Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored Research at Barnard College – New York City, New York

Title: Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored Research

Location: New York City, NY

Full/Part Time: Full time
Req ID: JR5428

Description:

If you are a current Barnard College employee, please use the internal career site to apply for this position.

Job:

Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored ResearchThe Associate Controller, Restricted Funds & Sponsored Research is the College’s primary control owner for the accounting, compliance, and stewardship of:

Endowment funds
Restricted private gifts and grants
Sponsored research grants (federal, state, and private

Reporting to the Controller, this role ensures donor and sponsor intent is honored, restricted and sponsored activity is accurately recorded and reconciled, Uniform Guidance requirements are met, and financial reporting is complete, timely, and audit-ready.

This position serves as the Finance lead for post-award sponsored research accounting and is a key institutional control point for compliance with U.S. GAAP, NYPMIFA, and federal grant regulations (2 CFR 200).

Job Description:

Core Responsibilities

Restricted Funds & Endowment Accounting

• Serve as the named owner of internal controls related to endowment and restricted fund accounting, ensuring compliance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (NYPMIFA), donor agreements, and applicable regulatory requirements.

• Review and interpret restricted gift and endowment agreements; determine appropriate accounting treatment and classification in the College’s general ledger.

• Establish new restricted and endowment funds in Workday and endowment systems, ensuring accurate worktag structure and documentation retention.

• Oversee accounting for:

  • Endowment investment activity

  • Spending distributions

  • Releases from restriction

  • Related journal entries

Sponsored Research Grants (Post-Award Oversight)

• Serve as Finance lead for post-award accounting of sponsored research grants.

• Ensure compliance with:

  • Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)

  • Federal agency regulations

  • Sponsor-specific award terms

  • Institutional policies

• Manage and perform:

  • Grant setup in Workday

  • Budget alignment and cost allocations

  • Fringe benefit; Interest & Indirect cost (F&A) recovery accuracy

  • Effort reporting financial validation (in partnership with HR/Provost)

  • Cost transfers and allowability review

  • Matching contributions

  • Subrecipient financial monitoring (in coordination with Sponsored Research | Institutional Funding)

• Review and approve expenses charged to sponsored grants to ensure allowability, allocability, and consistency with sponsor requirements.

• Support grant closeout processes, ensuring financial accuracy and timely reporting.

• Coordinate preparation of federal financial reports (FFRs) and other sponsor financial deliverables.

Compliance, Monitoring & Stewardship

• Conduct monthly reviews of restricted and sponsored activity to identify:

  • Misclassifications

  • Overspending

  • Unallowable costs

• Maintain comprehensive documentation repository for:

  • Donor agreements

  • Grant award notices

  • Sponsor correspondence

  • Reporting history

• Escalate compliance risks to the Controller in a timely manner.

• Recommend corrective actions and process improvements to strengthen internal controls.

Reconciliations & Financial Integrity

• Maintain accountability for monthly reconciliation of:

  • Restricted fund balances

  • Sponsored grant balances

  • Deferred revenue and receivables

  • Net assets with donor restrictions

• Ensure timely resolution of reconciling items.

• Partner with Treasury & Reconciliation to align restricted and sponsored activity with cash and investment balances.

• Oversee accounting and reconciliation of government grant activity, including financial aid programs where applicable.

Audit, Single Audit & External Coordination

• Serve as primary Finance lead for:

  • Annual financial statement audit (restricted net assets & endowment)

  • Single Audit (Uniform Guidance)

  • Sponsor audits and desk reviews

• Prepare and review:

  • SEFA schedules

  • Endowment rollforwards

  • Restricted net asset rollforwards

  • Grant compliance documentation

• Respond to auditor inquiries and coordinate documentation under the Controller’s oversight.

Budget, Forecasting & Institutional Coordination

• Partner with Budget & Planning to:

  • Forecast restricted fund utilization

  • Model endowment spending

  • Project sponsored research indirect recovery

• Advise leadership on:

  • Financial implications of donor restrictions

  • Grant compliance risk exposure

  • Sustainability of restricted funding streams

Systems, Documentation & Process Improvement

• Serve as Finance’s data steward for restricted and sponsored funds in Workday.

• Ensure ongoing accuracy of worktags, attributes, reporting logic, and compliance flags.

• Develop and maintain SOPs and RACI charts for restricted and sponsored processes.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen controls and streamline workflows.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other essential duties and responsibilities consistent with the scope and accountability of the role, as assigned by the Controller.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required; CPA strongly preferred.

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive accounting experience, preferably in higher education or complex nonprofit environments.

• Demonstrated expertise in GAAP; NYPMIFA; endowment accounting; restricted fund compliance; Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200); and sponsored research compliance.

• Experience supporting Single Audit strongly preferred.

• Advanced Excel skills required.

• Experience with Workday Financials and grant modules preferred.

• Strong analytical judgment and ability to manage compliance risk.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Work Arrangement: Primarily in-person with limited hybrid flexibility, subject to operational needs.

Salary Range: $130,000 - $140,000 annually

Please include a resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position with your application.

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Company:

Barnard College

Time Type:

Full time

About Us: Barnard is an intellectually stimulating, diverse college community of approximately 800 full- and part-time faculty and staff dedicated to providing an extraordinary educational environment for our 2,600 students.
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