing by hand, sort/file paperwork.
Occasionally stand/walk, lift/carry objects weighing 11-20 pounds.
Rarely reach/work above shoulder.

* Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

WORK STANDARDS:

Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

This role is open to candidates anywhere in the United States. Stanford University has five Regional Pay Structures. The compensation for this position will be based on the location of the successful candidate.

The expected pay range for this position is $144,052 to $151,000 per annum for hybrid positions.

The expected pay range for this position is $116,377 to $149,775 per annum for remote positions.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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