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The mission of the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is to achieve stewardship of Colorado’s forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations. The State Office provides administrative support to 18 field offices, the State Office staff, and other work units, with approximately 175 State Office and program staff members across the State.

The purpose of the Administrative Division is to provide leadership and direction in service, outreach, and administration that directly contributes to achieving the agency’s mission of “the stewardship of Colorado’s forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations”. The CSFS Administrative Division specifically coordinates the financial and budget processes for the State Office and 18offices. The work unit consists of key leadership positions that provide direction to achieve the vision and mission of the CSFS.

We encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. We invite you to review Colorado State University’s Principles of Community that guide our mission and vision of access, teaching, service and engagement.

Under the direct supervision of the Manager of Finance, the Finance Specialist is responsible for providing assistance and guidance to all agency personnel regarding budgets, expenditures, account management, reporting and reconciling. This position supports fiscal oversight in coordinating and training CSFS staff on: Kuali (KFS), established CSFS and CSU accounting principles, audit requirements, and financial guidelines and policies. The Finance Specialist is also responsible for assisting & coordinating the timely completion of the annual closeout of USFS Consolidated Payment Grant (CPG) award projects, ensuring all cost-share and fiscal requirements have been met.

The Finance Specialist will assist the CSFS fiscal officer in reviewing & reconciling all incomes and expenses for CSFS cash accounts, budget accounts, and 53-fund sponsored accounts. They will be a critical contact for the Office of Sponsored Programs, primarily assisting the Finance & Grants team in reconciliation, effort certification, cost share tracking, & closeouts. They will aid in educating and training program managers and other personnel throughout the CSFS on the correct application of Federal Cost Accounting Standards relative to project expenditures, other necessary accounting principles, audit requirements, financial guidelines and policies, compliance with CSU policy, etc. They will be required to help create spreadsheets and generate reports used to produce the budget for the agency, reconcile accounts, and other reporting needs, accounting for the staffing budget of salaried employees for the agency, facilitating annual budgeting and staffing exercises with CSFS program specialists to determine staffing requirements, and the proper timing and distribution of salaries (as dictated by grant guidelines) for all agency employees over 400+accounts. They will use their knowledge and expertise of fiscal rules and guidelines to determine when program specialists need to be alerted to potential or real budgetary problems, making sure to also recommend alternative solutions. When needed, the Finance Specialist will assist in counseling program specialists on appropriate spending alternatives to accomplish project and budget objectives and create program-level and account-level processes to address unusual budget requirements.

The Finance Specialist serves as a member of the CSFS Finance Team that manages financial efforts across all program areas to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and cohesiveness of program delivery in priority areas. The team works together to address common operational issues, allocate and manage resources to ensure agency goals and objectives are achieved on time and within budget, and ensure that policy and practices are implemented consistently.

Position is expected to act independently while working closely with the CSFS Finance Manager.

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter which addresses how professional experiences and personal skills align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume, and the names, e mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates.

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.