Research Billing System Analyst I

Full Job Description

PLEASE NOTE: Please apply directly at Mines Careers: https://mines.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Mines_Careers/details/Research-Systems-Analyst-I_JR107573

About Mines & Golden, CO

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment.

Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines’ scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society. Today, we are the No.

36 public university in the nation, recognized for our innovation and undergraduate teaching in science, technology engineering and math (U.S. News and World Report, 2025).

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that’s manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more.

Mines was recently classified as a R1 “Very High Activity” research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don’t get us started on our hometown.

We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --with its charming historic downtown and nearby hiking trails – and in close proximity to all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer.

That includes the sunny, high-altitude climate and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities that make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers?

Are you an individual who values a community where our individual perspectives and experiences enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons.

Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service.

Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety.

Requirements

Engineering a world of possibilities

At Mines, the Billing Systems Analyst I is responsible for the billing management of sponsored research projects in the Office of Research Administration (“ORA”). This is a key member of the research team and serves as a resource to sponsors, faculty, and campus administrators.

Billing for sponsored research is complex and includes many different components which requires critical thinking skills in addition to a strong accounting background. The Billing Analyst will apply accounting theories and understand generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in order to meet the job requirements and responsibilities.

Essential responsibilities include cash management, billing, accounts receivables, financial reporting, systems monitoring, and customer service. You will work independently, use your ability to research and resolve issues, strategically analyze financial reports, and consistently review processes and procedures, making recommendation for improvements. You will be responsible for handling a large amount of data, where attention to detail and timeliness is essential. Sound like you? Apply today!

Currently, this is a hybrid work environment; on campus presence is required on a regular basis based on business needs.

Primary Responsibilities

Billing set-up and modifications

Transactional responsibilities include: Create new billing schedules and amend existing billing schedules in the School’s financial system and ORA’s enterprise project tracking system.

Utilize information obtained from the legal agreement, proposal documents and other project related documents.

Assign appropriate invoice type to awards as it aligns with the project instrument and billing payment terms.

Register to sponsor sites as necessary in order to perform drawdowns or invoice submittal on a biweekly/monthly basis.

Become familiar with Sponsor agreement format, financial terms and conditions to be able to perform billing setup appropriately.

Become familiar with the School’s financial system in order to perform billing schedules correctly and also have the ability to perform corrections.

Invoicing

• Process, review, and submit the monthly, quarterly, and annual sponsor billing, paying close attention to detail.

Have a thorough understanding and the ability to navigate through sponsor websites for submitting invoices or drawing down payments.

Comprehend the different types of sponsor identification numbers to ensure invoices are approved and paid without difficulties.

This position is responsible for ensuring that all invoices or requests for payment comply with the terms and conditions of the agreements.

Understand and complete complicated sponsor required payment remittance forms, that require reconciling Mines’ chart of accounts with Sponsor predetermined cost categories.

You must be knowledgeable in Excel with the ability to write formulas and create checks and balances to ensure sponsor remittance form is correct.

Retrieving supporting documentation from the Mines financial document storage system(s) (receipts, financial detail reports, etc.) to attach to invoices upon submission as required by certain sponsors.

You will need the ability to read and comprehend the School’s standard financial system reports for issues when a bill is not processing.

This position also requires fully understanding the School’s financial system screens and functions of each.

• Recognize and research if a sponsor short pays an invoice. Follow-up with the appropriate ORA staff members to ensure the issue is resolved in a timely manner.
• Work with the Controller’s office when issues arise due to incorrect balances between the general ledger and sub-ledger account receivable activity. Be able to understand the issue how it occurred and what actions are needed to resolve the concerns. This position is responsible for the resolution.
• Monthly reconciliation of the School’s financial system unbilled report. Analyze and research any discrepancies, along with the necessary action to take (if applicable) in order for the expenses to be billed in the following month.
• Ability to read and interpret standard accounting reports produced monthly. Ability to use reasoning and judgement to determine report is accurate and contains no deviations requiring further review.
• Process disbursements to discharge Mines’ financial obligation to the sponsor (refunds) by reviewing award transaction history, verifying payments and expenses, and determining reason for refund. Complete all necessary forms as required and save back-up documentation.
• Complete billing review for award closeout by verifying billing is correct, payment made in full, and there are no unresolved billing discrepancies.
• Ensure that sponsor contact information is current so that invoices are sent to the appropriate contact person, email, and/or address, or required online system.
• Participate in the closeout process of an award by reviewing that a project has been fully invoiced and fully paid. Resolve any billing issues that may cause the delay of a closeout. Work in partnership with the Research Accountants to accomplish successful closeouts.
• Develop and/or update ad-hoc reports using data from Mines Financial System, Cognos or other database applications for tracking, diagnostic and financial analysis of sponsored activity.
• Be familiar with Mines fiscal policy and federal regulations related to billing and unallowable expenses.

Apply Payments

• Daily monitoring and recording of cash receipt transactions based on source documents and the electronic bank statement integration into Mines’ financial system. Perform payment application with precision. Researching as necessary to validate source for award to be credited.
• Recognizing when payment amount being applied is different than the amount due for an award. Determine what steps need to be taken to understand if account is financially correct.
• Monthly review of the grant holding account to verify payments listed are in the process of being posted to the correct award.
• Maintain proper supporting documentation for each cash receipt.
• Communicate to others in a timely manner when a cash receipt issue arises.
• Perform correction to misapplied payments, ensure a proper audit trail.
• Become familiar with sponsor payment types

Accounts Receivable Collections

• Prepare, understand, analyze, review, and research each account in the Aging Report in regards to collections. Perform collections on a daily/weekly basis to ensure outstanding invoices are being addressed.
• Using judgment of situation determine the most appropriate action to collect amount due in a timely manner.
• Escalate delinquent accounts to the Assistant Director of Post Award for further necessary action

Training and Process Improvement

• Actively participate in office wide process evaluation and reengineering efforts. Critically evaluate process and procedures with a goal of efficiency and optimal resource utilization. Make recommendations for improvements to management and lead improvement efforts if approved.
• This position is expected to maintain current procedural statements and manuals.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or the equivalent in experience
• Two or more years of working knowledge of accounts receivables, cash receipts, and account reconciliations
• Aptitude for understanding and using complex federal invoicing websites
• Proficiency at reading and understanding terms and conditions in a legal document
• Demonstrated customer service skills, the ability to work effectively with a wide range of sponsor representatives in a diversity of businesses to include federal and state, and constituencies in a vibrant campus community
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines and deliver a quality, error free product
• Working knowledge of federal and other pertinent external research regulations.
• Ability to use spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, and enterprise financial systems
• Demonstrated customer service skills, the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community and ability to meet multiple deadlines
• Analyzation and problem-solving skills including the ability to use independent judgment
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Knowledge of standard invoice standards formatting, invoicing business processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher Education, and/or government accounting experience
• GASB knowledge and experience
• Uniform Guidance knowledge

Additional Information

It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities.

To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability.

You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at hr@mines.edu or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Successful Completion of a Background Investigation is Required for this Position.