UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply.
New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Senior Manager, Academic Fiscal Affairs reporting to the Associate Director, Post Award Administration.
This position is a key member of the Office of Academic Resource Management and Fiscal Affairs reporting to the Associate Director, and is responsible for post-award research administration, change management projects and associated administrative operations related to academic programs/departments.
This position will serve the Post award function that is responsible for the post-award financial administration of all research and creative projects at NYUAD; this includes internal research funds as well as external grants, gifts and contracts. This position will provide oversight and support on all post award operations pertaining to the academic divisions, external grants, gifts and other research programs. The position is primarily responsible for central- and project-level financial administration of internal research funds awarded to faculty members, as well as external grants and gifts, ensuring grant expenditures are properly managed and reported to PIs, NYUAD leadership, and the Deans; and providing the point of contact for PIs, research support staff, and department managers. This position will also collaborate with the NYUAD Finance and Budget Office, NYU Office of Sponsored Programs and Sponsored Program Accounting/RFS to ensure compliance with established guidelines and best practices.
This position will also extensively support the academic technology needs, processes, and projects for the Office of Academic Resource Management and Fiscal Affairs. Critical responsibilities include serving as the lead on automation, implementation and change management activities and providing administrative oversight for academic programs and research divisions. This position requires a thorough understanding of fiscal policies, budgetary processes, budget development and financial analysis specific to academic and research activities.
The Office of Academic Fiscal Affairs supports the Provost, Deans, Vice Provosts, and other academic and administrative leaders in their budget and financial resource planning. It provides strategic recommendations and supporting analytics related to finances and resources associated with the academic and research mission of the University. The Office is also responsible for the establishment and communication of effective sponsored program administration policies and procedures.
Key Responsbilities:
Post Award Research Administration
- Oversee the post award administration of NYUAD’s research portfolio including all internal faculty research funds, start-up funds, Provostial Research Enhancement Funds/other competitive grants, and external grants and gifts; ensure monitoring of expense vs budget on a quarterly basis
- Collaborate with partners in the Office of Academic Appointments and Budget Office to maintain accurate deliverables pertaining to faculty hiring and research awards
- Serve as the team lead on internal competitive grants including the Provostial research enhancement fund awards, publication grants, OIEE, etc. and their pertinent post award processes
- Use of all financial and other necessary systems (FAME, Project Costing, UDW+, BIA, CF authorization, Cayuse, etc.) and updating research accounts based on new awards/contracts/renewals/budget modifications:Act as the divisional administrator for Cayuse (pre and post award) SP as the point of contact to facilitate grant orientation for new/existing faculty
- Assist in new grant set up and related tasks to make funds accessible to faculty/PIs in a proactive manner
- Monitor project expenditures for all research grants i.e. Faculty research, Research Institute, external grants, etc
- Assist in processing AHRFs and WD positions in coordination with the Office of Academic Appointments in a timely manner
- Review and process external engagement submissions for the assigned divisions. Educate faculty and administrators on Upwork transition and implementation
- Assist in processing summer salary in coordination with Office of Academic Appointments for Research Institute, Faculty Research, External Grants, Gifts
- Assist faculty in Cayuse proposal submissions, prepare financial analyses, research award letter drafts and support seamless award letter approvals for faculty research funds
- Assist in reviewing and processing expense reimbursements and other routine tasks
- Resolve any accounting and reconciliation discrepancies regarding variances in projections, actuals, and budgets of all projects
- Assist in providing monthly reports to project PIs and management as required
- Complete annual expense review for research grants as per the audit framework
- Serve as the team lead for the budget development of assigned divisions and other core programs supporting research
- Maintain effective post-award records, reporting sponsored program expenditures, and the establishment of an efficient post-award infrastructure ensuring compliance with local, federal, University and sponsor requirements
- Collaborate with the pre-award team and the Office of Research in the budget proposal development reviews for new internal competitive grants including centers, REFs, etc
- Collaborate regularly with the Pre-Award team, OSP and SPA for seamless execution of all external sponsored research grants and contracts
- Prepare annual and final project financial reports and complete the close-out process
- Liaise with NYU SPA and external grant sponsors for carryforwards, NCEs, submission of financial reports, and close out processes
- Provide training and awareness to division administrators and faculty on post award administration policies and processes
- Perform any on-going reporting, analytical projects, related administrative tasks on an ad-hoc basis supporting the department
- Routinely meet and alert the Associate Director to issues surrounding post award administration for the assigned areas of responsibility
Change Management and Process Improvements
- Support the Director, Academic Fiscal Affairs, on pertinent academic technology needs, processes, and projects. Assist with a variety of special projects as needed including gathering and analyzing data, generating ad hoc reports, and making recommendations
- Working under the supervision of the Associate Director, Post Award Administration, serve as the system administrator for the eRA Grants Management System, Cayuse SP and pertinent modules; creating accounts and providing system training sessions to faculty and staff across a population of 400+
