Penn State Job Catalog

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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:

– Manager

Base Description:

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

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates 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
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 13
• Minimum – $86,300.00
• MidPoint – $107,900.00
• Maximum – $129,500.00