Effort Reporting Manager

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The Office of Research Administration (ORA) at the University of Miami has an enticing job opportunity for a talented and driven Effort Reporting Manager.

CORE JOB SUMMARY                                                                                                                    

The Effort Reporting Manager leads and oversees the university’s effort certification program. This position is responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with federal regulations (including OMB Uniform Guidance), university policies, and sponsor requirements regarding the allocation and certification of effort on sponsored projects. The Effort Reporting Manager will collaborate with departmental administrators, principal investigators, and other central offices to ensure timely and accurate reporting, provide training and guidance, and support audits and internal reviews.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS                                                                                           

• Manages and oversees all aspects of the University’s effort reporting program, including policy enforcement, timeline management, and system administration.

• Interprets and applies federal regulations, sponsor requirements, and institutional policies related to effort reporting and payroll certification.

• Coordinates the semi-annual effort certification process in Workday, ensures accurate and timely certification of faculty and staff salaries charged to sponsored projects.

• Analyzes complex effort and payroll data, proactively identifies discrepancies, and work with departments to resolve issues.

• Serves as the primary liaison with internal and external auditors on matters related to effort certification and salary charges to sponsored programs.

• Develops and maintains training materials and deliver regular training sessions and workshops for faculty, staff, and research administrators.

• Maintains documentation of policies, procedures, and operational guidelines related to effort reporting and contributes to policy development and updates.

• Collaborates with ORA colleagues, Human Resources, Payroll, and Finance to ensure effective integration of effort reporting with related systems and processes.

• Monitors changes in federal regulations and sponsor policies and recommends appropriate updates to institutional practices.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS                                                                                        

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Certification and Licensing:

Successful completion of Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFA), or Certified Research Administrator (CRA) status or equivalent designation preferred.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience. Any appropriate combination of relevant education, experience and/or certifications may be considered.

Knowledge:

• Thorough understanding of the full effort certification cycle, including pre-review, payroll verification, PAA coordination, system load timing, faculty certification, monitoring, and closeout. Able to manage deadlines and ensure compliance throughout each phase.

• In-depth understanding of federal regulations related to effort reporting (e.g., OMB Uniform Guidance, NIH and NSF policies).

• Familiarity with research administration principles, particularly post-award compliance.

• Knowledge of payroll systems, institutional accounting practices, and audit procedures.

• Experience with enterprise systems (e.g., Workday) and effort reporting tools.

• Awareness of higher education organizational structures and sponsored project lifecycles.

Skills:

• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Ability to interpret complex data, identify discrepancies, and resolve issues efficiently.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to explain compliance requirements and processes to varied audiences.

• Interpersonal: Effective collaboration across departments, with faculty, administrators, and auditors.

• Training & Instructional: Ability to design and deliver training and support materials for diverse users.

• Project Management: Capable of managing overlapping timelines and coordinating large-scale processes like semi-annual certification.

• Technical: Proficiency in Excel and reporting tools; comfortable navigating and extracting data from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like Workday.

Attitudes:

• Compliance-Oriented: Commitment to accuracy, integrity, and adherence to regulatory and institutional standards.

• Detail-Focused: High attention to detail and quality control in all aspects of work.

• Service-Minded: Demonstrates a customer-service approach to supporting faculty and staff.

• Proactive: Takes initiative in identifying risk areas and process improvement opportunities.

• Collaborative: Willing to work cross-functionally and support a team-based environment.

• Adaptable: Open to change and able to respond effectively to evolving compliance requirements or institutional systems.

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The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

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