The UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) Sponsored Projects Accounting department (SPA) provides effective and efficient post-award support for externally funded research, extension and teaching activities while also ensuring compliance. The Director of UTIA SPA reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and provides vision and strategic direction to achieve the mission. The SPA department provides financial administrative, accounting, and auditing service to the UTIA research community for post-award functions and coordinates activities with the UTIA Office of Sponsored Programs which provides pre-award support. The department processed ~$78M in grant and contract revenue in fiscal year 2023-2024. The Director is responsible for establishing goals, initiatives, priorities, policies, and strategic planning for SPA. The position oversees the compliance of all grant and contract funding, including the set-up, invoicing, compliance, close-out, and audit for all federal, state, local, and private grants for all research, teaching, and outreach extramural funding at UTIA.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education:
• Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in finance or accounting
• Experience:
• 5 years of accounting experience; current experience in post-award, sponsored projects accounting
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Knowledge of research administration issues including financial management and the ability to interpret and communicate federal, state, and local laws and regulations relevant to research administration operations, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of Uniform Guidance.
• Ability to communicate effectively, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work with a wide-ranging group of faculty, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a high-volume of projects simultaneously to meet constant deadlines.
• Ability to be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to be flexible, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style of leadership that encourages teamwork and cooperation.
• Skills to be a strong role model, manager, and coach.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service with a commitment to exceptional quality.
• Ability to think analytically, quantitatively, creatively, and strategically.
• Skill to be an independent thinker with professional skepticism.
• Ability to be a team player who works well collectively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve common goals.
• Knowledge of SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Office.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education:
• Master’s Degree with a concentration in finance, accounting, or similar field of study
• Experience:
• Sponsored projects accounting experience with agricultural grants and contracts
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of UTIA and UTK fiscal, human resource, and research policies.
• Knowledge of DASH and Huron research suite.
• Data management and interpretation experience.

Please refer the Job description for details