Finance & Research Accounting Specialist

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Finance & Research Accounting Specialist is a full-time position in the Warner College of Natural Resources who manages the business operations of one of the academic departments or research centers housed in the College. To learn more about the education, outreach, and research within Warner, please visit our website at https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/.

This position must be an independent self-starter and communicator, highly motivated to provide guidance and take ownership of the financial management of the assigned department/center. The position will be responsible for understanding multiple and complex sources of University, donor, and research sponsor funds, technical information, policies, procedures, federal uniform guidance, and overall university business operations to ensure compliance and support clients both internal and external to Warner College.

Duties of this position will include day-to-day financial management and processing, providing overall department budget and fiscal analysis, presenting financial reports to the department/research centers, and providing business analysis and guidance for the Senior Business Officer.

For full consideration, please apply by October 26th, 2026.

Essential Job Duties:

• Applying professional interpretation of accounting policies, independent judgment, and analytical skills, provide daily management and financial analysis on all expenditures to effectively accomplish business operations for the College, department, faculty, and staff.
• Oversee the staffing of appropriate personnel to align with budget and Sponsored Programs, when applicable; Create and audit HR and Financial reports for accuracy; Identify and correct erroneous entries and communicate said changes to appropriate College or central department; Manage effort certification for grants, making changes as needed and communicating with PI’s regarding final effort certification requirements. 
• Assist leadership to develop annual departmental budget, initiate budget transfers as needed, monitor and reconcile accounts, and ensure proper documentation and retention of financial records. Provide insightful budget reporting and analysis to highlight the impact of general operating, salary release, faculty/staff teaching buyouts, commitments to faculty/staff and special programs, cost sharing commitments, and other various obligations.
• Lead and manage strategic financial planning and forecasting including general operating, faculty/staff buyouts, commitments to faculty/staff and special programs, cost sharing commitments, and other various obligations.
• Serve as fiscal officer and ecrt effort coordinator for grant transactions; Provide financial post-award oversight on a diverse research funding portfolio, ensuring adherence to budgets while complying with various rules, regulations, and guidelines at University, State, Federal, and sponsor levels.
• Maintain strong working relationships with College and University offices including but not limited to: Business and Financial Services, Sponsored Programs, Human Resources, and Procurement Services; This position requires the skills and flexibility to interact effectively with a range of people, such as faculty, researchers, central business operations personnel, university administrators, College staff, and students.
• Other related duties.

Conditions of Employment:

• Pre-employment Background Check (required for all new hires).

Supervision:

• This position does not have any supervisory responsibility.
• This position reports to a Finance Business Manager under the Senior Business Officer of the College.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, and two (2) years of professional experience in finance, budget, accounting, business, or grants administration that demonstrates the aptitude to perform the essential functions of the role.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or a comparable office productivity suite, including intermediate to advanced Excel skills (e.g. data analysis, pivot tables, and manipulation of exported raw data).
• Working knowledge of accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and business management principles.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze information, solve problems, and manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and build productive working relationships with a variety of stakeholders while providing excellent customer service.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education, government, non-profit, or other fund-based accounting environments.
• Experience supporting sponsored projects, grants, contracts, or research administration, including budget development, financial monitoring, and/or compliance.
• Knowledge of Federal Uniform Guidance, cost principles, or sponsored project financial management.
• Experience interpreting and applying financial, fiscal, or regulatory policies and procedures.
• Experience working directly with faculty, principal investigators, department heads, and/or other senior leaders.
• Experience independently managing budgets, accounts, grants, or business operations, including preparing budget projections, financial analyses, management reports, and recommendations to support leadership decision-making.
• Experience with enterprise financial systems, reporting tools, or data visualization software (e.g. Workday, Kuali Financial System, Power BI, or similar systems).
• Professional certification or advanced degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

Salary Range

Required Application Documents

To apply, please upload the following applicant documents. Ensure your materials fully address the required and preferred job qualifications of the position. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Employee Benefits

Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

• Review our detailed benefits information here.

• Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.

• For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator.

• Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in!

Background Check Policy Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

EEO

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.