Sr. Business Analyst - Sponsored Programs and Financial Services - WFH (candidates located in EST only)

Overview

This remote position requires candidates to be located in the Eastern Time Zone to align with Pittsburgh, PA-based operations. The role involves managing post-award and financial activities for grants, contracts, and clinical trials within Sponsored Programs Financial Services supporting a health network and research institute.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex portfolio of sponsored programs, overseeing financial activities from activation to close-out.
• Perform advanced budget performance analysis, investigate variances, and develop corrective action plans.
• Review, approve, and prepare financial transactions in compliance with award terms, GAAP, Uniform Guidance, and institutional policies.
• Lead financial meetings with investigators, directors, cost center managers, and business partners to support sound financial decisions.
• Monitor subaward and contracted service agreements, facilitate rebudgeting, no-cost extensions, costing allocations, cost transfers, cost share tracking, and manage cost overruns.
• Maintain expert knowledge of grant, contract, and clinical trial agreement terms and ensure compliance with allowable costs, performance periods, subrecipient monitoring, effort reporting, invoicing, and billing compliance.
• Stay current with federal, state, local, private sponsor regulations, including Uniform Guidance.
• Independently evaluate and improve business processes related to post-award management.
• Manage invoicing, accounts receivable, and cash management, ensuring prompt invoicing and timely payment follow-up.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex payment variances and queries with sponsors.
• Set up and manage sponsor payment profiles and portals.
• Lead month-end close processes, prepare complex journal entries, and ensure compliance with accounting standards and policies.
• Prepare and analyze complex financial reports, collaborate with management and program staff to resolve discrepancies, and meet all reporting deadlines.
• Set up new projects in financial systems for various project types, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines and institutional policies.
• Complete complex project closeout documentation, ensuring cost share requirements are met, unallowable costs removed, and all obligations addressed.
• Lead audit preparation by gathering documentation and ensuring compliance with regulations and internal controls.
• Mentor and train junior business analysts on best practices and complex processes.
• Contribute to policy and procedure development and suggest process improvements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience/education.
• Knowledge of accounting principles, budget planning, and financial analysis, preferably with a focus on clinical research or healthcare.
• Experience in grant, contract, and clinical trial financial administration, including knowledge of federal regulations, Uniform Guidance, and federal acquisition regulations.
• Ability to assess, research, and resolve complex financial and compliance issues using sound judgment.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant finance or accounting experience.
• Deep understanding of financial management in clinical trials, research accounting, compliance, and auditing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience with clinical trial financial management and clinical research billing compliance.

Skills

• Exceptional organizational and mathematical skills with strong data analysis and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to lead financial meetings and translate financial data into understandable narratives.
• Strong attention to detail and high accuracy.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage large workloads to meet tight deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency in financial software and adaptability to new technologies.
• Expert understanding of financial processes, controls, and reconciliations.
• Advanced MS Excel skills including sorting, pivot tables, filtering, vlookups, subtotals, and basic formulas.
• Ability to interpret and implement complex regulations and compliance standards.
• Experience handling confidential information with discretion.
• Experience mentoring junior staff.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay range: $31.02 to $48.54 per hour.
• Base pay is determined by qualifications, experience, contributions, internal equity, market, and business considerations.

Location

• Remote position requiring Eastern Time Zone location to align with Pittsburgh, PA-based operations.

Compliance

This role requires adherence to ethical and legal standards, including HIPAA and data security policies. Employees must comply with applicable federal and state laws, company policies, and training requirements. Confidential information must be protected at all times.