Financial Analyst – School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Financial Analyst

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Position Summary:  Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Business and Administration, this position performs professional level duties including analyzing, documenting, and monitoring relevant business transactions in a high-volume office. The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology serves four departments with a total of about 55 faculty, all with research groups and teaching responsibilities.

Duties & Responsibilities

Business/Financial Operations

• Assist the Assoc Director for Business and Administration with general oversight of internal accounting/BANNER shadow system, including performing monthly reconciliations of non-grant fund types.
• Conduct periodic reviews of open encumbrances on all fund types, working with internal staff and UAFR to close old POs and update internal financial statements to ensure accuracy on projected balances.
• Investigate and correct charges on incorrect CFOP strings (rogues) or all fund types monthly in order to keep financial statements accurate.
• Proxy for the Assoc Director for Business and Administration to serve as a reviewer of all Chrome River transactions, as deemed necessary. This includes checking for appropriate business justifications, CFOP usage, and itemization notes, as well as communicating with end users on necessary changes or updates in order to comply with policy.
• Be trained in basic proposal preparation in order to back up the MCB grants team, if needed, during heavy proposal seasons.
• Collect data and information and prepare ad hoc reports as needed and requested by the Assoc Director for Business and Administration.
• Assist the Assoc Director for Business and Administration with reconciliation of Payroll transactions.
• Run and maintain a repository of standard financial reports for the use of the School Business Office.
• Assist the Assoc Director for Business and Administration in maintaining a resource for fund usage notes and instructions for both the School and MCB Departments.

Administrative Operations

• Stay up to date on business and finance-related University policy and procedures in an effort to relay necessary information to faculty, staff, and departmental stakeholders.
• Assist the Assoc Director for Business and Administration with donor intent and NACUBO reviews of gift funds, as needed.
• Coordinate special projects as needed and at the direction of the Assoc Director for Business and Administration.

Assume other additional appropriate duties to further the mission of the MCB Business Office, as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or a field related to the position.
• Two (2) years of professional business, financial, and/or managerial work experience.
• (NOTE: A Master’s Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year (12 months) of work experience.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with entering and approving TEM and/or Chrome River transactions.
• Experience with BANNER, iBuy, and University reporting tools (EDDIE, My-UI-Financials, other).
• Experience with and understanding of various types of University funds, including state, ICR, self-supporting, grant and gift.
• Experience with varying types of University accounting transactions, including processing journal vouchers and labor redistributions.
• OBFS Journal Voucher Processing Certification.
• University grants management experience.
• University of Illinois Certified Research Administrators (Illinois CRA)

Successful candidates will have the following:

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles used for determining allowability, reasonableness, and allocation of costs.
• Demonstrated superior organizational and multi-tasking skills with an ability to meet deadlines with accuracy, including prioritization of tasks where some are deadline-driven and others are on-going/continuous.
• Demonstrated understanding of OBFS policies and procedures, as well as University administrative operations, policies and procedures. Independent decision-making ability and resourcefulness.
• Effective communication, personal relations, collaboration, organizational, teamwork, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated strong customer service and communication skills.
• Extensive working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
• Proficiency in commonly-employed software and databases.
• Knowledge acquired in a higher education environment, preferably the University of Illinois.
• Awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural and linguistic differences.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Great organizational and multi-tasking abilities.

Appointment Information
This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5010 – Business/Administrative Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the deadline date. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information
Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on February 13, 2023. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button on the posting and upload your cover letter, resume (months and years of employment must be included), and names/contact information for three professional references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact hr@mcb.illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.