Financial Analyst

Position Description

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) invites applications for a Financial Analyst to provide financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analytical support to the Finance team. This position plays an integral role to assist preparing timely and accurate monthly financial reports and analyses, support the annual budget process, monitor departmental spending, and develop financial models and tools to support decision‑making across the Laboratory.

• Prepare, validate, and deliver timely and accurate monthly budget‑to‑actual reports, variance analyses, and financial summaries for departments and Finance leadership.
• Support the development of the annual operating budget, forecasts, and reforecasts in collaboration with departments and Finance leadership.
• Monitor departmental spending and identify trends, risks, and variances requiring attention or escalation.
• Evaluate budget proposals, funding requests, and adjustments for accuracy, compliance with guidelines, and financial impact.
• Conduct cost‑benefit and scenario analysis to support budgeting and financial decision‑making.
• Develop and maintain financial models, assumptions, and allocation methodologies used in institutional planning.
• Support grant budgeting and spending analysis in coordination with grant accounting and departmental stakeholders.
• Troubleshoot data, system, and reporting issues impacting the accuracy or usability of financial information.
• Develop and maintain reporting tools, dashboards, and analytical templates to support ongoing budgeting and business analysis.
• Collaborate with Accounting and other Finance functions to ensure alignment between budget data, actual results, and reporting outputs.
• Participate in Finance‑led projects, system implementations, and process improvement initiatives as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Public Administration, or a related field required.

• Minimum of one to three years of experience in financial planning, budgeting, analysis, accounting, or a related field.
• Experience in a nonprofit, academic, or research environment preferred.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience preparing financial reports, variance analyses, and budget materials.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications; ability to learn new systems and tools quickly.
• Experience working within an ERP or financial planning system (Workday, Adaptive Planning, Lawson, or similar systems preferred).
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain financial information to non‑financial audiences.
• Self‑motivated, collaborative team player capable of working independently with appropriate supervision.

If you are a candidate with strong analytical and organizational skills, excellent attention to detail, and a commitment to accuracy, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity. Please submit an online application here:

Environment Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a world‑renowned biomedical research institution in New York. It has shaped contemporary biomedical research and is the home of eight Nobel Prize laureates. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory provides a highly dynamic and interactive research environment and also a unique opportunity of timely exposure to advances in various biomedical research fields and of interaction with a broad range of researchers from all over the world through its renowned Meetings and Courses program.

We believe that science is for everyone and our researchers have a wide variety of backgrounds.

Our employees are compensated in many ways for their contributions to our mission, including competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans, paid time off, a Wellness Center and access to an affordable and licensed on‑site childcare center. Visit our CSHL Benefits sites to learn more. The salary range for this role is $65,000–$71,000 annually. The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future.

When determining a base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., years of relevant experience, education, credentials, and internal equity).

CSHL is an EO Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status. VEVRAA Federal Contractor