Job Details

Senior Finance Professional - Mechanical Engineering

Position Number: 6609629
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Business - Finance

Senior Finance Professional - Mechanical Engineering

Requisition Number: 67667
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 13-Oct-2025
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at CU Boulder welcomes applications for a Senior Finance Professional! This position is an integral part of providing financial administration for the department. Reporting to the Financial Manager, this position is primarily responsible for providing faculty financial support, contract and grant management, accounting and finance, and procurement and travel expense reimbursements. This position serves as a lead subject matter expert on communicating rules, training, correcting transactions and ensuring completion of financial records. Work includes assessing the efficiency of departmental reporting and tracking procedures and recommending revisions as necessary. In addition, this position will provide supplemental support for the department.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is pioneering scientific breakthroughs, launching innovative technologies and educating creative engineers that will solve today's societal challenges by improving human health, enabling security and promoting sustainability.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Contract and Grant Management:

Performs project budget oversight including monitoring, tracking, and reconciling transactions, projections, variances and payroll funding distributions; preparing and submitting budget revisions and funding updates; providing financial spreadsheets, summaries and reports; and meets regularly with the Principal Investigator and/or Financial Manager.
Performs post-award tasks including purchasing goods and services; creating subcontract standing purchase orders; monitoring project end dates; requesting extensions and supplemental funding as needed; requesting additional speedtypes and allocating the appropriate budget; and aiding in the award closeout process.
Manages and maintains complete regulatory files, including approval and sponsor correspondence.
Leads sponsored project close out procedures; removes unallowable charges from projects; ensures projects have posted for close out; reviews closing projects 90, 60 and 30 days prior to project end date and completes close out tasks recommended by the University Controller's Office.
Verifies sponsored project charges are allowable, applicable, and allocable to the project based on the Code of Federal Regulations Uniform Guidance (UG) and University Department policies and procedures, under the direction of the Finance Manager.
Works cooperatively with Principal Investigator (PI) and departmental staff, as well as other campus departments and personnel (such as Campus Controller's Office (CCO), Office of Grants and Contracts (OCG), and Procurement Service Center (PSC)).
Participates in training in the area of business practices, university, and state regulations, and the use of data processing systems, as assigned.
Creates department tools and resources to assist faculty and staff to streamline project management.
Provides additional contract and grant management support to Mechanical Engineering faculty as needed.

Accounting and Finance Administration :

Performs standard accounting functions to support budget, accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement, and travel and expense reimbursement activities. This includes preparation of journal entries; verification of accounting codes and fund assignments; month-end, quarter-end and year-end closes; reconciliations and audits; data collection, analysis and retention; reporting and records management.
Conducts research and provides resolution to complex accounting problems, including investigation and analysis of data to ensure accuracy and completeness and performs corrective actions.
Ensures fiscal operations in accordance with Federal, State, and university fiscal policies and procedures.
Influences the design of projections in such a way as to simulate an impact of different variables on the budget.
Monitors position data for department personnel (i.e. faculty, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students).
Processes payroll expense transfers and funding distribution changes.
Assists Financial Manager and the team in Fiscal Year-End. Provides the finance team with the list of purchase orders that need to be reviewed for closeout or updated for the next fiscal year. Administers department journal entries for fiscal year-end.
Works directly with PIs on internal and external sales activities. Helps with invoicing customers, collecting customer payments, and processing the sales activities revenue.
Reviews appointment information for graduate students (academic year and summer) and faculty research summer salary for processing.
Leads the effort in identifying speedtypes for FedEx shipments and communicates with Accounting and Business Services in order to resolve billing issues.
Receives, completes, and logs cash deposit forms, obtains necessary information and take the deposits to the cashier's office.

Travel and Expense Reimbursement:

Coordinates event registrations and logistics, which could include booking airfare, hotel, transportation, etc.
Assists with collecting travel authorization forms and submitting them to Finance Manager for approval prior to department personnel travel as needed.
Obtains receipts and documentation for non-employee reimbursement.
Provides information to department personnel in order to apply for a travel card. Closes travel cards upon employee termination.
Provides travel and expense reimbursement support to CEAS FSC expense coordinator and department as needed.

Procurement:

Purchases goods and services: includes performing research to ensure costs for goods and services are reasonable, appropriate, allocable and within compliance; coordinates the issuance of purchase orders and gathers all documentation needed for processing; processes payments using purchase orders or payment vouchers and tracks and verifies delivery of goods and services.
Designates clear and concise business purposes for each expense; understands the types of costs that are allowable on a sponsored project; verifies that adequate budget is available in the speedtypes being charged before completing a report; and notifies the employee to review and submit.
Oversees CU Marketplace Shopper access for department personnel.
Monitors and processes Honorariums, Scope of Work (SOW), and Visa fees routed through the department.
Monitors and reconciles procurement card expenses, ensuring appropriate receipts and documentation are provided and participates in the preparation of reports.
Provides information to department personnel in order to apply for a procurement card. Closes procurement cards upon employee termination.

Other Department Financial Tasks:

Assists the Finance Manager in the creation, review and maintenance of department finance policy and procedures.
Attends meetings held by the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG), the Campus Controller's Office (CCO), the Research Administrators Meet (RAM), and other campus level meetings that provide details of accounting and finance changes.
Gathers details from department finance and accounting meetings, updates relevant departmental procedures, and communicates and trains finance team on relevant changes.
Works with the department finance and HR teams to help with hiring, supervising, and onboarding of new finance team members and student assistants.
Supervises student assistants by coaching, conducting training, and providing day-to-day management of professional development and feedback; approves bi-weekly timesheets and any disciplinary action as needed.
Participates in professional development activities and serves on unit, college or campus committees as applicable.
Stays apprised and current on relevant University and State of Colorado policies and procedures.
Serves as backup to team members when they are out of the office.
Serves as backup to the Finance Manager and other senior finance professionals including approving procurement, CU Marketplace, Concur, travel authorization, Journal Entries, new hire forms, and managing the office email inbox.

What You Should Know

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work modality, consistent with the College of Engineering and Applied Science Hybrid Work Policy.

What We Can Offer

The starting salary range for this position is $70,000 - $75,000 annually. Relocation assistance is available within department guidelines.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be engaged. Be resourceful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university with accounting experience, including grant and/or contract financial management experience. Three years of professional, job-related experience.
Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be substituted.

What You Will Need

Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communications, collaboration and problem solving.
Demonstrated understanding and application of internal control principles.
Understanding of contracting regulations, guidelines, policies and procedures covering grant and contract requirements.
High-level computer skill proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Word and Excel) and databases.
Ability to analyze transactions and activity to determine whether they align with regulations, terms and conditions, and policies and procedures.
Solid organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to work independently as well as on a team.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.
A cover letter that briefly describes how your background and experience align with this position.

We may request references at a later time. Please apply by October 13, 2025 for consideration. Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Senior-Finance-Professional-Mechanical-Engineering/67667