Accountant I - Investigational Cancer Therapeutics

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. It was named the nation's No. 1 hospital for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 rankings. It is one of the nation's original three comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.

The primary purpose of the Accountant I position is to provide financial and administrative support for industry-sponsored clinical trials. This includes managing financial data, assisting with budget preparations, processing amendments, and supporting the development of financial reports. The Accountant I plays a key role in maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, and assisting senior team members in financial tasks related to clinical trials.

KEY FUNCTIONS

1.     Financial Administrative Support

·       Assists in preparing budgets for industry-sponsored clinical trials under the guidance of the Clinical Trial Budget Analyst and/or Financial Analyst.

·       Supports the preparation and review of Advance Setup requests to establish funding accounts for clinical trials.

·       Reviews protocols, amendments, and ancillary documents for discrepancies, collaborating with PI teams and sponsors to resolve any issues.

2.  Sponsor Negotiation and Interaction

·       Participates in negotiations with industry sponsors and CROs to process new and amended clinical trial budgets.

·       Assists in analyzing sponsors’ budget proposals to determine if the proposed funding is adequate to cover trial costs, taking into account trial complexity, frequency of patient visits, and reporting requirements. Works with senior team members to prepare counter-proposals and finalize budgets.

·       Supports ensuring a quick turnaround time to complete budgets and activate studies in a timely manner to meet industry standards.

3.  Pre-Award Files/Data Management

·       Maintains accurate and up-to-date financial records for clinical trials.

·       Regularly updates financial files and databases to ensure all documentation related to clinical trials is filed correctly.

·       Assists in maintaining a current database of financial information for department-sponsored trials and investigator-initiated funding.

·       Prepares for audits by maintaining organized and accurate financial records.

·       Provides basic financial information and reports to support audits and internal reviews.

·       Participates in relevant training sessions and departmental meetings to stay informed on changes in policies or procedures that affect financial aspects of clinical trials.

4.   Other duties as assigned

The above functions require the following abilities and skills:

·       Demonstrated proficiency in OnCore, ePRTCL, RCTS, MS Excel, and other institutional financial systems.

·       Demonstrated thorough working knowledge of institutional and state guidelines, which include purchasing, check requests, petty cash and travel.  Also a demonstrated working knowledge of mainframe access programs to monitor company center activities.

·       Ability to practice independently, have strong verbal and written communication skills, organizational and critical judgment skills, and be able to interact effectively with patients and co-workers.

·       Strong attention to detail.

·       Strong organizational skills.