Associate Director - Research Finance
$124,800–$124,800 year
Remote · United States or Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Job Summary
Associate Director, Research Finance (Temporary) oversees a team of Research Finance Analysts to ensure fiscal management of grants and contracts in compliance with sponsor terms and university policies. The role supports budgeting, reconciliations, quarterly and final reporting, closeouts, AR collections, and audits, while driving process improvements and training across the department. Remote-capable with on-site collaboration in Boston; heavy emphasis on federal regulations, sponsor requirements, and cross-functional partnership with Principal Investigators and academic units. Responsibilities include supervising staff, ensuring grant accounts are in good standing, reviewing and submitting transactions/FFRs, coordinating reporting, managing deficits/closeouts, and participating in policy development and continuous improvement efforts. Requires strong leadership, communication, and technical proficiency across ERP and portals (Banner, Workday, WD portals, SharePoint, Teams, VPN) to operate in a fully electronic environment and support compliance with applicable federal regulations. Pay rate is $60/hour.
Required Qualifications
- BS/BA in Accounting, Finance or related field is required
- 6-8 years of work experience is required
- Strong MS Office 365 skills including Teams, Excel, Word, SharePoint, and Outlook
- Demonstrated ability to lead and thrive in a fast-paced operations group
- Experience with federal sponsor portals and reporting is preferred
- Experience in B2B accounting, accounts receivable, and working with Local and Federal agencies is preferred
- Experience managing/supervising a team is preferred
- Knowledge of Uniform Guidance and sponsor requirements is required
- Experience with Workday Finance is preferred
- Ability to interact with Principal Investigators and administrators to ensure mutual understanding of grant requirements
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
- BS/BA in Accounting, Finance or related field is required
- Proficiency with Banner accounts setup and contract/compliance reviews is required
- Ability to develop SOPs and training materials
- Experience with audits including Uniform Guidance, NSF and other sponsored agency requests/audits
- Ability to work electronically (VPN) and navigate multiple systems
- Experience with post-award administration and grant/contract lifecycle
Desired Qualifications
- BS/BA in Accounting, Finance or related field
- 6-8 years of work experience
- Ability to lead and supervise a team of professionals
- Strong technical skills with MS Office 365 (Teams, Excel, Word, SharePoint, Outlook)
- Experience with federal portals and sponsor systems (e.g., Banner, Workday Finance, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams)
- Knowledge of Uniform Guidance, NSF and other sponsor requirements/audits
- Experience in financial reporting, closeouts, AR management, and post-award administration
- Ability to train others and develop SOPs/guidance documents
- Ability to navigate multiple electronic systems and portals
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Ability to work remotely and electronically (VPN, etc.)
- Experience with post-award administration and grant/contract lifecycle
- Familiarity with budgeting, reconciliations, and cost transfers
- Experience with audits and compliance in a research-finance context
- Project-management and process-improvement mindset
- Experience with ERP systems (Banner, Workday) and related financial tools
- Ability to interact with Principal Investigators and administrators
- Demonstrated ability to manage priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Attention to detail and strong analytical skills
- Ability to develop and present reports to senior leadership
- Experience with reconciliation and closeout of grant accounts
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