Financial Associate II - Payroll & Compliance Expert

Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Commuter benefits

Job summary

The Harvard Graduate School of Design seeks a Financial Associate II to support payroll, accounting, and financial processes. Reporting to the Controller, you will collaborate with staff across the GSD and serve as a key liaison for financial inquiries.

Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with Harvard policies and federal/state regulations, processing journal entries, balance sheets, and payroll tasks, and training payroll coordinators while helping close monthly and quarterly reports.

Qualifications

• High School diploma and at least 5 years of related payroll/finance experience (advanced degrees may count).
• Advanced proficiency in Excel with complex formulas, VLOOKUP, PivotTables.
• Experience navigating enterprise Oracle-based financial applications.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field preferred.
• Experience with Harvard financial systems or Oracle preferred.
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft or payroll processing preferred.
• Highly organized, detail oriented; strong communication and teamwork.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert on payroll policies and controls at the GSD.
• Ensure compliance with Harvard policies, federal/state regulations, work-study policies, and VISA requirements.
• Review complex reports and rectify payroll issues.
• Coordinate with HR, Central Payroll, and related offices for accuracy.
• Provide training and lead payroll coordinators meetings.
• Prepare monthly journal entries and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Support monthly/quarterly close and central submissions.

Skills

Advanced Excel skills

Oracle/Financial Applications

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Payroll knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field

Tools

PeopleSoft

Oracle

Payroll systems

Job description

The Harvard Graduate School of Design seeks a Financial Associate II to support payroll, accounting, and financial processes. Reporting to the Controller, you will collaborate with staff across the GSD and serve as a key liaison for financial inquiries.

Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with Harvard policies and federal/state regulations, processing journal entries, balance sheets, and payroll tasks, and training payroll coordinators while helping close monthly and quarterly reports.