About the Department
The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.
Job Summary
Support the operations of a portfolio of funding, including gifts, grants, and institutional funds, at the UChicago Development Innovation Lab. This role will report to the Accounting, Finance, and Grants Manager. This is a great early career opportunity to gain experience and take on responsibility in finance, accounting, sponsored research, and general operations in a non-profit research environment
Responsibilities
Finance and Accounting (50%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager:
- Participates in regular meetings with Research Teams and Research Portfolio Managers to review account portfolios, preparing materials in advance and documenting action items as directed
- Maintains unit-wide costing allocation spreadsheet for each fiscal year and executes cost allocation updates within Workday following established procedures and Manager approval
- Creates and executes journal entries to correct mis-posted items in the financial system, with Manager review for non-routine corrections
- Reviews financial reports for consistency, accuracy, and compliance; at the direction of the Manager and Director of Finance, researches and resolves routine errors and documents issues to help prevent repeat occurrences
- Maintains tools for tracking key financial data as established by the Manager; updates project-specific budgets, assists in preparing forecasts with research teams, and supports tracking of expenses to budget across the organization
- Assists in reviewing monthly budget-to-actual financial reports and payroll allocations with research teams and the Director of Finance; conducts data entry to execute approved spending plans
- Supports annual and monthly fiscal closing processes by completing assigned tasks and preparing documentation as directed
- Drafts financial reports for Manager review and approval
- Support Managers in budget preparation.
- Attends institutional and outside training classes covering financial, payroll, and reporting systems to build expertise in the role
Sponsored Research (30%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager:
- Assists with post-award activities for assigned portfolio, including preparation of financial reports, award modifications, no-cost extensions, and carry-over requests for Manager review and approval
- Handles routine post-award transactions including account creations, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, invoice preparation, and account closing, escalating non-standard issues to the Manager
- Prepares grant and effort allocation summaries for Principal Investigators and research teams; responds to straightforward inquiries and refers complex issues to the Manager
- Supports proposal development by assembling materials, preparing supporting documents, and ensuring adherence to sponsor formatting guidelines as directed
- Assists in maintaining compliance with grant rules and regulations; supports audit requests by gathering documentation as assigned
- Attends training on grant submissions, financial management, and pre/post-award topics to build expertise in the role
Procurement (15%) – Under the direction of the Accounting, Finance, & Grants Manager
- Supports the full accounts payable cycle including vendor payments, invoice processing, reimbursements, and non-payroll payments to individuals and external entities
- Reviews and audits supplier invoices for policy compliance and budget alignment; provides account distributions for all payments and contracts
- Conducts transaction reviews across all payment types (ACH, wire transfers, checks, cards) to ensure international vendors are paid by wire
- Prepares aging reports and payment status summaries; maintains A/P tracking tools and generates reports as needed
- Assists with vendor and supplier setup in University systems; resolves payment issues as they arise
- Coordinates with the Manager on back-office audit functions for staff GEMS expenses
Minimum Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, economics or finance; or minor/concentration in accounting.
Competencies
- Must be able to deal effectively with a diverse workforce in a complex research environment
- Strong oral and written communication skills, and comfortable with a consultative approach to interacting with employees
- Strong organizational skills
- Must be a resourceful problem-solver and critical thinker, be proactive in leveraging opportunities and anticipating and averting problems
- Must handle all employment information and issues with absolute discretion – confidentiality is essential
- Must be proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel, advanced Excel skills preferred
Preferred Qualifications
Experience
- 1-3 years of experience in accounting, operations, grant administration, finance, or other related field
- Experience with budget planning and forecasting, ledgers, invoices, and fiscal reporting
- Experience with financial and accounting systems such as Workday or Oracle/Peoplesoft
- Working with generally accepted accounting (GAAP)
- Experience submitting grant proposals to a variety of sponsors
- Experience managing post-award activities, especially projects that are funded by multiple sponsors
- Experience working in a higher education or non-profit environment
- Experience in cross-cultural communications and working at an international organization
- Project management experience
Preferred competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Good interpersonal communication and client service skills, both verbal and written.
- Good planning and organizational skills to balance and prioritize work.
Working Conditions
- Candidates must be willing to travel extensively and flexibly as needed for their respective responsibilities.
- This person is expected to work a minimum of three days in the office.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (required)
- References Contact Information (3)(required)