Finance & Grants Operations Coordinator

Position Summary

The Finance & Grants Operations Coordinator supports the financial operations, grants administration, reporting, and workflow coordination activities for OIACER, the Office of the President, the Rangel Workforce Initiative, and related programs.

Reporting to the Director of Finance & Grants Administration, this role supports and coordinates operational tracking systems, grant monitoring, financial reporting support, workflow coordination, and compliance-related documentation. The position serves as a central operational resource to ensure financial activities, grants, reporting deadlines, and cross-functional processes are organized, accurate, and completed on time.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Administration Support & Compliance

• Maintain tracking and reporting systems for active grants, restricted funds, and sponsored initiatives.
• Support development and coordination of preliminary grant budgets, budget modifications, and related financial documentation during proposal and post-award phases.
• Monitor grant budgets, expenditures, reporting deadlines, and compliance requirements.
• Support grant reporting, closeout activities, and audit readiness documentation.
• Assist with award setup coordination, project activation, and maintenance of grant-related operational records.
• Coordinate with internal departments, program staff, and external stakeholders regarding grant-related documentation, reporting, and operational follow-up activities.
• Coordinate collection of financial and operational information required for sponsor reporting.
• Support grant administration activities throughout the grant lifecycle, including award setup, budget tracking, reporting coordination, and closeout support.

Financial Operations & Reporting

• Track revenue, accounts receivable activity, invoices, and outstanding balances for workforce and special programs.
• Assist with financial forecasting, spending projections, and budget planning support across programs and initiatives.
• Support budget tracking, reconciliations, and preparation of budget-to-actual reports.
• Maintain financial dashboards, summaries, and operational reporting tools.
• Assist leadership with financial reporting and operational visibility across programs and initiatives.
• Maintain tracking records related to restricted funding accounts, including balances, expenditures, and applicable funding restrictions.
• Monitor spending activity to support alignment with funding purpose and approved use.
• Assist with preparation of financial summaries, reports, and supporting documentation related to restricted funding activity and departmental reviews.
• Assist with monitoring budget variances and identifying trends, risks, or areas requiring additional review.
• Support budget coordination and financial tracking across multiple funding sources, including grants, restricted funds, and operational program budgets.
• Prepare financial summaries and supporting materials to assist leadership with operational and budget-related decision-making
• Support procurement-related coordination, invoice follow-up, and operational financial processing activities as needed.

Workflow & Operational Coordination

• Coordinate operational workflows, task tracking, and follow-up activities across multiple departments and initiatives.
• Maintain centralized systems for tracking operational, procurement, financial, and reporting activities.
• Monitor deadlines, identify bottlenecks, and support timely completion of operational tasks.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain tracking tools, dashboards, and workflow systems to improve operational efficiency and accountability.
• Support process improvements that strengthen financial controls, reporting accuracy, and operational transparency.
• Maintain organized, audit-ready operational and financial records.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the finance team, program leaders, vendors, and campus departments to support coordinated operations and reporting activities.
• Communicate professionally regarding task status, documentation needs, deadlines, and operational follow-up items.
• Perform additional finance-related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, operations, grants administration, or related areas.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Strong experience with grants management, process improvement, and financial reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, project management, budgeting, and financial reporting tools.
• Experience with grants administration and financial management systems; familiarity with Workday or similar systems preferred.
• Experience with SharePoint, workflow management systems, dashboards, or operational tracking tools preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and internal controls. Audit experience is a plus.

Skills & Core Competencies

• Strong operational coordination, organization, and project management skills.
• Experience with grants tracking, post-award support, reporting timelines, and restricted funding.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Sheets, dashboards, trackers, and workflow systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and documentation with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, and professional follow-up skills.
• Analytical problem-solving with the ability to identify workflow gaps, improve processes, and resolve bottlenecks.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining professionalism, discretion, and accountability.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, sponsored programs, or related sectors preferred.

POSITION IMPACT

The Finance & Grants Operations Coordinator directly contributes to the operational effectiveness, financial coordination, and reporting infrastructure supporting OIACER, the Office of the President, and related initiatives. This role strengthens operational continuity, improves workflow visibility, supports grants administration and reporting activities, and enhances organizational coordination across a growing portfolio of programs, restricted funding activities, and revenue-generating initiatives.

BENEFITS

This position is a non-tax-levy appointment supported by funds administered through the RFCUNY. As such, you will be considered an employee of the RFCUNY and will be subject to its personnel policies and procedures for project employees. RFCUNY employees are also expected to comply with the rules and policies applicable to the worksite to which they are assigned.

The following link provides access to the RFCUNY benefits workbook:

RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

About the Research Foundation

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.

RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual

orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Benefits info:

https://www.rfcuny.org/rfwebsite/media/0s2ksbgv/rfcuny-benefits-at-a-glance-ft-2025-central-office-employee.pdf

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