Finance & Operations Lead, Research Programs

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Pittsburgh bus pass

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Finance and Operations Coordinator in Pittsburgh to support sponsored research, departmental finance, and student financial administration. The role collaborates with faculty, staff, and university partners to ensure accurate, efficient financial operations.

Responsibilities include labor distribution, effort certification, research account management, student appointments, GRAD AID processing, and financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, higher education administration, or related field.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical reasoning, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to learn financial and administrative systems and produce accurate reports.
• Ability to synthesize information from multiple systems, policies, and stakeholders.
• Self-directed, able to resolve problems independently with guidance as needed.
• Willingness to seek information proactively and collaborate across departments.
• Ability to manage changing priorities, high-volume periods, and deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Commitment to producing accurate, timely, high-quality work.

Responsibilities

• Labor distribution, costing allocations, and labor redistributions.
• Coordinate effort certification and summer effort processing.
• Support faculty research account portfolio management and reporting.
• Process student employment transactions in Workday for PhD students and GAs.
• Prepare financial reports for account levels and department leadership.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and documentation.
• Maintain confidential records and support process improvements.

Skills

Analytical reasoning

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Accounting/Finance degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Finance and Operations Coordinator in Pittsburgh to support sponsored research, departmental finance, and student financial administration. The role collaborates with faculty, staff, and university partners to ensure accurate, efficient financial operations.

Responsibilities include labor distribution, effort certification, research account management, student appointments, GRAD AID processing, and financial reporting.