Lead Research Portfolio Admin

Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

ID: 7272893 (Ref.No. hh-66638BR)
Posted: August 16, 2024

Job Description

Position Description

Reporting to the Director of Administration and Finance, the Lead Research Portfolio Administrator brings substantial experience to strategic management of the HiTS portfolio of sponsored and non-sponsored funds. The individual will contribute their deep expertise in sponsored research administration and HU accounting practices to fund management and serve as an expert resource for grants managers and HiTS faculty. The research portfolio in HiTS requires a high level of coordination across faculty, scientific program managers, as well as grant managers. The nature of the research, the number of faculty as well as institutions engaged, requires a high-level understanding of the research administration needs and the ability to communicate the desired outcomes.

Core duties and responsibilities:

Team Lead:
Independently responsible for training and onboarding all HiTS Finance team members, tracking new policy developments, specifically in the realm of federal sponsors. Provides continuous learning opportunities by updating team members on policy changes and directing them to resources for training tailored to individual team members’ needs and/or the group as a whole.

Be the primary subject matter expert for grant managers, faculty and other HiTS staff
Directly mentor and develop HiTS Finance staff
Perform quality control on HiTS procedures to ensure the HMS and sponsor requirements are met
Provide consultation and recommendations to faculty and staff on the use of financial resources
Evaluate pre- and post-award research administration workflows; recommend improvements
Keep current on policy trends, compliance issues, regulations, and guidelines especially as they relate to federal grant administration and sponsored research; attends relevant meetings and trainings

Strategic Partner for HMS and HiTS Leadership:
Is the liaison to HMS Office of Research Administration and other relevant offices in Harvard Medical School and its Affiliated Hospitals and other institutions when sponsored awards are transferred into or out of the research unit.

Provide leadership for the strategic approach to administration of complex awards
Lead the development, implementation, and revision of HiTS business processes, job aids, and Share Point sites in support of University and HMS policies. Examples of processes include payroll reconciliation, costing changes, general lab supply allocations, journal creation and approval process. SharePoint sites include HiTS Internal Resources and HiTS AI and Workday Resources. Delegates responsibilities to grant managers as appropriate to complete team objectives
Provide technical advice for and problem resolution for a school/unit financial community on research administration
Collaborate across HMS teams [ORA, OSP, OOF] and departments to identify and implement best practices

Research Administration:

The Team Lead has a goals-oriented view of the sponsored portfolio. Independently anticipates and ensures matters arising are addressed by the grants team to ensure responsible stewardship of federal and foundation funds. Works closely with faculty and grant managers to resolve complicated issues.

Monitors subcontractor invoicing and track project progress; review effort reporting statements for federal awards and make journal entry adjustments as needed
Manage such pre-award areas as: funding, searches, proposal submission, document tracking and reporting
Oversees timely completion of post-awards requirements by the grants team including award approval and set-up, financial analysis and reporting
Ensure financial compliance with University policies and procedures and applicable federal and sponsor rules and regulations

Performs related job duties as required.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required
Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience
Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations

Additional Qualifications and Skills

Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations
MBA or other relevant professional /graduate degree is a plus
He/she will be a good listener and a creative problem-solver with excellent analytical capabilities
Excellent analytic, written and verbal communication skills are needed
Unquestionable integrity
Must be well organized, flexible and able to manage multiple, challenging projects simultaneously in a fast-paced work setting
Must have an ability to learn quickly, to initiate action, and an eagerness to grow
Strong ability to build effective working relationships within the finance team and with partner departments
HiTS specifically recruits candidates who are life-long learners with a strong desire to contribute to the program’s goal of realizing precision medicine
The small team thrives on tackling new challenges and providing the best support possible to HiTS PIs, even when the grant mechanism or program is new to the grant manager
Enthusiastic self-starters thrive in this high-performance environment
Successful candidate must demonstrate proficiency with Excel, ability to navigate enterprise Oracle applications, adaptability with new web-based tools, possess excellent organization and communication skills, competencies in all areas of job responsibilities, ability to delivery work results of high quality while managing multiple projects under time pressure, and ability to function well in a fast-paced, high-energy and changing work environment with minimum supervision
Familiarity with Uniform Guidance is required

Additional Information

All applications must include a cover letter detailing your interest in the role and the relevance of your skills.

A skill assessment will be part of the interviewing process. Writing and spreadsheet exercise will be a required component.

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

Please note that we are currently conducting a majority of interviews and onboarding remotely and virtually. We appreciate your understanding.

The Harvard Medical School is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

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Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace culture of faculty, staff, and students with diverse backgrounds, styles, abilities, and motivations. We appreciate and leverage the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals. Harvard Medical School Mission and Community Values

https://hms.harvard.edu/about-hms/campus-culture/mission-community-values-diversity-statement

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Harvard Medical School strives to cultivate an environment that promotes inclusiveness and collaboration among students, faculty and staff and to create new avenues for discussion that will advance our shared mission to improve the health of people throughout the world.

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