Fiscal Officer, Sponsored Research

About the Role

Support a busy academic research department by owning complex, detail-oriented sponsored research administration and grant finance work. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys partnering closely with principal investigators and keeping budgets, proposals, and awards on track and compliant. It offers the opportunity to work for one of the most respected higher education institutions in the world.

Location: Cambridge, MA
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (2 days on-site per week)
Schedule options: 8a–4p, 9a–5p, 10a–6p
Job Type: Contract with a strong chance to convert to a permanent role

Your Impact

• Play a critical role in supporting sponsored research operations for faculty and research teams.
• Serve as the go-to partner for pre-award and post-award administration, budgeting, and compliance, helping ensure funding is managed accurately and responsibly.
• Join a well-structured environment where process, accuracy, and collaboration matter, with clear long-term potential.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end sponsored research administration across pre-award and post-award, ensuring proposals, awards, and ongoing activity stay compliant with sponsor requirements and internal policies.
• Prepare, review, and submit complex budgets and grant proposals, including multi-investigator, multi-unit, renewals, cost-sharing, under-recovery, and subrecipient components.
• Coordinate proposal workflow and deadlines across stakeholders, including principal investigators, research administration partners, and department staff, and handle Just-In-Time requests as needed.
• Oversee award lifecycle processes including setup, modifications, extensions, closeouts, and required financial reporting.
• Monitor and guide grant financial performance, including budget versus actual tracking, projections, account reconciliation, payroll suspense, and resolving overruns.
• Serve as a resource to faculty and staff by advising on allowable spending, travel, appointments, and related procedures, escalating complex issues when appropriate.
• Support training, manage ticketed requests, build cross-department relationships, and drive process improvements and special projects.

Requirements

• 5 years of relevant experience with federal grants and contracts and/or financial administration in a nonprofit environment.
• Strong familiarity with the pre-award process for research grants.
• Strong finance and budgeting skills, including tracking budget versus actuals on grants.
• Experience working in higher education or closely with principal investigators.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Skills

• Excellent organization, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
• Strong communication skills and customer service mindset, with comfort working across levels in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise financial systems, grants management tools, and multidimensional databases.

Pay

$40/hour