Research and Finance Coordinator

About the role

As Research and Finance Coordinator, you will sit at the intersection of sponsored research, financial operations, and facilities management, providing the administrative infrastructure that allows faculty to focus on their work. This is a role for someone who takes genuine satisfaction in building systems, solving problems, and being the person others rely on to get things right. Working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and university partners, you will serve as a key resource for operational guidance, financial stewardship, and administrative coordination. In addition to managing day-to-day operations, you will be expected to identify opportunities to improve processes, enhance operational efficiency, and develop effective administrative practices that support the College’s continued growth and strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

• Review terms and conditions of newly awarded or amended grants, establish faculty financial indices, monitor budgets, reconcile expenditures, and prepare financial reports and projections for faculty and college leadership
• Identify budget variances, recommend corrective actions, and process reallocations to ensure effective stewardship of sponsored and college funds in accordance with OMB Uniform Guidance and institutional policy
• Assist faculty investigators with grant-related inquiries, expense planning, compliance issues, and agreement review, and facilitate timely submission of progress reports and financial statements to internal offices
• Manage payroll processing for undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, postdoctoral, and other research personnel, including appointment paperwork, offer letters, and quarterly Effort Certification reviews
• Coordinate purchasing and procurement activities, managing purchase requisitions, purchase orders, accounts payable and receivable, and routing contracts and service agreements in partnership with Procurement, General Counsel, and Research and Sponsored Programs
• Serve as the primary liaison with Facilities Services on space planning, office and laboratory assignments, renovation projects, maintenance requests, and capital improvements aligned with the College’s strategic growth

Requirements

• Associate or Vocational/Technical Degree or related field
• Three to five years of work-related experience
• Candidates who do not possess an Associate’s Degree but have a high school diploma and at least five years of highly related experience may also be considered based on the relevance and depth of their experience
• Experience in research administration, grant coordination, or a comparable finance and operations role, ideally within a higher education or research-intensive environment
• Demonstrated ability to manage payroll workflows across multiple funding sources with accuracy and discretion
• Strong organizational skills and a track record of managing competing deadlines across a broad portfolio of responsibilities
• Clear, confident communication skills for working across university offices including Procurement, General Counsel, Facilities, and Research and Sponsored Programs

Why Lehigh and the College of Health

Lehigh University offers a collegial, research-rich environment where staff are recognized as integral to the institution’s mission. The College of Health is one of Lehigh’s newest and most actively expanding academic communities, meaning the work you do here will have a direct and visible impact on how the College grows and operates. Lehigh provides generous retirement contributions, robust tuition benefits for employees and eligible dependents, and a campus culture built around collaboration and long-term professional development.