Financial Analyst Ii, R&D Strategic Finance

Scripps Research is a nonprofit biomedical institute ranked as one of the most influential in the world for its impact on innovation. We celebrated our 100-year legacy in 2024. This significant milestone marks a century of seminal discoveries in immunology, infectious diseases (such as COVID-19, flu, HIV), neuroscience, heart disease, cancer, and more. Located in La Jolla, California, the institute houses six research departments, multiple Nobel laureates, a top-ranked graduate school and a leading postdoctoral training program.

Scripps Research encompasses two elite and highly innovative institutes, the Cali
-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines and Scripps Research Translational Institute, which merge foundational studies in biology, chemistry and computer science with translational science to produce pioneering drugs and advances in digital and precision medicine. Together, we cultivate new scientific leaders and expand the frontiers of knowledge to deliver medical breakthroughs impacting human health around the globe. If you have a passion for making a difference, this could be your opportunity to join our transformative team.

Financial Analyst II, R&D Strategic Finance

The Financial Analyst II, R&D Strategic Finance, supports financial strategy, planning, and analysis across a complex portfolio of sponsored research and institutional funding. This role partners closely with principal investigators (PIs) and administrative leadership to provide forward-looking financial insights, manage funding constraints, and support decision-making in a dynamic, grant-driven environment. The analyst will translate financial data into actional guidance, balancing strategic planning with hands-on problem solving.

• Develop and maintain complex financial projections, including grant-funded runway analyses, scenario modeling, and long-range planning across multiple funding sources.
• Monitor and analyze funding utilization, identifying risks such as funding gaps, over-expenditures, and timing misalignments; proactively recommend mitigation strategies.
• Manage multiple reporting deliverables and deadlines, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting to PIs, leadership, and external stakeholders
• Serve as a primary financial partner to principal investigators (PIs) and research teams, translating financial data into clear guidance on spending, staffing, and funding strategy ensuring financial oversight and compliance monitoring
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records across multiple systems, ensuring proper setup and alignment with award requirements by reviewing and interpreting funding agreements and adjusting award and plan lines as needed
• Ensure organized and audit-ready documentation in accordance with institutional and sponsor requirements
• Details of established essential functions for this position will be addressed/discussed during the interview process.

• 2+ years of experience in financial analysis within life sciences, academic research, healthcare, or similarly complex, matrixed environments required; experience supporting grant-funded or restricted funding environments strongly preferred.
• Experience working with ERP systems (e.g., Workday) and strong proficiency in Excel; experience with data visualization or reporting tools (e.g., Power BI) is a plus.
• Ability to understand business drivers, develop insights utilizing a data-driven approach, and communicate succinctly to a range of different audiences (principal investigators to executives).
• Adaptable to changing priorities while effectively managing multiple commitments.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to build cross-functional relationships across scientific and administrative teams.
• Bachelor's degree in finance or similar field.
• This is an on-campus position requiring 4 days per week working onsite from our La Jolla campus, with flexibility to work 1 day per week remotely from home.

The expected hiring range for this position is $90,000 to $103,500/annually, commensurate with experience. Consideration will be given to experience that exceeds the listed requirements.

• Employer Contributed Retirement Plan - Depending on eligibility, employees receive an employer contributed retirement plan (no employee contribution required) and the option to contribute to a 403(b) (which is similar to a 401(k) using your own…