Job ID

2021-1504

Category

Administrative

Location : Location

US-NM-Albuquerque

Type

Full-time

Division

Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (LBRI)

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and with limited direction, the Director of Financial Operations will oversee a variety of financial operations to include accounting payroll operations, end-to-end grant and contract management operations, and procurement/purchasing operations for the Institute, and manage the strategic operations of the Office of Research Contracts, Project Management Office, Proposals Group, Accounting and Procurement departments.

 

The Director will be responsible for and oversee the operations of the Institute's accounting and finance operations to include general accounting, tax filing preparations, accounts payable and receivable, billing, and payroll. Will oversee and manage the Institute's third-party accounting partners and internal accounting staff to ensure accurate and timely reporting and completion of all accounting duties and responsibilities. Will manage external and internal audits and reporting and serve as the main point of contact for all external audit firms. Will also oversee the Institute's procurement practices and policies including vendor negotiations and working with the Procurement Manager to ensure efficient operations.

 

The Director will also work closely with LBRI administrative leadership and scientific teams to oversee efficient operations of the Institute’s overall financial operations including contract and grant processes to include both pre- and post-award management. Will work with a variety of subject matter experts to ensure efficient operations while remaining in compliance with legal guidelines and best business practices.

 

Will develop and implement policies and procedures, provide professional and technical guidance to executive leadership on all financial operations, remain cognizant of all applicable regulations and regulatory bodies, and perform all other related duties and tasks as required or assigned. 

 

Will work closely with subordinate managers and the COO and other stakeholders to identify staffing needs and available expertise, provide leadership and mentoring to all department staff, direct the recruiting and selection process for all departmental positions, and work with the Human Resources Department as needed on performance evaluations, training and development of staff.

Requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and a minimum of 10+ years of directly-related, progressively responsible professional-level research administration management experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been attained. Also requires a minimum of 3-5 years personnel management experience.

 

Requires previous demonstrated experience overseeing accounting operations functions to include tax, reporting, payroll, accounts payable and associated functions. Must have a demonstrated fundamental understanding of GAAP and accounting in a non-profit environment, and extensive experience applying accounting principles according to standards and best business practices.

 

Must have a demonstrated thorough understanding of and experience with the entire contract and grant life cycles (acquisition planning, pre-award and post-award). Requires in-depth knowledge of and demonstrated experience working in contracts subject Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Department of Defense supplement to FAR (DFARS), the National Institute of Health (another other similar organizations) granting rules and guidelines, other governmental departments/agencies implementing FAR, and the ability to reference, interpret and implement Federal regulations related to Federal grants, contracts and other funding vehicles.

 

The Director should have outstanding negotiating skills and a demonstrated ability navigating the complex Federal funding environment. Requires experience in researching, interpreting and resolving funding, contract and grant issues, the ability to draft, review and approve moderate-to-complex non-routine contractual instruments, and demonstrated knowledge of contracting concepts, applicable public acquisition laws and associated regulations.

 

Must also have previous experience effectively leading a large team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and the ability to prioritize departmental functions and responsibilities to meet deadlines and goals. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate previous success in developing professional and effective relationships with both administrative and non-administrative managers and colleagues.

 

Must have superior professional-level written and verbal communication skills; a high degree of professionalism, diplomacy and discretion; excellent judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills; and strong customer-service skills. Demonstrated ability in managing a wide variety of complex tasks and projects simultaneously while meeting multiple deadlines is required. The ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive situations with solid judgment and discretion is critical, as well as the ability to perform duties independently. 

 

Requires prior experience with Deltek CostPoint or a similar system, professional-level general computer skills, advanced experience with Microsoft Excel, and the ability to learn other department-specific computer systems as needed.

Master’s degree in a related field is strongly preferred, as is previous experience in scientific research and not-for-profit environments.

Salary is commensurate with experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute Companies are an Equal Opportunity employer-M/F/Veteran/Disability. We are committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regarding to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected status as designated by federal, state or local law. All applicants and employees are further protected from discrimination based on inquiring about, disclosing or discussing the compensation of other applicants or employees. For additional information about your rights as an applicant, click here.

For assistance with our application process, including reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to participate in the application process, please send an email to recruiting@lrri.org or call 505-348-9400.