FISCAL SPECIALIST 2 - University of Washington - Seattle, WA

The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Department of Global Health was established in 2007, bridging the schools of Medicine and Public Health, with a mandate to harness the expertise and interdisciplinary power of all UW schools and colleges. Driven by tremendous interest among both students and faculty, the Department has grown explosively to more than 400 graduate students and hundreds more undergraduates. We have more than 280 faculty and 1,000 staff working on projects across 93 countries with our deepest ties in Peru, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The Department was made possible by generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and additional support from the University of Washington and state of Washington.

The University of Washington Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) is one of the few founding centers in the Department of Global Health. The UW CFAR has consistently rated in the top 3 in the U.S. for AIDS research and employs some of the most eminent researchers and educators in the field. The ultimate goal of the CFAR is to facilitate HIV/AIDS research to bring us closer to a cure for the disease. We accomplish this by supporting HIV/AIDS research at our four consortium institutions (UW, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle BioMed, Seattle Children’s Hospital/Seattle Children’s Research Institute), and our international affiliates in Kenya, Peru, Mozambique, Uganda, China, and many other locations. A very important part of our mission is to support HIV research career development of young investigators. Research conducted by CFAR investigators is wide-ranging and includes areas such as pathogenesis, socio-behavioral and prevention research, vaccine and clinical trial development and management, and mother-to-child transmission. Our CFAR is one of 19 Centers for AIDS Research that comprises a consortium of NIH-funded AIDS research centers in the US. Come join our team and make your own contribution toward solving one of the world’s greatest health challenges of our time!

The Department of Global Health – CFAR within the School of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a full-time Fiscal Specialist 2 .

This position will support the International and Administration Core operations, including international procurement, field advance management, fiscal administrative duties that support the CFAR’s administrative operations, and general program support. Nearly half of the research conducted by CFAR investigators is conducted at international sites located throughout the world, predominantly in developing countries and resource-limited settings. The Fiscal Specialist 2 will develop and implement policies, procedures, and protocols that all CFAR local and international investigators and research staff will follow in order to have supplies, samples, and specimens purchased and shipped to/from international sites; as well as coordinate purchasing and receiving of supplies and shipments for international research activities. The Fiscal Specialist 2 will also be responsible for issuing and reconciling field advances. This position will provide fiscal support by monitoring all CFAR budgets and subcontracts and preparing forms and reports as assigned.

Responsibilities:

International Procurement
Fulfill complex international procurement and shipping requests by partners in developing countries including Kenya, Peru, Senegal, and other governing bodies who have their own policies and practices related to procurement
Research, develop and maintain documentation for policies and procedures for procurement services including international shipping options, international shipping options for CFAR investigators, by destination and type of goods being shipped (temperature sensitive, hazardous, large volume or weight, etc.)
Foster good working relationships and collaboration on shipments between CFAR investigators
Research and conduct comparisons between vendors to identify opportunities for bulk procurement and/or bulk purchases available internationally.
Establish close relationships with supply vendors (usually collaborating pharmaceutical companies, and equipment manufacturers) & negotiate reduced rates for bulk procurement, extending special rates for some UW projects to all CFAR projects
Review and remain up-to-date on international shipping guidelines, including IATA and dangerous goods regulations, and train foreign and domestic investigators on guidelines
Maintain CDC import permits and NIH AIDS Research & Reference Reagent Program permit for the UW CFAR
Maintain supply, budget and pricing information in online ordering system (PurchasePath)
Facilitate FAA Inspections of UW CFAR shipments
Troubleshoot issues regarding customs, duty, and shipment and receipt of temperature-sensitive goods

Field Advance Management

Issue, audit, and reconcile field advances (approximately $50,000 per year) made to projects in developing countries, managing a high level of complexity that comes with working on international projects, including multiple and changing foreign exchange rates, frequent breakdown of communications infrastructure in-country, language and cultural differences, and frequent disruptions in the work flow, and significant time zone difference
Assist field sites with field advance management including training field staff to identify appropriate documentation for expenses incurred (invoices vs receipts, etc), best practices for documenting field advance spending,
Develop, implement, and train investigators on policies and procedures in accordance with State guidelines for all CFAR international field advances
Modify and maintain CFAR Field Advance database
Work closely with Payables Administration to ensure compliance with guidelines and troubleshoot when problems arise

Fiscal Administrative Support

Budget monitoring – monitor selected CFAR budgets (65 amounting to approximately $10M) each month and review source documents for transactions; investigate questionable transactions and projected deficits and notify budget managers and principal investigators of issues; prepare online expense transfers as warranted; and approve charges after they are reconciled by the Department
Assist with the preparation of paperwork and approvals routing for ~20 CFAR subcontracts and staff assignments to CFAR institutional partners; maintain subcontract budget tracking spreadsheet; review and approve invoices for payment
Prepare and submit forms to re-budget and establish sub-budgets to the CFAR parent as warranted and verify that sub-budgets are set up correctly
Coordinate close out process for prior year’s federal budgets (approximately 40) by working with Core Managers to track remaining expenditures, liquidate encumbrances, and provide information to GCA
Prepare documents for consultancy payments and assist with purchasing activities
Track 5 endowments and gift budgets; provide projections on endowment yields and available balances
Assist with the preparation of special fiscal reports and projects as assigned
Maintain thorough knowledge of relevant UW fiscal and grant management rules, policies, procedures, and administrative systems by attending training sessions and monitoring email updates on changes

Program Support

Maintain membership database and program mailing lists; manage member recruitment
Provide administrative and coordinating support as needed

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.
For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

REQUIREMENTS:

Two years of experience at a level equivalent to Fiscal Specialist I AND 15 quarter hours or 10 semester hours of college level accounting, or equivalent education/experience.

Additional Requirements:

Proficiency with Microsoft Office, in particular Excel and Word
MS Excel expertise should be at the intermediate level which includes the ability to create moderately complex formulas, create and maintain multi-worksheet spreadsheets, and efficiently design and create logical and accurate spreadsheets to present information for review by CFAR directors and principal investigators
Demonstrated experience with procurement and shipping
Physically able to lift up to 50 lbs.
Demonstrated ability to take initiative and anticipate challenges before they arise
Ability to work independently, successfully prioritize and manage multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow through
Must be comfortable working in a team-based setting and working with individuals from many different cultures
Strong ability to communicate clearly and consistently (written and verbal), especially with investigators and staff from international locations
Experience in research administration
Experience coordinating the operation of a specialized or technical program
Interest in HIV/AIDS research

DESIRED:

A Bachelor's Degree with major study in accounting, business administration, or related field and two years of work experience as a Fiscal Specialist, or equivalent combination of education/experience
Knowledge of UW purchasing and financial systems (including eProcurement, PurchasePATH, PAS, MyFD, etc.)
Knowledge of Quickbooks accounting software, Microsoft Access and Powerpoint
Experience with setting up and working with Excel pivot tables
Familiar with biomedical research terminology
Spanish and/or Kiswahili language skills a plus

Condition of Employment:

Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check.

Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to meet international deadlines. Some international travel may be required. Local travel required.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Criminal Conviction History, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability , and committed to becoming climate neutral.

The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu .

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