Financial Associate ; Financial Associate

Job Summary

The Finance Associate provides support for finance and pre‑award activities within the Finance and Research Administration team in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases department. Working closely with the Finance and Research administration team, Grant Managers, Principal Investigators (including faculty and other researchers) and colleagues across the central Accounts Payable teams, the Finance Associate supports key finance, compliance, and accounts payable functions as well as proposal and budget preparation for Principal Investigators.

The role focuses on accurate execution of established processes under guidance, timely completion of recurring administrative and financial tasks, and strong collaboration between a variety of stakeholders. The Finance Associate provides excellent coordination and customer service support while maintaining a strong knowledge of finance and compliance. The ideal candidate has a willingness to learn a variety of different functions that support the research and financial operations of the department and can collaborate across functions and people to achieve a common objective.

• Proposal Support
  • Work with Principal Investigators (PIs) and their research teams on proposal development and submission for basic research grants and fellowships, especially for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Ensure documentation, formatting, and all other sponsor‑ and opportunity‑specific requirements for proposal submission are met
  • Prepare proposal budgets using established templates and prepare budget justifications, ensuring that sponsor‑specific regulatory requirements as well as Harvard policies and rates are met
  • Review and assemble proposal package (e.g., biosketches, current and pending support, facilities & resources)
  • Coordinate with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) for central review of proposal and work with PI and SPA to ensure proposal is submitted on time
• Accounts Payable Support
  • Support IID department’s accounts payable functions, including payment requests, supplier invoice processing, creation of department purchase orders, and supplier set‑up and onboarding
  • Coordinate with Harvard Accounts Payable central office, external vendors, and research lab members to resolve basic financial and invoicing issues. Escalate and assist with more complex issues
  • Respond promptly to routine lab member and grants manager inquiries regarding accounts payable processes and issues
  • Utilize reporting (such as Committed Funds Report, Invoice Holds Report) to support lab members and grants managers in resolving invoicing issues and assisting with lab purchasing procedures
• Finance Support
  • Prepare monthly journal entries for assigned accounts, and ad hoc journal entries for department as needed
  • Support department in internal review of lab spending and financial coding by doing spot checks on selected accounts. Providing support such as basic journal entries to resolve any identified issues.
  • Review corporate card payments and employee reimbursements with an emphasis on supporting documentation and travel compliance
• Customer Service & Communication
  • Respond promptly to routine faculty and staff inquiries regarding finance processes and proposal preparation
  • Provide basic guidance on process requirements and direct complex policy questions to appropriate team member(s)
  • Build trust by engaging with transparency and cooperation with a multitude of stakeholders (including students, faculty, and staff across functions) to achieve common objectives

• 4+ years of related experience required; a combination of education and experience may be considered

• Bachelor's Degree is strongly preferred, in related field a plus
• Experience with Excel, and working with word processing, spreadsheets, and databases
• Collaborative and excellent team player
• Eagerness and willingness to learn, especially in the areas of finance, accounts payable, proposal preparation, and the overall financial operations of a research‑focused department
• Strong attention to detail, and ability to work collaboratively across teams and units with faculty and staff throughout…