The Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Funds Manager, reporting to the Senior Budget and Fiscal Director, will play a crucial role in the management, oversight, and compliance of F&A funds. This position promotes the responsible use of F&A resources by ensuring expenditures align with institutional policies, applicable regulations, and strategic priorities. The Manager will collaborate with departments, financial offices, and research administration to monitor fund activity, provide guidance on appropriate use, and support reporting, planning, and policy development related to F&A funds. Additionally, the Manager will deliver key financial and operational analytics to inform leadership decision-making and optimize strategic allocation.
Duties and Responsibilities
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Provide guidance and training to departments on F&A usage, documentation requirements, and policy updates.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with research partners, administrative units, and campus stakeholders.
- Review and approve F&A expenditures and supporting documentation to ensure alignment with federal, state, and institutional policies.
- Maintain documentation and internal controls to support audit readiness, identify potential risks, and recommend process improvements.
- Monitor and authorize fund transfers and open or close accounts to support accurate fund management and alignment with research initiatives.
- Refine naming conventions for accounts and funds to improve clarity, consistency, and usability.
- Track and report on F&A expenditures to provide visibility into fund utilization and support decision-making.
- Contribute to budget planning related to F&A distributions, commitments, and projections.
- Analyze spending trends and provide recommendations for the strategic use of F&A resources.
- Assist in the development and refinement of policies governing the allocation and use of F&A funds.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business management, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience, demonstrating a strong foundation in financial principles.
- A record of progressively responsible fiscal management, including experience preparing and monitoring financial reports.
- Ability to interpret, apply, and clearly communicate complex policies and procedures related to fund management and compliance to diverse stakeholders including faculty, staff, and administration.
- Proficiency with computerized financial systems, spreadsheets, databases, and word processing software to manage, analyze, and report financial data effectively.
- Capable of independently managing complex financial oversight responsibilities and making sound decisions with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
- Master’s degree in accounting, finance, business management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
- Administrative and fiscal management experience in an institution of higher education.
- Knowledge of cost accounting principles and familiarity with State and Federal regulations, including OMB Uniform Guidance Circular.
- Demonstrated skills with grants and contract administration and reporting.
- Knowledge of MSU and State of Montana policies and procedures.
The Successful Candidate Will
- Represent the Office of Research and Economic Development in a professional and courteous manner; provide excellent customer services to research stakeholders.
- Have excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
- Provide evidence of strong decision-making skills and initiative.
- Exercise adaptability to changing priorities while maintaining a positive, effective, and professional approach.
- Work effectively both independently and in a team-orientated manner, under minimal supervision.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of constituents both internal and external to the organization.
- Appropriately handle sensitive and confidential information.
Position Special Requirements/Additional Information
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Physical Demands
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
This position has supervisory duties?
No