Exciting New Senior Financial Compliance Specialist based in Washington, DC

Sr. Financial Compliance Specialist

About Us

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to continually seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

Position Summary

The Senior Financial Compliance Specialist is a member of the Finance Unit and Financial Compliance team. The Senior Financial Compliance Specialist is involved in all activities associated with the awardee financial compliance program to include: conducting portfolio risk assessments; selecting institutions for review through established selection processes; acting as project lead for staff-led financial compliance reviews, communicating directly with awardees regarding reviews; performing financial compliance review testing and analysis, preparing field work testing summaries and writing and reviewing reports for management; maintaining compliance-related records and internal trackers and preparing internal briefing memos related to compliance adherence, risk, and risk mitigation; analyzing current PCORI financial compliance procedures and recommending new procedures as applicable. The primary responsibility of the Senior Financial Compliance Specialist is to provide assessments, reviews and reports that are specific to an awardee’s compliance with the financial terms and conditions of executed PCORI contracts and to assist the Assistant Director, Financial Compliance, in developing and refining PCORI’s financial compliance program. The Senior Financial Compliance Specialist also serves as a backup for awardee invoice approval and contract closeout related activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Financial Compliance Specialist will perform the following tasks including but not limited to:

Financial Compliance Responsibilities ·       Support the Assistant Director, Financial Compliance on all matters related to awardee financial compliance, financial compliance reviews, and award contract monitoring. ·       Support the Assistant Director, Financial Compliance in reviewing accuracy of information in accounting systems and Salesforce, ensuring reconciliations and accuracy of general ledger reporting. ·       Creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, and compliance review materials and conducting training, including analyzing and updating current SOPs and policies and procedures as needed. ·       Develop and maintain risk assessments on all contract awards and provide analysis and risk mitigation recommendations to internal staff. ·       Lead awardee financial compliance reviews, providing draft reports, presentations, and recommendations for resolution. ·       Conduct comprehensive fieldwork testing and creating detailed reports for management, providing valuable insight and recommendations to enhance overall awardee financial performance, ensuring compliance of PCORI funding. ·       Lead cross-functional meetings for active portfolio management related to financial compliance involving teams from multiple departments, document meeting activities. ·       Perform compliance analysis and risk assessment analysis and make recommendations to the Assistant Director, Financial Compliance. ·       Lead weekly Financial Compliance status calls, prepare all monthly status reports for staff-led desk reviews, and distribute to applicable contract management and program staff, review all external monthly status reports for accuracy and distribute to applicable contract management and program staff, and respond to inquiries from Program and Contract Management staff regarding ongoing and closed Financial Compliance Reviews. ·       Draft all communications related to staff-led and contractor-led Financial Compliance Reviews, including notification letters, fieldwork summaries, and closeout letters. ·       Serve as the liaison between outside financial compliance contractors and PCORI personnel, facilitating questions and answers and providing timely updates as needed. ·       Maintain PCORI Financial Compliance Observation Tracker and Refund Tracker and create new trackers as needed. ·       Assist in distributing and tracking PCORI Financial Management Questionnaire, following up with awardees as needed, and working with awardees to make recommendations to remediate potential areas of concern. ·       Maintain PCORI awardee Institutional Financial Compliance Profiles, to include creating new profiles for new PCORI awardees and updating current profiles as needed. ·       Manage Financial Compliance Helpdesk (Zendesk) site, responding to all tickets in a timely manner and ensuring tickets are appropriately tracked and closed. ·       Maintain and prepare accounting, financial, project-tracking, dashboards metrics and other reports for the Assistant Director, Financial Compliance, and other organizational leadership. ·       Serve as backup to the Contract Invoice Team for processing awardee invoices for payment, and work with Contract Management and Program staff to resolve compliance issues to include communicating directly with awardee institutions to achieve resolution. ·       Serve as backup for all matters related to Contract Closeout ·       Coordinate internal employee training and educational efforts related to Salesforce system, and financial compliance reviews. Prepare training materials, presentations, and support documentation. ·       Collaborate with DIGITAL (Information Technology unit) to facilitate data requests from outside contractors and ensure accuracy of all information provided.

Other Responsibilities ·       Lead project tracking and timeline for project deliverables, roles, and responsibilities. ·       Assist with system development, integration of systems, interfacing, and testing of data for implementation. ·       Analyze business functions, systems and processes to identify efficiency opportunities; proactively identifying and developing solutions to resolve critical issues. ·       Improve and monitor customer satisfaction surveys and internal dashboard metrics. ·       Attend trainings and webinars and present on key takeaways to the financial compliance team, Finance unit and other PCORI departments/units, keeping internal stakeholders up to date on key topics including accounting, compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. ·       As needed, may be required to travel. ·       Performs other duties as assigned or required.    Incumbent(s) in this position may be required to perform other duties and special assignments not specifically stated above.

Statements outlined in this section are designated as essential job functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Required Skills

·       Framework: Working knowledge of related industry framework (GAAP, IPPF, COSO, Federal Grants and Contract Regulations, and OMB Circulars) preferred. ·       Innovation & Creativity: Ability to analyze current procedures and determine whether new procedures may need to be developed, consistent with current accounting standards and existing policies. ·       Verbal and Written Communications: Excellent editing, oral presentation, and written communications skills. ·       Digital Literacy: Excellent data entry and management skills, including use of accounting systems and other databases. ·       Technical Aptitude: Ability to develop training materials and train new staff, including staff outside of the Finance unit. ·       Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Critical and logical thinker with excellent follow-through abilities. ·       Quantitative Reasoning: Critical and logical thinker with excellent follow-through abilities. Excellent quantitative and analytic skills and strong interpersonal and influence skills. ·       Teamwork & Collaboration: Team oriented, customer service driven, and flexible to changing requirements, deadlines, and processes. ·       Professionalism & Work Ethic: Judgment, discretion, integrity, and ability to work collaboratively across teams. Well organized, with attention to details, accuracy, and deadlines, and able to set priorities and work without supervision. ·       Initiative: Ability to interpret scenarios and then correctly apply appropriate rules and regulations. ·       Project Management: Strong project management and coordination skills. Familiarity with project management concepts, tools, risk assessments.

Required Experience

·       Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required. Master’s degree in Accounting preferred. ·       Tenure: Minimum of five+ years of related work experience. ·       Certifications: CPA, CIA, or CFE preferred. ·       Industry Experience: Experience with university/nonprofit contract/grant management, accounting, or auditing and knowledge of federal grant and contract management required. Experience supporting sponsored projects and federal grants with government contractors in accounting or auditing capacity. Familiarity with contract/grant funding entities. ·       Applications: Advanced skills in Microsoft Office 365 (SharePoint, Office applications, Teams). Experience with Salesforce or other grants management software preferred.   The health and safety of our employees is a top priority. As part of that commitment, PCORI requires all employees, regardless of remote work status, to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a prospective and/or new employee at PCORI, you will be required to comply with PCORI’s vaccination policy, report your vaccination status, and provide proof of vaccination. Compliance with the policy does allow for exceptions, but those exceptions will only be granted in circumstances related to medical conditions, disabilities, and sincerely held religious beliefs. Continuing with this application indicates your intent to comply with PCORI’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

PCORI conducts background checks on all applicants.

PCORI’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.