Director, Research Finance and Operations

Temple University; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off: 9 holidays + 3 personal

Tuition remission - eligible employees

Generous retirement plan

Job summary

Temple University in Philadelphia seeks a Director, Research Finance & Operations to lead financial analysis, forecasting, and reporting for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine's research portfolio. You will develop dashboards, financial models, and standardized processes to support executive decision-making and compliance across sponsored programs.

The role collaborates with OVPR, Finance, and research administration teams to drive data-driven decisions, risk management, and strategic program

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 6 years of directly related experience.
• Proficient in Excel (pivot tables, lookups) and data handling.
• Experience with Banner, Oncore or similar systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead collection, validation, and analysis of research financial data.
• Develop dashboards and reports for executive leadership.
• Monitor trends, identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with sponsor terms and university policies.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and closeout activities for grants.
• Create templates and processes for financial stewardship.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Research administration systems

Budgeting & forecasting

Data analysis & reporting

Strong writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Banner

Oncore

Effort Reporting systems

Finance systems integration

Job description

Benefits

• Full medical, dental, vision coverage
• Paid time off 9 Federally Observed Paid Holidays 3 Personal Days
• Tuition remission - eligible employees and their dependents can obtain a degree TUITION FREE
• A generous retirement plan and so much more!

Position Summary

The Director, Research Finance & Operations, provides strategic financial, operational, analytical, and project management support to the Executive Director of Research Administration (EDRA) for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM). This elevated role serves as a key partner in the financial management and operational advancement of the School’s growing research enterprise, with responsibility for research financial analysis, forecasting, reporting, data analytics, process improvement, and strategic project execution. The Director translates complex financial and operational data into actionable information to support executive decision-making, resource planning, risk management, and the effective stewardship of sponsored research and other research-related activities. The position develops and maintains reporting tools, dashboards, financial models, standardized processes, and other resources that promote consistency, transparency, and informed decision‑making across research administration. Dually reporting to the Executive Director of Research Administration and the Executive Director, Finance, the Director works collaboratively with the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), Business Intelligence, Finance, research administrators, faculty, and other institutional partners. The position supports alignment between School and University priorities, strengthens financial and operational controls, identifies opportunities for improvement, and advances strategic initiatives across the research enterprise. This position plays a critical role in helping LKSOM manage the complexity and continued growth of its research portfolio by connecting financial analysis, operational data, and strategic planning to improve performance, promote compliance, mitigate risk, and support the School’s research mission.

Job Details

• This position requires the following background checks: criminal history review

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 6 years of directly related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Required Skills and Abilities

• High-level proficiency with Excel (pivot tables, lookups, modeling), and comfort working with large data sets.
• Experience with research administration systems (e.g. Banner, Oncore, Effort Reporting systems, etc).
• Strong understanding of pre-award and post-award processes, including budgeting, expenditure tracking, effort reporting, and compliance requirements.
• Strong writing skills for reports, justifications, and policy documentation.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

• Experience supporting research service/recharge centers and sponsored program financial operations.
• Ability to maintain, enhance, and integrate data across multiple systems, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to analyze complex research, financial, and operational data to support institutional decision-making.

Essential Duties

Data, Analytics & Reporting

• Lead the collection, organization, validation, and analysis of research-related financial and operational data for internal and external reporting and decision-making.
• Develop and maintain high-level reports, dashboards, metrics, and analytical tools for executive leadership and research administration.
• Monitor research financial and operational trends and identify data discrepancies, gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain and enhance databases, spreadsheets, tracking tools, and other resources supporting sponsored programs, research service centers, clinical research, and research administration operations.
• Collaborate with Business Intelligence, Finance, OVPR, and other institutional partners to improve data quality, reporting capabilities, and integration across systems.
• Establish and maintain standardized definitions, reporting methodologies, and documentation for key research administration metrics.

Research Finance & Sponsored Programs

• Provide financial analysis and operational support for sponsored programs and research service centers.
• Prepare grant activity summaries, budget forecasts, expenditure analyses, financial projections, and other financial reports.
• Partner with research administrators and principal investigators to monitor grant expenditures and ensure adherence to approved budgets, University policies, sponsor requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Review expenditure transactions for compliance with sponsor terms, University policies, and applicable accounting requirements.
• Monitor sponsored program closeout activities and coordinate follow‑up necessary to bring financial and accounting processes to appropriate conclusion.
• Support preparation and review of final financial reports and required supporting documentation.
• Maintain appropriate records of grant applications, awards, financial activity, and status information in applicable research administration systems.
• Provide guidance to research personnel regarding sponsored program financial matters, including budgeting, expenditures, effort reporting, and financial compliance.
• Develop tools, templates, and standardized processes to improve financial stewardship and consistency across research units.
• Support the development of business cases, financial models, and financial analyses for new research initiatives.

Other Responsibilities

• Prepare and distribute recurring financial and operational reports, including monthly, quarterly, and year‑end reports.
• Provide analytical and operational support to the EDRA on special projects and strategic initiatives.
• Serve as a resource to research administrators, faculty, and staff on research‑related financial and operational matters.
• Train and/or assist in the training of research personnel to promote effective application of University policies, procedures, practices, and standards.
• Support EDRA in the other areas such as:
  • Developing and maintaining practical "how-to" guides, job aids, FAQs, checklists, workflow diagrams, and other resources to support consistent application of research administration processes.
  • Identify recurring questions, process gaps, and training needs and develop educational resources to address them.
  • Tracking and reporting progress on strategic initiatives led by the EDRA, including policy development, financial modeling, system enhancements, data initiatives, and operational improvements.
  • Developing standardized templates and documentation to promote consistency across research administration functions
  • Coordinating periodic review and revision of research administration procedures and guidance.
  • Working with appropriate subject matter experts and institutional offices to ensure documentation accurately reflects current University policies and requirements
• Performs other duties as assigned

Hybrid Work Arrangement

This position is assigned a hybrid work arrangement (on-campus and remote), the duration of this hybrid work arrangement is at the discretion of Temple University and the Department.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Temple University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all in every aspect of its operations, including employment, service, and educational programs. The University has pledged not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin or ethnic origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or veteran status.

Compliance Statement

In the performance of their functions as detailed in the position description employees have an obligation to avoid ethical, legal, financial and other conflicts of interest to ensure that their actions and outside activities do not conflict with their primary employment responsibilities at the institution. Employees are also expected to understand and be in compliance with applicable laws, University and employment policies and regulations, including NCAA regulations for areas and departments which their essential functions cause them to interact. Temple University's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains statistics, policies, and procedures related to campus safety. Go here to review: https://safety.temple.edu/reports-logs/annual-security-report You may request a copy of the report by calling Temple University’s Department of Public Safety at 215-204-7900.