Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Research Financial Compliance

The Research Financial Compliance Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the University's post‑award financial compliance, monitoring, and closeout oversight program supporting the sponsored research enterprise; is responsible for managing staff, establishing program priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring the effectiveness, consistency, and sustainability of institutional oversight activities; oversees development and execution of post‑award financial compliance monitoring strategies, audit and review support, and closeout oversight practices; partners closely with leadership to identify emerging risks, align institutional priorities, strengthen internal controls, and advance compliance and operational excellence across the research enterprise.

• Lead and manage the post-award financial compliance function, including supervision of staff; oversee hiring, performance management, and staff development
• Establish and execute program strategy, priorities, and performance goals for compliance monitoring, audit support, and closeout oversight, aligning with institutional objectives and regulatory requirements
• Direct resource allocation, workload distribution, and operational planning across teams to ensure timely, consistent, and risk-based execution of oversight activities
• Oversee the development, implementation, and governance of institutional frameworks, methodologies, standards, and performance metrics for post-award monitoring and closeout
• Ensure consistency, quality, and audit defensibility of compliance activities, documentation, and reporting across the function
• Serve as an escalation point for complex, high-risk, or institutionally significant compliance, audit, or closeout issues; determine resolution strategies and coordinate cross-functional responses
• Partner with college/campus leadership and central administrative units (e.g., Research Accounting, Strategic Finance, Internal Audit) to lead coordinated institutional responses to audits, reviews, investigations, and sponsor inquiries
• Oversee tracking, reporting, and resolution of audit findings, including corrective actions, remediation plans, and sustained process improvements
• Evaluate program effectiveness using data analysis, audit outcomes, and stakeholder feedback; identify trends and direct strategic and operational improvements
• Lead development and delivery of institution-wide training, guidance, and communications related to post-award financial compliance and closeout expectations
• Provide regular reporting and strategic analysis to senior leadership on compliance posture, audit readiness, closeout performance, and emerging risks
• Contribute to University-wide governance bodies, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional efforts to enhance sponsored research oversight and compliance maturity
• Align post-award oversight practices with institutional risk tolerance, regulatory changes, and research priorities
• Guide workforce planning, organizational design, and succession planning to ensure sustainable program effectiveness

Level:

– Senior Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates advanced skills in critical functions related to unit's success. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of emerging technologies and processes. Monitors completed work of others to ensure effectiveness and adherence to requirements. Sets clear expectations and holds team accountable. Establishes a shared team/unit vision. Demonstrates ability to evaluate and enhance team/unit practices that promote a strong commitment to inclusionary practices. Coaches others using appropriate strategies. Demonstrates diplomacy. Demonstrates ability to serve as liaison between senior-level management and staff. Resolves complex, controversial, or unprecedented issues and problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees large team or teams of individual contributors and/or supervisors/managers
– Leads a department or functional area

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks large budgets
– Plans, forecasts, and/or develops budgets
– May approve budgets for specific area
– Typically has final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that impacts the team and possibly the unit
– Develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature
– Independently resolves complex and/or unprecedented issues and problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined
– Generally sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Monitors completed work of others to ensure soundness of approach, effectiveness of meeting requirements, the feasibility of recommendations and adherences to requirements
– Delegates more advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Fosters collaboration between units and engages others' coordinated efforts to reach desired outcomes with broad scope

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $97,100.00
• MidPoint – $121,400.00
• Maximum – $145,700.00