Post Award Specialist

The University of Colorado is hiring a Clinical Trials Post-Award Specialist for its Department of Emergency Medicine. The role manages the financial administration, compliance, and operations of sponsored clinical trials and research awards from setup through closeout, including budgeting, revenue collection, reconciliation, reporting, and support for investigators and study teams.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of industry-sponsored clinical trials, cooperative agreements, federal grants, and investigator-initiated research studies

Establish and maintain project budgets and financial tracking tools

Monitor study expenditures to ensure costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and consistently treated

Develop and maintain financial projections for active research studies

Review budgets and expenditures to identify deficits, surpluses, and compliance risks

Partner with research teams to ensure appropriate utilization of funds and achievement of study milestones

Monitor patient enrollment activity and associated research revenue

Monitor sponsor payments and patient visit reimbursements to ensure accurate and timely revenue collection

Reconcile sponsor payments against executed clinical trial agreements and enrollment activity

Investigate and resolve payment discrepancies with sponsors and study teams

Track outstanding receivables and follow up on overdue payments

Collaborate with research coordinators and finance personnel to ensure all billable research activities are invoiced appropriately

Maintain financial documentation supporting sponsor payments and revenue recognition

Review award notices, contracts, amendments, and modification documents to identify financial and administrative requirements

Establish new project accounts and funding sources in institutional financial systems

Process budget revisions, carryforward requests, no-cost extensions, and sponsor prior approval requests

Maintain accurate award records and supporting documentation

Coordinate project extensions and modifications with internal and external stakeholders

Perform monthly reconciliation of sponsored project accounts

Analyze expenditures for compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements

Review payroll distributions, supply charges, subcontract invoices, participant payments, and other research expenses

Identify and resolve accounting discrepancies and errors

Prepare detailed financial reports such as grant projections for investigators and departmental leadership

Maintain audit-ready supporting documentation

Monitor personnel effort charged to sponsored projects

Review salary distributions for compliance with sponsor commitments and institutional policies

Process funding distribution changes and payroll expense transfers

Coordinate effort certification activities

Assist investigators and research staff in maintaining accurate personnel funding allocations

Establish and administer outgoing subawards related to clinical research projects

Coordinate subaward agreements, amendments, and funding modifications

Monitor subrecipient spending and invoice activity

Review invoices for accuracy, allowability, and compliance with award terms

Ensure timely completion of required subrecipient monitoring activities

Prepare sponsor invoices and financial reports consistent with contract and award requirements

Assist with preparation of annual, interim, and final financial reports

Support research teams with progress reporting requirements involving financial information

Maintain documentation supporting all submitted financial reports

Ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), NIH policies and procedures, FDA regulations applicable to sponsored clinical research, clinical trial agreement requirements, institutional policies and procedures, and sponsor-specific financial requirements

Prepare documentation supporting audits, monitoring visits, and financial reviews

Identify compliance concerns and escalate issues appropriately

Assist with development and implementation of departmental standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Serve as a post-award subject matter expert for investigators and study teams

Provide guidance regarding sponsor requirements, allowable costs, effort reporting, invoicing, and financial management

Participate in departmental training initiatives related to sponsored research administration

Build collaborative relationships with faculty, research staff, finance teams, grants and contracts personnel, and sponsors

Preferred

Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), or similar certification

Experience with federal, foundation, and industry-sponsored awards

Experience with PeopleSoft, Oracle, Workday, SAP, or comparable ERP systems

Knowledge of clinical trial billing and clinical research revenue cycle processes

Experience preparing sponsor invoices and financial reports

Experience supporting industry-sponsored clinical trials preferred

Experience within an academic medical center, healthcare system, or research-intensive environment preferred

CRA

CFRA certification

Sponsored award experience

PeopleSoft

Oracle

Workday

SAP

ERP systems

Clinical trial billing

Clinical research revenue cycle

Sponsor invoicing

Industry-sponsored clinical trials

Academic medical center experience

Healthcare system experience

Research-intensive environment experience

Benefits

Hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings; fully remote applicants located within the United States will also be considered.

Medical insurance: multiple plan options

Dental insurance: multiple plan options

Additional insurance: disability, life, and vision

Retirement 401(a) Plan: employer contributes 10% of your gross pay

Paid time off: accruals over the year

Vacation days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)

Sick days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)

Holiday days: 10/year

Tuition benefit: employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses

ECO Pass: reduced-rate RTD bus and light rail service

Company

Public research university with four Colorado campuses

Denver, Colorado, USA

https://www.cu.edu/

Founded in 1876

10001+ employees

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Healthcare Administration, Public Administration, Research Administration, or a related field

Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in post-award research administration, grants management, clinical trial administration, research finance, or sponsored project management

A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year for year basis

Clinical trial financial management principles

Sponsored project administration practices

Federal regulations governing sponsored research

Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)

NIH grants administration requirements

Subaward administration and monitoring

Clinical trial agreements and budget structures

Financial analysis and reconciliation

Budget development and forecasting

Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency

Data analysis and financial reporting

Written and verbal communication

Organization and project management

Manage multiple complex research projects simultaneously

Interpret sponsor guidelines and contract terms

Collaborate effectively with faculty, research staff, sponsors, and administrators

Exercise sound judgment when handling confidential information

Produce accurate, audit-ready financial records and documentation

Work independently while contributing to a collaborative research administration team

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. We are unable to provide work visa sponsorship or employment authorization for this position now or in the future

Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), or similar certification

Experience with federal, foundation, and industry-sponsored awards

Experience with PeopleSoft, Oracle, Workday, SAP, or comparable ERP systems

Knowledge of clinical trial billing and clinical research revenue cycle processes

Experience preparing sponsor invoices and financial reports

Experience supporting industry-sponsored clinical trials preferred

Experience within an academic medical center, healthcare system, or research-intensive environment preferred

Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in post-award research administration, grants management, clinical trial administration, research finance, or sponsored project management.

A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree on a year for year basis.

Required skills

Represents the skills you have, click on the tags, Post-Award Research Administration, Clinical Trial Financial Management, Sponsored Project Administration, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), NIH Grants Administration, Subaward Administration, Clinical Trial Billing and Revenue Cycle, Financial Analysis and Reconciliation, Budget Development and Forecasting, PeopleSoft, Workday, SAP, Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA)

Preferred skills

Experience preparing sponsor invoices and financial reports

Experience

3-5 years