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, including Grants Managers, Principal Investigators, and 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.

• Proposal Support:
  • Work with 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 sponsor- and opportunity-specific requirements for proposal submission are met.
  • Prepare proposal budgets using established templates and prepare budget justifications, ensuring sponsor-specific regulatory requirements and 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 and 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 (e.g., 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 the department as needed.
  • Support department in internal review of lab spending and financial coding by doing spot checks on selected accounts and providing 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.
• Other duties as assigned.

• 4+ years of related experience; a combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred; related field a plus.
• Experience with Excel, word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Collaborative and excellent team player.
• Eagerness and willingness to learn, especially in finance, accounts payable, proposal preparation, and 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 an organization.
• Understanding and ability to manage confidential information.
• Strong customer service orientation and ability to work with a multitude of stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff at the University.
• Experience managing competing deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.

• Standard Hours/
  
  Schedule:
  
  35 hours per week.
• Visa Sponsorship Information:
  Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
• Pre‑Employment Screening:
  Identity.

Some duties can be performed at a non‑Harvard location. The schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based on operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard‑designated location,…