Cost Analyst

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard’s world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard’s world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Within and across the University, we aim to be exemplary colleagues, trusted partners, valued advisors, and agents of positive change.

Within our own community, we aspire to:

• Engage with respect, honesty, and integrity
• Cultivate equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
• Welcome innovation, collaboration, and flexibility
• Enjoy our work, grow professionally, and aim for the extraordinary

Learn more about Financial Administration (harvard.edu) and our eight reporting units. ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).)

The Office for Sponsored Programs is a department within Harvard University’s Financial Administration (FAD) that is focused on providing high-quality administrative and financial assistance to faculty and other University affiliates performing sponsored research. OSP works with researchers and schools across Harvard to help obtain and negotiate awards from sponsoring agencies, assist with grant proposal preparation, ensure compliance with federal regulations and University policies, provide financial support including financial reporting and billing and collection services, assist with audits, and promote knowledge of sponsored research administration throughout the University research community through training and other educational programs.

The Cost Analyst position supports Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) cost accounting activities by coordinating data collection and performing analysis and reporting on financial and operational data related to the Facilities & Administrative (F&A) cost proposal, space utilization, service center operations, and cost sharing. Ensures data accuracy, produces reliable reports, and supports senior staff in cost allocation, compliance monitoring, and rate development processes.

• Perform data validation and scrubbing of research base data, including sponsored and non-sponsored activity, to ensure accuracy and completeness for F&A cost proposal development and related analyses.
• Support space survey processes by coordinating data collection with departments, validating submissions, and producing reports for analysis of space utilization and research density.
• Develop and maintain recurring and ad hoc reports related to space utilization, research activity, cost allocation, and financial performance.
• Create, update, and maintain financial and operational reports used to monitor sponsored activity, including budget-to-actual comparisons, spending trends and forecasts, proposal and award trends, and identification of underspent, overspent, or unreconciled accounts.
• Monitor key compliance areas through ongoing reporting and review, including cost sharing, effort commitments, equipment purchases, and invalid code combinations to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant accounting.
• Support service center rate analysis by preparing supporting data, performing variance analysis, generating internal billing reports, and assisting with midyear reviews and external usage analysis to ensure alignment with rate assumptions.
• Serve as a point of contact for sponsored capital equipment, coordinating with FAS equipment managers to support tracking, reporting, and compliance.
• Prepare documentation and supporting schedules for internal and external reporting requirements, including audit and compliance reviews.
• Communicate reporting results, compliance observations, and data insights to departments, centers, and FAS leadership, including faculty and administrative staff.

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