Manager Sponsored Projects Accounting (Remote) - Financial Services (Private Team)

Washington University in St. Louis seeks a Manager to lead its Sponsored Projects Accounting Private Team, which manages post-award finances for private foundation, industry, and gift-funded awards. The role oversees staff and award operations, ensures accurate and compliant reporting and closeout, resolves complex issues, and improves team processes and systems.

Responsibilities:

• Directly supervise, lead, and develop Private Team members
• Establish clear performance expectations, priorities, goals, and service standards for the team
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, coaching, and development discussions
• Address performance concerns and recognize and develop staff in accordance with University policies and practices
• Identify training and professional development opportunities to strengthen team capabilities and succession planning
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team environment
• Oversee the timely and accurate financial reporting, invoicing, billing schedule setup, and pending payment review and application for private foundation, industry, and gift-funded awards
• Establish workload priorities based on reporting deadlines, award complexity, sponsor requirements, and departmental needs
• Monitor team workload, capacity, turnaround times, and outstanding work to ensure service expectations are met
• Develop and maintain processes to ensure consistent and accurate award management across the University, including the use of the Arch system
• Ensure appropriate documentation and internal controls are maintained throughout financial reporting, invoicing, and award closeout
• Monitor operational metrics and identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement
• Provide oversight and guidance for complex and high-risk private, foundation, and gift award structures, including multi-year pledges, restricted gifts, and multi-sponsor arrangements
• Serve as the escalation point for complex financial reporting, invoicing, and closeout questions and issues
• Evaluate risks associated with award terms, funding restrictions, reporting requirements, and system configuration
• Resolve issues in collaboration with departments, sponsors, foundations, central University offices, and Sponsored Projects Accounting leadership
• Ensure appropriate escalation to the Director when issues have significant financial, compliance, operational, or institutional implications
• Ensure Private Team activities comply with sponsor and foundation terms and conditions, gift and grant policies, and applicable regulatory requirements
• Interpret and communicate changes in sponsor requirements, foundation reporting standards, and University policies that affect private award management
• Identify potential compliance risks and implement appropriate controls and corrective actions
• Support audit readiness by ensuring financial reporting, invoicing, and closeout processes and documentation are complete, accurate, and consistently applied
• Participate in policy development and review affecting private and gift-funded award administration
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within the Private Team function
• Evaluate workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce manual processes, eliminate errors, and improve customer service
• Develop and implement standardized procedures, job aids, training materials, and reference resources, including documentation of the Arch system and related tools
• Partner with University technology and business process teams on system enhancements, automation, reporting, and data integrity initiatives
• Use operational data and metrics to identify trends and support decisions regarding staffing, workload, and process improvements
• Lead change management efforts associated with new systems, processes, policies, and organizational initiatives
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Private Team and the Director of Sponsored Projects Accounting
• Regularly communicate team performance, workload, emerging issues, risks, accomplishments, and recommendations to the Director
• Collaborate with other Sponsored Projects Accounting managers to ensure consistent processes and service across SPA functions
• Partner with faculty, departmental administrators, foundations, and other University stakeholders to resolve issues and improve the private award management experience
• Represent the Private Team in cross-functional University committees, working groups, and process improvement initiatives as appropriate
• Establish and maintain training programs for Private Team staff
• Ensure staff maintain current knowledge of sponsor and foundation requirements, University policies, systems (including Arch), and private award management procedures
• Develop and deliver training and educational resources for departmental administrators and other members of the research administration community
• Promote knowledge sharing and consistent application of policies and procedures across the team
• Participate in Sponsored Projects Accounting strategic planning and operational initiatives
• Lead or participate in special projects, system implementations, policy reviews, process redesign, and change management initiatives
• Evaluate the impact of proposed changes on Private Team operations and recommend solutions to leadership
• Identify opportunities to improve the University's private and gift award administration infrastructure and customer experience
• Maintain advanced knowledge of private, foundation, and gift award structures, sponsor requirements, and University policies
• Provide technical guidance for complex financial reporting, invoicing, billing schedule setup, pending payment review and application, and award closeout
• Personally review or manage complex, high-risk, or otherwise sensitive awards when appropriate
• Ensure appropriate quality-control processes are in place to support accurate award management across the team

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree
• Research Administration (4 Years)
• M.B.A. - Master of Business Administration
• Analytical Thinking
• Analytical Writing
• Computer Literacy
• Customer Service
• Detail-Oriented
• Effective Written Communication
• Financial Information
• General Accounting
• Independent Decision-Making
• Internet Research
• Oral Communications
• Organizational Processes
• Organizational Project Management
• Professional Judgement
• Project Administration
• Research Administration