Jobs

Position Overview:

Reporting to the Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) in the Department of Architecture, position will perform comprehensive accounting and financial functions in a busy, team-oriented department with annual expenditures of approximately $25M. Will be responsible for purchasing and reporting on accounts under the Department’s control and provide oversight on all other funds in the department. Will advise DAF on matters pertaining to financial management, resolve complex financial issues, and ensure Department's compliance with MIT policies and procedures. Will serve as a resource to faculty and staff on financial policies and procedures. In addition, will manage additional financial support team members. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

• Serve as financial administrator for an academic department whose administrative structure is decentralized and is home to multiple graduate and one undergraduate degree program, roughly 60 faculty, academic and research staff, 20 administrative and support staff, and annual expenditures of approximately $25M.
• Participate in the development of financial strategies within the Department of Architecture.
• Implement financial policy, procedure and process improvements. In addition, coordinate internal and external audits as necessary.
• Will serve as primary manager of all payroll procedures including, but not limited to, process hires through terminations for hourly student and support staff payrolls; serve as primary time card approver; handle distribution changes; oversee payroll certification process across all categories. Work extensively with graduate students administering research, teaching and fellowship appointments. Serve as department's UROP financial coordinator. Serve as liaison between individuals in all payroll categories and MIT's Office of Payroll.
• Responsible for all purchasing transactions, forecasting, monitoring, and close-out of accounts under Department control, approximately $25M annually. Provide oversight on faculty-controlled funds. Serve as procurement and travel card authorizer for 10 staff. Serve as Concur travel approver for Department accounts.
• Serve as first point of contact for other departmental staff on all matters related to MIT's purchasing, accounting, finance, reporting, payroll, and travel procedures. Train new staff on Departmental and Institute practices and guidelines.
• Prepare a variety of financial reports for the purpose of tracking expenditures and forecasting. Reports may be ongoing or ad hoc financial analyses. Performs monthly and fiscal year-end closing processes.
• Will serve as an advisor and point of contact for principal investigators (PI's) regarding research funding from proposal development to project close-out for government, industrial, foundation, and other sponsors, requiring communication between Pl's, the SA+P Dean's Office, Sponsored Accounting, and the Office of Sponsored Programs.
• Provide support for complex financial matters including, but not limited to, consortia, cost-sharing, sponsored-billings, etc.
• Assume primary role for developing a forecasting tool for use on Department as well as faculty-controlled funds. Aid the DAF in implementing the tool, and train new users.
• Will serve a key role in ensuring compliance with all Institute financial policies and procedures, especially as they relate to financial review and control and adherence to sponsor guidelines.
• Aid the DAF in identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions, and provide support to other projects as they arise.
• Expected to participate in Institute committees/pilot projects as necessary, and as time permits.

Supervision Received

The position reports to the Director of Administration and Finance.

Supervision Exercised

Supervises a team of finance support. Also acts as a resource for all staff members on financial reporting. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required with minimum 5 years financial experience. 

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of MIT financial systems and policies.
• Individual must have strong commitment to excellence in an academic environment, including ability to anticipate as well as respond to financial needs.
• Ability to set priorities, multitask, and take independent initiative as needed.
• Strong analytical skills and a working knowledge of current MIT financial policy and ability to determine when to seek assistance within MIT for questions to be resolved.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptive in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to coordinate and manage projects on small and large scales.
• Ability to rapidly learn and assimilate to new financial technology.
• Excellent communications and interpersonal skills.
• Invested in the development of Department employees that handle financial matters.

Position Overview:

Under minimal supervision from the Senior Manager, Finance, will perform complex and diverse financial duties related to management of research, grant, and faculty-controlled discretionary funds for approximately 10 - 15faculty and research staff members across the department.  

This role will work as liaison between PIs and senior financial staff in development and submission of complex research grants submitted to RAS.  Expected to prepare budgets for internal awards independently (CAST, HASS, MITEI, MISTI seed funds, etc). Will serve as the primary point of contact for proposal submissions, progress reports and renewal applications in coordination with the Senior Manager, Finance, and PI.

More specifically, the candidate will prepare and submits proposal in accordance with MIT/sponsor/donor policies. Tasks include reviewing solicitations and determining necessary components; creating budgets; and assembling proposal documents. May seek input from others for complex issues such as cost sharing, subrecipient costs, and complex proposals such as fixed price contracts, multi-PI, Center, or Program grants. Serves as primary point of contact for proposal submissions, progress reports and renewal applications, may work directly with Research Administration Services.

May authorize and approve procurement transactions and expenditures including P-card and B2P requisitions. Reviews and resolves swept credit card charges. Responsible for ensuring timely payment of invoices, performing financial review and control, account set-ups and extensions. Plans and conducts financial meetings with Principal Investigators and others, as appropriate.

Tracks and monitors the financial performance of grants and contracts to ensure compliance with MIT and sponsor policies and consistency with approved award budget. Forecasts account balances and managesdelinquent travel expenditures/vouchers.

In addition, this role will approve purchases according to grant guidelines; monitor expenditures against total available funds; track account end-dates and receipt of funds.  They will track salary expenditures; serve as first point of review on PI’s monthly and quarterly DACCA’s; advise PI’s accordingly.  Notify Senior Manager, Finance, of changes to be made in ESDS.  Monitor all payroll transactions and set up MITtemps payroll hires, as necessary.

This role will reconcile monthly statements; track all expenditures; work with VPF and others as necessary to reconcile billing errors.  In addition, the candidate will assist in the continuing development of a template/report for financial projections and forecasting.  Maintain templates and provide principal investigators with status of spending on a monthly basis.  Will be expected to provide those same financial reports to department senior staff.

Partners with manager and/or with central offices (Research Administration Services, Office of Strategic Transactions, Procurement, Travel, Sponsored Accounting, etc.) to identify financial issues and compliance risks. Makes recommendations to manager for actions needed to resolve and implement solutions under the direction of others. Manages closeout process for cost objects within an assigned portfolio; submits final reports and certifications. Compiles information and documents needed for audit inquiries.

Serve as liaison with staff in other areas where principal investigators may have funds (such as SUTD, IDC, MITEI, TATA Fellows Program, etc.), in order to provide a coordinated approach to spending/financial projections.

Prepare and submit financial reports to sponsors (unless Sponsored Research Accounting is required to do so).   Seek review of senior department staff before submission.  

Track and maintain internal record keeping of cost-sharing

Other duties as needed or required.

Qualifications & Skills:

Bachelor’s degree required and minimum 3 years’ experience in finance. Must have strong communication, analysis and organizational skills. Ability to learn changing technologies related to grants and contracts management required. Experience managing sponsored awards required.

In addition, previous experience in an academic environment is preferred. Also, experience with SAP or similar accounting package, grants/research funds management, and strong experience with Excel is preferred.  Knowledge and experience with MIT financial systems (SAPGui, SAPWeb, Concur, Cognos, COEUS), and experience with preparing projections/forecasting is highly desirable.   Must have aptitude for learning new software applications.   Must possess a high degree of initiative; excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills; and the ability to manage a variety of detail-oriented tasks concurrently.   Must be able to work both independently and as part of a team, and remain flexible as situations demand. Individual is required to deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and judgment.