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Job Description Summary: UCAR’s Business Services Section (BSS) is seeking a skilled and motivated Budget Analyst II to join our team within the Scientific Program Support (SPS) Center’s Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) Business Office. In this critical role, you’ll lead advanced-level financial analysis and award lifecycle management for a dynamic portfolio of awards, with an emphasis on contracting vehicles and task orders.

You'll play a key role in:

*Developing and managing complex budgets, forecasts, and cost analyses

*Primarily supporting contracts and task orders

*Providing backup support for cooperative agreements and grants

*Preparing internal and external financial reports

*Ensuring award compliance with UCAR policies, federal regulations (including OMB Uniform Guidance), and sponsor requirements

*Serving as a trusted resource on task order oversight and financial best practices

You’ll collaborate closely with BSS colleagues, CPAESS leadership, and UCAR operations teams to drive excellence in financial stewardship and compliance. As a valued advisor to program staff, you’ll also contribute to proposal development and business operations strategy.

We’re looking for candidates who bring strong analytical skills, a deep understanding of federal funding mechanisms, and a commitment to process improvement and team collaboration.

CPAESS serves the Earth System Science community in three distinct areas of service. We partner with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff enabling a more robust workforce. Through our scientific programs we seek to edify new research with our postdoctoral programs, our visiting scientist and internship programs, along with our interagency support programs. We also help build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees.

Position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

No

Job Location:

Boulder, Colorado

Position Type & Term:

Full time, Regular

Compensation Range:

$75,989 - $94,989

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.*

Application Notes

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59:59pm MT on Wednesday, August 13. Applications will not be accepted past this date.

Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format) :

+ Resume

+ Cover Letter - Our hiring team wants to learn more about your skills/experiences regarding specific critical skills needed to be successful in this position. Your cover letter will be read and weighed equally to your resume, so please ensure you're providing detailed, yet informative, responses based on your previous work experiences. Please ensure your cover letter includes the following:

+ Your experience with budget development and financial analysis in the context of federally funded projects.

+ Specific examples of how you've supported or led work involving contract or task order funding mechanisms, including both pre-award activities (such as proposal development, budgeting, or compliance review) and post-award responsibilities (such as financial reporting, monitoring, or reconciliation).

+ If applicable, highlight how you've navigated sponsor requirements, federal regulations (e.g., OMB Uniform Guidance), and internal policies in your financial or contract-related work.

Background checks are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more. (https://www.ucar.edu/opportunities/careers/faqs)

Work Location: This position is open to candidates seeking in-person and hybrid (combination of 3 days/week in-person and 2 days/wk remote) opportunities. Regardless of flexible work arrangements, UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

What You Will Do

Here is a summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Award & Financial Administration

+ Manage the full lifecycle of assigned awards—primarily contracts—with additional support provided for cooperative agreements and grants.

+ Coordinate administrative actions related to award management, including data entry and maintenance in UCAR business systems and CPAESS file structures.

+ Forecast, monitor, and reconcile awards; track and project expenses and staff allocations across portfolios.

+ Identify and resolve discrepancies through journal entries and budget transfers.

+ Conduct regular (monthly) and ad hoc financial reviews to ensure compliance with UCAR policies, sponsor requirements, OMB Uniform Guidance, and federal cost principles.

+ Prepare recurring and ad hoc financial reports for both internal leadership and external sponsors.

+ Track and coordinate programmatic reporting requirements in collaboration with the CPAESS communications team and Principal Investigators (PIs).

+ Serve as a financial subject matter expert for federal stakeholders, advising on allowability, compliance, and projections.

Proposal Development & Submission

+ Serve as lead proposal administrator for assigned submissions, partnering with PIs to establish timelines and define roles.

+ Lead the development of proposal budgets and narratives, coordinating with the SPS-BSS team and ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements.

+ Enter proposal data into UCAR systems and sponsor platforms, and collaborate with the UCP Proposal Office and UCAR Contracts when needed.

Data Analytics & Reporting

+ Develop and deliver financial and programmatic reporting for monthly, quarterly, and year-end review, highlighting trends and metrics across award portfolios.

+ Maintain accurate and consistent data sets; contribute to the design and improvement of data tracking and analysis systems.

+ Use data to identify financial risks or opportunities and develop actionable, evidence-based recommendations.

Operational Strategy & Process Improvement

+ Co-create and refine business processes with a focus on continuous improvement, efficiency, and user-centered service, in collaboration with BSS team members and leadership.

+ Develop and maintain desk procedures and documentation to support consistency and knowledge sharing.

+ Contribute to the creation and refinement of standardized best practices across BSS.

+ Participate in BSS meetings, trainings, and working groups; represent BSS or CPAESS on committees shaping organizational policies.

+ Analyze new policies for potential impact on the CPAESS business model and make recommendations accordingly.

+ Support special projects as assigned and promote a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative workplace culture.

Who We’d Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education & Experience

+ Bachelor's degree in a relevant academic discipline;

+ 5 years of related experience;

+ Or an equivalent combination of education and experience that qualifies the individual to perform the duties as described (e.g. a Master’s degree in a relevant academic discipline and 3 years of related experience, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

+ Advanced knowledge and skill in managing the full lifecycle of federal awards, with a particular emphasis on task orders, contracts, and related compliance requirements.

+ Expertise in budget development, financial analysis, cost control, and proposal preparation, including the use of federal and UCAR proposal platforms and management systems.

+ Proficient in applying government regulations and policies, including OMB Uniform Guidance, UCAR policies, and sponsor-specific requirements, across various award types (contracts, grants, cooperative agreements).

+ Strong analytical and technical skills, including the use of spreadsheet applications and financial tools to develop, interpret, and present financial reports and statistics.

+ Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex financial and policy information clearly to diverse audiences and to handle sensitive information with discretion.

+ Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively, contributing to team objectives while managing responsibilities with minimal supervision.

+ Proactive problem-solving and critical thinking skills, including the ability to identify appropriate data sources, anticipate organizational challenges, and recommend effective solutions.

Desired, but not required

+ Experience working with NOAA Contractual vehicles.

Benefits Overview

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits (https://www.ucar.edu/opportunities/careers/benefits) . In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance, UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

+ Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities

+ UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one

+ Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions)

+ 10 paid holidays

+ 10 days of sick leave each year

+ 12 weeks of paid parental leave

+ Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary

+ EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost

Commitment to Job Application Fairness

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

Some Final Considerations

At UCAR|NCAR|UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy. Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Visa Wait Times

Please consider the length of visa procurement when applying for this posting, understanding that you will not be able to begin employment until you are able to get a visa and enter the U.S.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing the way society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.