Senior Research Portfolio Administrator

Digitailor; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plans with university贡献

Tuition assistance and reimbursement

Professional development opportunities

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Harvard Medical School seeks a Senior Research Portfolio Administrator to manage pre‑ and post‑award activities for a faculty portfolio funded by federal, foundation, and other sources. You will work closely with the Associate Director of Finance to ensure budgeting, forecasting, and compliance across the lifecycle of research awards.

The role requires 5+ years in grants management, strong communication, and meticulous attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience in pre‑ and post‑award management, including both federal and non‑federal awards.
• Strong communication and inter‑personal skills and ability to multi‑task across varied projects.
• Highly organized and detail oriented; able to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage all pre‑ and post‑award activities for an assigned faculty portfolio.
• Coordinate proposal development, submission, budget preparation, award management, and reporting.
• Provide strategic financial guidance, monitor spending, ensure compliance, and support audits and renewals.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Detail oriented

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Company Description By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why Join

Harvard Medical School? Harvard Medical School's mission is to nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well‑being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership. You’ll be at the heart of biomedical discovery, education, and innovation, working alongside world‑renowned faculty and a community dedicated to improving human health. This is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to shape the future of medicine. Job Description The Department of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School seeks a dynamic, flexible, and service‑oriented Senior Research Portfolio Administrator. This cross‑functional role will be responsible for a variety of administrative and financial duties. In particular, they will play a significant role in supporting and filling in for the finance team to respond nimbly to changing team workloads, priorities and needs. The ideal candidate will have experience in all aspects of pre‑and post‑award grants management and possess the analytical, technical, and interpersonal skills necessary to thrive in a fast‑paced environment, manage competing priorities, and support a diverse research portfolio. Reporting to the Associate Director of Finance, this position is responsible for managing a portfolio of sponsored and non‑sponsored research projects while serving as a trusted resource to faculty, trainees, and staff.

Responsibilities

The Senior Research Portfolio Administrator will independently manage all pre‑and post‑award activities for an assigned faculty portfolio supported by federal, industry, foundation, internal, and other funding sources.

Responsibilities

include proposal development and submission, budget preparation, award management, financial analysis, forecasting, reconciliations, effort management, reporting, and award closeout. The individual will partner closely with faculty to provide strategic financial guidance, monitor spending and compliance, identify potential risks, and recommend solutions to support effective stewardship of research funds. The Senior Research Portfolio Administrator will serve as a liaison with University offices, collaborating institutions, sponsors, and vendors; coordinate reporting requirements and deliverables; maintain accurate schedules of deadlines; and help ensure compliance with sponsor, federal, and University policies throughout the award lifecycle. In addition, this role will support accounts payable functions including invoice payments; purchasing and corporate card transactions; vendor set‑ups and employee reimbursements. They will also review and resolve invoice holds, follow up with researchers and vendors regarding payment issues, and monitor committed funds reports. Other administrative duties include, but are not limited to, resolving financial and compliance issues, supporting annual budget development and financial audits, contributing to departmental initiatives and process improvements, providing training and mentorship to team members, and communicating policy and regulatory updates to faculty and staff. The successful candidate will be proactive and detail oriented, use sound judgment, analytical ability, and problem‑solving skills to manage complex research portfolios and support the Department’s research mission. As a trusted advisor to faculty and a key partner to the Associate Director of Finance, the Senior Research Portfolio Administrator will take initiative and provide comprehensive financial administration support across the full lifecycle of sponsored and non‑sponsored research activities.

Basic Qualifications

Five or more years of experience in pre‑and post‑award management, including both federal and non‑federal awards, or related experience required. Higher education may count toward years of experience.

Skills

Bachelor's degree preferred. The successful candidate must be able to take initiative, possess strong communication and inter‑personal skills, as well as the ability to multi‑task and move easily among varied work projects. Must be highly organized and detail oriented. Must be able to work as part of a team, as well as to work independently, this role requires seeing tasks to completion in a timely manner and being highly responsive. Expertise with MS Office Suite.

Additional Information

Term: This is a 2 year term position from the date of hire, with the possibility of extension, contingent upon work performance and continued funding to support the position. Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hrs. per week | Monday - Friday | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. Pre-Employment Screening: Identity Staying Informed About Your Application: Due to the high volume of applications, we may not always be able to reach out right away, but you can track your status anytime through the Careers@Harvard portal. Interview Format: The interview process will include both virtual and in-person components (e.g., initial virtual screening followed by on-campus final interviews). Work Format Details This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts . Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary

Grade and Ranges This position is salary grade level 056. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks
• Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page .

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