- Collaborate with NYU and lead the enhancement of the electronic systems needs for the NYUAD post award operations. This includes Cayuse, FAME, Oracle budgeting reporting tool or any other tool, Tableau Dean’s Dashboard, etc
- Work with the IT Admin Apps team to ensure all updates are accurately reflected in the business tools for efficient post-award processes. This includes any electronic research administration (eRA) system upgrade and implementation, Oracle budgeting reporting tool, etc
- Serve as the team lead for research external engagement program, review and dissemination of approvals
- Manage and maintain the workflow for the external engagement submission and review process
- Review and process external engagement submissions for the assigned division
- Serve as the team lead on designing the integration, implementation, operations and maintenance of the Upwork platform
- Lead the transition of the EE program into implementing Upwork
- Oversee the deployment and integration of Upwork’s platform
- Coordinate with all departments, facilitate training, ensure smooth adoption of the platform, and provide ongoing support to faculty and staff
- Working closely with WSQ, serve as team lead on the Cayuse global management project, which includes implementing fund manager, cleaning up of projects, streamlining processes and coordinating with necessary departments to ensure seamless transition
- Serve as the team lead for the Faculty Budget automation project; to support in the creation of an integrated and automated Budget by Position vs Actuals Report or dashboard. This automation for all positions, the associated budgets with corresponding expenditures will facilitate adequate monitoring of these budgets and improve decision making of the academic hiring function at NYUAD
- Contribute in developing research administration and expenditure policies which enable flexibility and productivity while ensuring necessary controls
- Collaborate with faculty representatives to jointly develop solutions for complex problems affecting faculty and researchers
Research Budget Development and Forecasting
- Working under the leadership of the Associate Director, Post Award Administration, plan and develop the annual research budget and expense projections across all divisions, research programs, and competitive grants
- Prepare budget presentation and reports for NYUAD leadership and the Deans
- Assist the internal NYUAD research funding process as per established guidelines and best practices
- Participate in developing annual and multi-year grant budgets for new and existing faculty research awards, funding renewals, etc
- Work in partnership with the Finance and Budget Office to prepare and ensure accuracy and compliance of the research financial deliverables (monthly, quarterly, annual)
- Prepare monthly, quarterly, annual budget reports/dashboards and any adhoc reports for the Associate Director, and the Academic Deans
- Administer the financial analysis and budget reporting for relevant internal stakeholders
- Facilitate any administrative and financial changes to grants, conduct variance analysis, and review monthly expenditures in comparison to approved budgets and resolve budget errors
- Support the Associate Director, Post Award Administration, in actively identifying savings for potential re-allocation for strategic initiatives
Divisional Administration
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the Dean and faculty members regarding all central post-award research administration services from inception to close-out, ensuring seamless communication between central post-award and academic divisions. This includes but not limited to Proposal Development and Submission (connecting with the Pre-award team where necessary for external grants/gifts), Award Acceptance and execution, post-Award administration/management and Award Closeout
- Coordinate with the Dean’s office and faculty to provide tailored support on managing research grants (internal and external including gifts), ensuring faculty receive timely updates on their grant status, budget upload, and other post-award services
- Conduct regular meetings with divisional admins on all post-award matters, including but not limited to: reviewing the financial status of research projects, assisting in resolving issues related to budget performance, and ensuring alignment with both departmental and faculty research goals
- Collaborate directly with faculty to monitor and assess research project expenditures, providing detailed financial analyses and ensuring timely processing of any budget modifications, no-cost extensions (NCEs), or rollovers
- Assist the Dean and faculty with post-award processes related to new grants and awards, including facilitating smooth transitions from pre-award to post-award stages
- Ensure faculty compliance with sponsor and university requirements by guiding them through faculty onboarding, necessary documentation, reporting obligations, and financial reviews
- Provide customized, high-quality customer service to faculty and division administrators to assess future direction and offering proactive solutions to address post-award challenges and streamline grant management
- Work closely with the Dean’s office to provide timely and accurate financial data on all divisional faculty research grants on a quarterly basis, promoting transparency and shared governance for data-driven decision-making
- Provide advice to the Dean and faculty on the development and execution of research funding, ensuring their success in securing external funding and maintaining budget compliance
- Divisional administration complements the existing responsibilities in the central office by emphasizing the post-award role in supporting divisional research efforts and fostering effective collaboration with the deans and faculty members
Research Funds Allocation
- Review and assess funding requests for new faculty, and funding renewals for existing faculty in accordance with internal guidelines and practices
- Track the cycle with OAA on PandT review and any associated funding adjustments for Provost endorsement
- Work in close collaboration with the Office of Academic Appointments on the divisional faculty hiring plan and ensure timely issuance of faculty research fund awards as per the approved faculty hiring plan
- Conduct financial analysis on research proposals and submit funding recommendations for review and approval by the NYUAD Provost
