Assistant Director, Research Administration

MIT • Cambridge, MA

9d

About The Position

oversees all financial and sponsored research for a large, complex neuroscience research portfolio; serves as a senior leader within the Finance team, ensuring strong financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence in support of PILM’s scientific mission; manages the full lifecycle of sponsored research administration, including pre-award proposal development, post-award financial management, forecasting, and closeout; leads operating and program budget planning; prepares financial analyses and multiyear projections; provides faculty and Institute leadership with clear financial insights, expenditure tracking, and funding strategy guidance supervises and mentors a team of research administration and financial staff, fostering consistent service standards, cross-coverage, and professional development including staff coaching, performance management, and delivering financial training to administrative and lab personnel; and drives compliance, process improvement, and audit readiness, developing standard operating procedures and responding to audit inquiries.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of seven years of experience in a research administration position and minimum of two years of supervisory experience
• knowledge of budget preparation and administration and financial recordkeeping and reporting
• proven experience with NIH award management
• strong computer skills including proficiency with spreadsheets (Excel) and enterprise accounting and database tools
• strong financial management/forecasting, organizational, analytical, problem solving, customer service, and oral and written communication skills
• ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced and challenging environment
• experience successfully supervising and building administrative teams

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related discipline
• expert proficiency in Excel
• experience with MIT systems

Responsibilities

• oversees all financial and sponsored research for a large, complex neuroscience research portfolio
• serves as a senior leader within the Finance team, ensuring strong financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence in support of PILM’s scientific mission
• manages the full lifecycle of sponsored research administration, including pre-award proposal development, post-award financial management, forecasting, and closeout
• leads operating and program budget planning
• prepares financial analyses and multiyear projections
• provides faculty and Institute leadership with clear financial insights, expenditure tracking, and funding strategy guidance
• supervises and mentors a team of research administration and financial staff, fostering consistent service standards, cross-coverage, and professional development including staff coaching, performance management, and delivering financial training to administrative and lab personnel
• drives compliance, process improvement, and audit readiness, developing standard operating procedures and responding to audit inquiries

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees