The Department of Geographical Sciences is a seeking a Financial Faculty Specialist to assist with contract and grant administration (both pre- and post-award). This position is a 12-month, full-time status. Excellent benefits package, including health insurance, sick and annual leave, retirement subsidy, and tuition remission. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

This position will be a member of an administrative team of an Associate Director of Research and Financial Research Coordinators in the Department of Geographical Sciences. The Faculty Specialist will assist the Associate Director of Research in the fiscal management of 12-million-dollar research portfolio. Duties will include:

• Contribute to both pre-award tasks and post-award tasks.
  • Pre-award tasks include drafting the budget and budget justification; enter budget figures in the sponsor systems (Grants.gov; Fastlane; NSPIRES, etc) and prepare the proposal routing information (electronic submission). Work with Associate Director of Research and PI in completing proposal. 
  • Post-award tasks include establishing the annual budget and reconciling accounts (secondary financial system), request approval from the principal investigator to pay contractor’s invoices, submitting appropriate documentation to initiate or amend a contractual agreement.
• Monitor accounts to ensure research projects end with neither a deficit nor a significant surplus. Also, flag research projects that have an over or under expenditure rate and recommend solutions.
• Assist Associate Director of Research and principal investigator with sponsored research accounts close-out.
• Assist with travel arrangements and logistical planning of scientific fieldwork to ensure that the travel requests and corresponding expense statements are properly and correctly prepared.

The Department of Geographical Sciences conducts research to advance an integrated understanding of the Earth and spatially distributed human processes, especially at the interface between the human and natural systems. These research projects involve integrative research in the physical and social sciences that spans local to global scales with a strong international fieldwork and travel component and are funded by many different funding agencies with different regulations and reporting requirements.

Minimum Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree is required. Accounting or fiscal experience required. Successful candidate will possess excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, and attention to detail. Experience with excel required. Ability to handle multiple, sometimes competing priorities, and provide excellent outcomes within required time frames. Proven analytical skills are required, proactive solution orientation is a must, as well as the ability to be responsive to the needs of PI’s and Research Faculty.

Preferred: Grant management experience, including proposal development, in an academic environment is highly desirable. Familiarity with federal regulations including Uniform Guidance and the FARs, and with UMD administrative systems including KR, KFS and BA4, policies, and procedures is desired but not required. Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Documents, Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets, and Adobe Acrobat PDF is preferred

For best consideration, submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information of three professional references by August 19th, 2022. The search will continue until a suitable candidate is appointed.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.