Senior Grants & Contracts Accountant

Overview

The Wistar Institute is a world leader in early-stage discovery science in the areas of cancer, immunology, and infectious disease. Wistar is committed to accelerating research advances from bench to bedside through brilliant science and distinctive approaches to collaboration among scientific investigators and academic and industry partners. Wistar’s dynamic environment supports the advancement of discoveries that will change the future of human health. 

The Wistar Institute is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their research, mentoring, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of our academic/research community.

The Wistar Institute has an opening for a Senior Grants & Contracts Accountant in the Finance department. The Senior Grants & Contracts Accountant will provide professional accounting, financial analysis, budgeting and research administrative support for a diverse and complex grant and contract portfolio with a focus on compliance and customer service.
 

Responsibilities of the Senior Grants & Contracts Accountant include:

• Providing financial and post-award administrative support to Principal Investigators and other personnel in the proposal development process; assisting researchers in accurate and compliant budget developments, ensuring indirect cost recovery is appropriate and that all submissions are in compliance with sponsor and Institute guidelines.
• Establishing and maintaining awards and budgets for assigned funds in the Institute’s administrative systems and utilizes electronic proposal submission systems as required.
• Managing the day to day financial management of assigned sponsored programs and other assigned funds; prepares journal entries; oversees and approves all personnel, payroll and procurement commitments and expenditures ensuring compliance and accuracy. Coordinates and/or implements required actions with relevant parties.
• Monitoring the post-award activities of assigned portfolio throughout the life cycle of the sponsored award to assure allowability, allocability, conformity, consistent treatment and reasonableness to avoid waste, loss and misuse of funds.
• Analyzing and reconciling financial data, preparing financial statements, invoices, budget forecasts, award closeout and other post-award administrative reports for both internal and external purposes. 
• Monitoring cash/revenue balances and assists with collections of accounts receivables.  Researches and reports all potential uncollectible accounts timely.   
• Interpreting and administering effectively sponsor and Institute guidelines/policies; implements best practices to meet the needs of diverse client population and complex portfolio.  
• Serving as resource on the financial and post-award management of assigned funds.  Provides guidance and regular updates to Investigators and/or lab administration on award status, deliverables, budget management, personnel allocation, closeouts and other post award processes as needed.
• Assisting in the preparation, monitoring, and required reporting of assigned subawards.
• Planning for and entering in payroll system and managing personnel distributions in consultation and agreement of Principal Investigator. Assists with the effort reporting process assuring timely and accurate reporting.  
• Assists with year-end closing activities and audit requests
• Provides outstanding customer support that is consistent with best practices and prioritizes work based upon an understanding of needs and deadlines. Escalates critical issues to supervisor in a timely manner to avoid compliance risks or penalties.
• Understands, interprets and applies relevant sponsor and Institute policies and procedures and other governing guidelines and regulations to assure best grants management practices. Keeps abreast of relevant policies, procedures and requirements of the Institute, federal and sponsor policies, procedures to enable active monitoring for compliance
• Demonstrates a willingness, initiative, adaptability and flexibility in doing new tasks and responsibilities and work on special projects; adopts best practices. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business or closely related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience) and a minimum of five or more years of relevant work experience in an accounting or financial field is required. A minimum of three years directly related to post-award administration, including experience with NIH or other federal agencies, is preferred. 

The ideal candidate will have experience with analyzing finances, preparing budgets, identifying spending patterns and preparing projections and forecasts. In addition, experience with managing complex awards including subrecipient monitoring and working with a variety of federal sponsors is highly preferred.

The Wistar Institute is located in the University City area of Philadelphia, in the heart of the University of Pennsylvania Campus. Wistar provides resources to its faculty and staff that enable them to conduct cutting edge collaborative research and provides for outstanding intellectual environments and state-of-the-art facilities. 

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits package.

For more information about The Wistar Institute visit our website at www.wistar.org.  

*This position is eligible for a hybrid remote working arrangement as defined by Institute policy.

It is the policy of the Institute to provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, citizenship, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, veteran status, mental or physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), pregnancy, caregiver status, domestic or sexual violence victim status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or on the basis of genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, with respect to all terms and conditions of employment.