Director, Research Finance and Operations

Joslin Diabetes Center - Boston, MA

Full-time - Senior

Boston, MA

Hospitals

About the position

The Director of Research Finance & Operations at Joslin Diabetes Center plays a pivotal role in overseeing the financial management of research administration, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws, as well as other regulations and requirements. This leadership position is responsible for maintaining the Center's financial and information systems to support its research activities, providing essential financial analysis and support for the Research Division. The Director will lead a team, ensuring that all financial operations align with the strategic goals of the Center while fostering an environment of compliance and efficiency. In this role, the Director will analyze, monitor, and evaluate the Center's post-award sponsored research activities, which include all federal and non-federal sponsored projects and contracts. The Director will maintain the Center's financial systems, including the general ledger and fixed assets, to provide the necessary accounting structure to support the Research Division. This includes creating and amending research projects in the General Ledger and Research Administration Systems, as well as maintaining detailed logs of all updates to sponsored funding, including the manual creation of financial deliverables. The Director will also be responsible for providing financial analysis, monthly reports, and accounting support for the Research Division, presenting findings and recommendations to management. This position manages two Research Finance Analysts and serves as a general accounting resource to other Fiscal Services staff members. The Director will review and approve all non-personnel cost transfers, ensuring efficient and cost-effective administration and financial management of grants and contracts throughout the Center, in compliance with internal and external policies and procedures. Additionally, the Director will create tracking tools to manage and forecast financial operations, meet monthly with Research Administrators to review the research portfolio, and facilitate the resolution of grant account discrepancies. The role includes preparing and certifying reports to external entities, monitoring compliance with government regulations, and serving as the primary contact with auditors during the Center's annual A-133 audit. The Director will also prepare budget templates and incentive calculations for individual Principal Investigators (PIs) and provide leadership and guidance on issues related to Research Finance. Special projects may also be assigned by the Controller, along with other duties as needed.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, monitor, and evaluate the Center's post-award sponsored research activities including all federal and non-federal sponsored projects and contracts.
• Maintain the Center's financial systems - general ledger, cross applications/purchasing, fixed assets - to provide the accounting structure needed to support the Research Division.
• Create and amend all research projects in the GL and Research Administration Systems and maintain detailed logs of all updates to sponsored funding including manual creation of financial deliverables.
• Provide financial analysis, monthly reports and accounting support for the Center's Research Division. Present findings and recommendations to management.
• Manage two Research Finance Analysts and serve as a general accounting resource to other Fiscal Services staff members.
• Review and approve all non-personnel Cost Transfers. Ensure the efficient, cost-effective administration and financial management of grants and contracts throughout the Center in compliance with internal and external policies and procedures.
• Create tracking tools (expiring grants, deficit reports) to manage and forecast financial operations to prevent award overspending.
• Meet monthly with Research Administrators (RA) to review research portfolio, upcoming deliverables, identify problem accounts and/or deficits, and work with RA to eliminate deficits.
• Facilitate resolving grant account discrepancies and closing accounts for completed projects/grant years. Monitor monthly financial statements for research division to ensure sponsored project expenditures are within the pre-established budget.
• Prepare, initiate, certify, and reconcile the draws on the Center's various letters of credit through DHHS payment management system.
• Manage the research monthly close of the Center's general ledger, ensuring journal entries are reviewed and complete by the Research Finance Analysts.
• Prepare and certify reports to external entities and individuals, including Federal Financial Reports and non-Federal Financial Status Reports.
• Monitor and work to ensure the Center's compliance with relevant government regulations and the stipulations of the various grant awards and also responsible for sub-recipient monitoring of federal awards.
• Serve as the primary contact with the auditors on the Center's annual A-133 audit. Responsible for preparing Schedule of Federal Expenditures and also provide schedules and backup required for the audit selections. Ensure compliance with grant sponsors and University policies and regulations.
• Responsible for preparation budget templates and incentive calculations for Individual PI's and closely monitor the budget preparation of the Research Division.
• Ensure expenditures are allowable and allocated to funds. Provide leadership and guidance to the OSR Administrators on issues related to Research Finance.
• Work closely with the Office of Sponsored Research to create a compliant, efficient, sponsored accounting operation.
• Work on special projects in the center under the direction of the Controller as assigned.

Requirements

• BA or BS degree in Accounting, Business, Finance or other relevant degree; MBA preferred.
• 5-7 years of high level responsibility in a financial office.
• Accounting experience in a research/academic environment.
• Experience with sponsored programs administration and/or broad knowledge of higher education research administration is preferred and highly desirable.
• Experience managing people preferred.
• Extensive accounting skills and a thorough understanding of financial principles, practices, systems and procedures.
• Knowledge of regulatory environment for sponsored programs, OMB circulars, and federal funding agency grant policies.
• Interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral).
• Ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Advanced skill level in Excel, Word, Access; Excellent computer skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Advanced math skills and superior analytical skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience managing people preferred.
• Knowledge of regulatory environment for sponsored programs, OMB circulars, and federal funding agency grant policies.