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Research Laboratory Administrative Coordinator
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Position Number: 5807348
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Business - Finance

Research Laboratory Administrative Coordinator

Requisition Number: 60543
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 01-Dec-2024
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at CU Boulder welcomes applications for the Research Laboratory Administrative Coordinator! This position supports the professional administrative and academic needs of two distinguished faculty members of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department. Responsibilities will include sponsored research and grant administration, policy development, procurement, travel arrangement and expense reimbursements. In addition, this position will provide direct support to faculty members' research lab groups and, to include ordering equipment and materials, communicating daily lab-life needs, performing lab member onboarding and exiting interviews, and coordinating other research program activities. Further, this position will act on behalf of both faculty members to professionally, accurately and articulately represent, communicate and manage priorities and mission in both domestic and international settings.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Chemical and biological engineering research seeks to address a variety of complex and important challenges, from renewable and sustainable energy, therapeutics and pharmaceutical development, to the creation and improvement of functional materials and more.

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive learning, teaching and working environment for all students, faculty, staff and guests. The diversity of our community is central to our success as a world-class center of teaching, learning and research.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Professional Assistant and Lab Operations Administration:

Provides professional administrative support to distinguished faculty members within Chemical and Biological Engineering and their research laboratory groups. Support includes assisting in laboratory and operational planning and development; interpreting, monitoring, and analyzing information regarding operating policies and procedures; and coordinating academic and/or staff personnel matters. Resolves issues that have a significant impact on the overall goals of the laboratories.
Provides logistics and event planning, scheduling, and coordination for activities in support of research functions for Bowman and Anseth Research labs and other research support tasks.
Coordinates research laboratory group appointments and processing of visas; gathers required documentation from faculty, reviews for completeness, and submits to department payroll and personnel liaisons for processing in a timely manner; onboards new research laboratory personnel, while ensuring lab exits are completed.
Manages faculty calendars, develops laboratory communications, schedules meetings, travel, events, and seminars, coordinates research laboratory group activities, interprets and relays directions.
Manages outside users of equipment in both the Bowman and Anseth laboratories through collecting signed agreement forms, tracking training, and managing access to each piece of equipment's calendar.
Maintains the Bowman laboratory website; keeps it up-to-date with meeting times and locations, new publications, updated lab policies and documents, current lab personnel, and alumni.
Assists Principal Investigators (PIs) with administrative classroom responsibilities such as managing course website content, booking exam and review session rooms, scheduling office hours, printing class handouts and exams, and any additional tasks as requested.
Interfaces and provides administrative support for all external activities of which the PIs/distinguished professors are involved, including major external leadership roles on the board for the Gordon Research Conferences, the Packard Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering, and multi-day meetings with guests from both industry and academia through Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers.

Accounting and Finance Administration:

Performs standard accounting functions to support budget, accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement, and travel and expense reimbursement activities including 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 design of projections in such a way as to simulate an impact of different variables on the budget.
Manages personnel through processing payroll expense transfers and funding distribution changes.
Confirms funding for all appointments charging to sponsored projects, retention and chair accounts.
Attends meetings held by Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG), Campus Controllers Office (CCO), Research Administrators Meet (RAM), and other campus level meetings that provide details of accounting and finances changes. Gathers details from finance and accounting meetings, updates relevant procedures, and communicates relevant changes to the PIs and members of the Bowman and Anseth Research labs.

Grant, Sponsored Research and Publication Administration:

Provides grant administration and publication submission support to assigned faculty members and research laboratory group members. Analyzes costs assigned to sponsored projects based upon sponsor requirements for allowability, consistency, reasonableness and cost allocation.
Performs post-award tasks including purchasing goods and services; creating subcontract standing purchase orders; tracking subaward invoices; monitoring project end dates; requesting extensions and supplemental funding as needed; requesting additional speedtypes and allocating the appropriate budget; preparing and submitting progress and final reports; communicating the awarded amounts each year when notice of awards are distributed; and aiding in the award closeout process.
Prepares, analyzes, and presents monthly financial expenditure and forecasting reports to PIs and associated research staff to make recommendations to ensure spending through purchases, personnel appointments, publication costs, and travel are kept on target.
Manages and maintains complete regulatory files, including approval and sponsor correspondence.
Works cooperatively with PIs and departmental staff, as well as other campus departments and personnel, such as Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA), OCG, and Procurement Service Center (PSC).
Provides proposal and award advisement including assisting with preparation of budgets and narratives for grant applications, resource and fund management; offers procedural and regulatory advisement in alignment with sponsor, Federal, State, and university requirements to ensure compliance.
Manages ePer Certification process for members of the Bowman and Anseth laboratories to keep all effort-reporting in compliance.
Communicates with PIs and other laboratory authors during publication submission to ensure open access requirements are in compliance. For all National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded-publications, uploads all manuscript and data files into the appropriate database required for PubMed Central as well as NIH-approved public access repositories.

Procurement and Travel Reimbursements:

Coordinates travel and event registrations including booking airfare, hotel, transportation, etc.; registering for conferences, seminars and/or training; uses Concur and Marketplace to process transactions; and prepares and submits appropriate pre-travel approval forms.
Prepares, reconciles and submits travel expense reimbursement reports which involves gathering and assuring appropriate receipts and documentation are included and ensuring expenses are allocated to appropriate accounts.
Reviews travel card, travel, and personal expense reimbursements. Confirms expenses are allocable, allowable, and applicable with all fund types being charged. Reviews travel and expense reimbursement reports for approval and processing.
Obtains receipts and documentation, prepares, and submits non-employee travel reports.
Purchases goods and services including performing research to ensure costs for goods and services are reasonable, appropriate, allocable and within compliance; coordinates the issuance of purchase orders; processes payments using procurement card, purchase orders, or payment vouchers; and tracks and verifies delivery of goods and services.
Monitors and reconciles procurement card expenses, ensuring appropriate receipts and documentation are provided, and participates in the preparation of reports.
Designates clear and concise business purposes for each expense; has a strong understanding of the types of costs that are allowable on a sponsored project; verifies that adequate budget is available in the speedtypes being charged before completing the requisition.
Monitors and processes Honorariums and Scope of Work (SOW).
Maintains and updates the Bowman and Anseth laboratory property spreadsheet noting all high dollar equipment purchases. Ensures arrival dates and tag numbers are accurate; works with department to keep all records up-to-date.
Serves as the property disposal coordinator for both the Bowman and Anseth laboratories.
Develops ways to improve the efficiency of data collected through systems and subsystems.

Supervision:

Manages student employees who assist with administrative responsibilities of the Anseth lab including scheduling, training, and supervising.
Approves time sheets and time-off requests for Anseth lab student employees and research faculty.

Other:

Undertakes other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Stays appraised and current on relevant University and State of Colorado policies and procedures.
Participates in professional development activities and serves on unit, college, or campus committees as applicable.
Recommends and implements process improvements to increase department efficiency.

What You Should Know

Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00, some nights and weekends when needed. 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 $56,000 - $63,000. Relocation assistance is available within CEAS 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 ambitious. Be collaborative. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
One year of experience in related professional administrative or laboratory operations support.

What You Will Need

Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communications, collaboration, and problem solving.
Demonstrated understanding and application of internal control principles.
Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communications, collaboration and problem solving.
High-level computer skill proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Word and Excel) and databases.
Ability to work independently as well as on a team.
Ability to collect and present clear data and explain processes to faculty, staff, and students.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective and trusting working relationships with faculty, administrators, and staff.

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.

You will not be asked to upload references at this time.

Please apply by December 1, 2024 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications should be submitted 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/Research-Laboratory-Administrative-Coordinator/60543