Research Finance Analyst

Job Description

The Department of Neurological Surgery has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Analyst to join their team.

About This Opportunity

Reporting to the Grants and Contracts Manager, the Research Analyst is responsible for independently managing and providing advanced financial analysis for a complex sponsored research portfolio across the Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, including budget development, forecasting, compliance oversight, subaward management, and strategic financial advising to principal investigators and departmental leadership. This position also coordinates pre- and post-award research administration, supports clinical trial and sponsored project operations, develops standardized financial tools and processes, drives continuous process improvement, and contributes to departmental research, financial, and operational initiatives.

Job Description

The Department of Neurological Surgery has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Analyst to join their team.

About This Opportunity

Reporting to the Grants and Contracts Manager, the Research Analyst is responsible for independently managing and providing advanced financial analysis for a complex sponsored research portfolio across the Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, including budget development, forecasting, compliance oversight, subaward management, and strategic financial advising to principal investigators and departmental leadership. This position also coordinates pre- and post-award research administration, supports clinical trial and sponsored project operations, develops standardized financial tools and processes, drives continuous process improvement, and contributes to departmental research, financial, and operational initiatives.



Key Responsibilities

Research Portfolio Financial Analysis & Management (60%):

• Independently manage and analyze sponsored research awards and contracts, including complex multi-year budgets.
• Partner directly with PIs to develop, model, and refine proposal budgets, including personnel effort, subawards, payroll allocations, and cost share.
• Provide scenario-based financial projections to assess feasibility of proposed research and staffing models.
• Monitor expenditures, analyze variances, and recommend adjustments to ensure alignment with sponsor requirements and project goals.
• Lead regular financial reviews with PIs, providing interpretation of financial data and guidance on allowable spending, re-budgeting, and forecasting.
• Oversee financial components of incoming and outgoing subawards, including budget development, invoicing review, reconciliation, and compliance oversight.
• Ensure compliance with sponsor, federal, and institutional policies and regulations.
• Independently identify projects or labs at risk of funding shortfalls and provide recommendations regarding spending adjustments, staffing reductions, or other corrective actions.

• Collaborate with PIs, central pre-award teams, and research administration to support proposal development and submission.
• Analyze sponsor guidelines and funding requirements to develop compliant and accurate proposal budgets.
• Coordinate award setup, budget reconciliation, and ongoing post-award financial management activities.
• Support clinical trial budgeting, invoicing, payment tracking, and sponsor reconciliation activities in coordination with study teams and sponsors.
• Coordinate and monitor incoming and outgoing subaward activity.
• Meet regularly with PIs to review financial projections and staffing sustainability concerns.

• Evaluate research administration and financial management processes and identify opportunities for…