Senior Finance Specialist, Comparative Medicine & Research Operations

The University of Virginia’s Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is seeking a Senior Finance Specialist, Comparative Medicine & Research Operations to support the financial integrity, sustainability, and strategic growth of the University’s Animal Care and Use Program. This position plays a critical role in advancing UVA’s research enterprise by ensuring responsible stewardship of financial resources while enabling high‑quality, compliant, and innovative scientific programs.

• 1. Strategy, Planning & Decision Support
  • Partner with CCM and OVPR leadership to develop and execute a multi‑year financial strategy that supports sustainable growth of the Animal Care and Use Program.
  • Lead multi‑year financial planning and forecasting
    , including scenario modeling to inform strategic and operational decision‑making.
  • Partner with the CCM Assistant Director of Facilities to develop and maintain a capital roadmap
    , including lifecycle replacement planning for major equipment and infrastructure investments.
  • Produce monthly and quarterly leadership dashboards and insights (e.g., utilization, cost recovery, subsidies, key cost drivers).
• 2. Recharge, Rate Setting & Financial Compliance
  • Own the annual rate‑setting and recharge compliance cycle
    , including:
    • Methodology development and documentation
    • Surplus/deficit monitoring and management
    • Governance review and presentation to leadership
  • Ensure financial operations align with university policy, federal cost principles (Uniform Guidance), and sponsor requirements.
  • Serve as a primary finance liaison between OVPR and central finance for internal and external audits
    , including corrective action planning and risk mitigation.
  • Partner with central finance and OVPR finance to ensure alignment on rates, subsidies, and cost recovery strategies.
• 3. Operations, Budget Oversight & Reporting
  • Lead development, monitoring, and reconciliation of complex operating budgets across CCM facilities and programs.
  • Conduct variance analysis, trend analysis, and performance metric reporting to support leadership decisions.
  • Provide financial oversight of procurement, service contracts, and major equipment purchases
    .
  • Maintain real‑time budget portfolios using UVA‑approved financial systems (e.g., Workday, Anaplan).
• 4. Stakeholder Enablement & Institutional Collaboration
  • Serve as a trusted financial advisor to CCM leadership, departmental administrators, and investigators.
  • Develop business cases for new services, expansions, or partnerships
    , including costing, pricing, and sustainability analysis.
  • Provide guidance and training on recharge methodology, financial compliance, and budgeting best practices.
  • Benchmark financial models and best practices with peer research institutions.

• A clearly articulated, leadership‑endorsed multi‑year financial and capital plan for CCM.
• A stabilized, well‑documented rate‑setting and recharge framework with improved transparency and compliance confidence.
• Executive dashboards that enable leadership to understand utilization, subsidies, and financial risk in real time.
• Strengthened partnerships with OVPR finance and central finance, clarifying decision rights and escalation paths.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field required. Master’s degree (MBA, MPA, or related discipline) preferred.

• 5‑7+ years of progressively responsible experience in strategic financial management, budgeting, or research operations finance.
• Experience in research‑intensive higher education, academic medical centers, or complex operational environments strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with recharge centers, rate development, and compliance‑aligned cost recovery models highly desirable.

• Deep knowledge of federal cost principles (Uniform Guidance), audit readiness, and institutional financial controls.
• Strong capabilities in multi‑year forecasting, financial modeling, variance analysis, and decision support.

• Advanced proficiency in Excel and enterprise financial systems (e.g.,…