Financial Coordinator 3

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Coordinator contributes to PNNL through financial support of project management. Jobs on this hierarchy require specific expertise and knowledge of standards, practices, and procedures typically acquired through specialized training and/or work-related experience and/or formal technical education. Jobs in this job family are individual contributors and are responsible for the end results achieved through own work. The job family level (S3-P4) is determined by the degree of expertise and judgment required of the job and the mission need for a specific job. Financial Coordinators (FC) are essential business partners who deliver financial and business coordination services while embedded with projects, operational functions, and institutional activities. By applying knowledge of business systems and project management principles, FCs provide accurate reporting and actionable recommendations that optimize performance and resource allocation. Through strong collaboration with Project Managers, technical teams, business offices, and external stakeholders, FCs drive efficiency and impact across research initiatives, operational priorities, and institutional investments. This role ensures that business activities align with key stakeholders and organizational strategy, goals, commitments, policies, and procedures. They guide projects to successful completion, with existing or acquired knowledge of PNNL organizations, requirements, functions, and business systems. This position primarily supports the business services for projects and portfolios in PNNL’s research directorates. FCs play a pivotal role by providing business services throughout the entire project lifecycle—capture, planning, execution, and closeout—while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance standards. FCs combine financial acumen with analytical expertise. An FC succeeds by possessing or acquiring a number of skills: Provide financial and business coordination across the full project lifecycle (capture/proposal, planning, execution, closeout), ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance requirements across multiple projects/initiatives. Independently develop and manage complex budgets, forecasts, accruals, and spend plans across multiple projects; analyze variances, identify trends/drivers, and provide actionable recommendations that communicate both short‑ and long‑term impacts. Lead the design and implementation of solutions for complex business services challenges with minimal guidance, applying judgment and creativity to remove roadblocks, improve project execution, and enhance team efficiency and accuracy. Apply a broad understanding of scope, schedule, and budget interactions to anticipate impacts, evaluate options, communicate risk/tradeoffs to stakeholders, and support timely corrective actions. Coordinate proposal development and submissions by interpreting sponsor requirements, integrating business inputs (e.g., budget assumptions and statement of work elements), and partnering with cross-functional teams; advise on compliance, cost realism, and downstream execution impacts. Support and/or lead cost estimating and pricing activities, ensuring appropriate treatment of direct vs. indirect costs, clear communication of assumptions/impacts, and consistent application of guidance across projects. Prepare clear, decision-useful reporting (monthly/quarterly/annual) and draft financial/business content for internal and external audiences for review/approval by project leadership and senior staff; translate complex concepts into actionable guidance for nontechnical stakeholders. Support procurement and subcontract actions and contribute to reconciliations, funding reviews, and closeout activities; identify efficiency opportunities, implement process improvements, and support consistent execution across the team. Use tools such as Excel/Power BI/SharePoint and internal financial/project systems to track and analyze data; serve as a knowledgeable resource in business systems, ensure data integrity across projects, and drive business process automation and system enhancements. Provides mentoring for junior level financial coordinators on technical business services, customer service, sponsor relationships and stakeholder engagement. Build strong partnerships with project teams, operations, internal partners, and external stakeholders (as applicable, sponsors); communicate proactively, provide timely updates, provide work direction and troubleshooting guidance to project staff, and contribute to training/knowledge sharing as needed.

Requirements

MS/MA or higher and 3 years of relevant financial experience
BS/BA and 5 years of relevant financial experience
AA and 14 years of relevant financial experience
HS/GED and 16 years of relevant financial experience
Qualifying experience in financial support of budget management, financial analysis, and tracking & reporting of cost and spend may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Previous or current Financial Coordinator/Project Coordinator (or similar) experience.
Experience supporting business services in a federal research, national laboratory, government contracting, or academic research environment, with familiarity with sponsor-driven compliance, reporting, and financial management expectations.
Experience in business services including finance, project controls, and/or contracts, supporting multiple projects or a portfolio, including work across the project lifecycle.
Proficiency using Power BI, Excel, and SharePoint, along with the ability to learn and effectively use internal enterprise financial/project systems for tracking, analysis, and reporting; capable of basic-to-intermediate troubleshooting and identifying opportunities to streamline routine processes.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including preparing clear project financial updates for internal stakeholders and (as needed) external sponsors.

Responsibilities

Provide financial and business coordination across the full project lifecycle (capture/proposal, planning, execution, closeout), ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance requirements across multiple projects/initiatives.
Independently develop and manage complex budgets, forecasts, accruals, and spend plans across multiple projects; analyze variances, identify trends/drivers, and provide actionable recommendations that communicate both short‑ and long‑term impacts.
Lead the design and implementation of solutions for complex business services challenges with minimal guidance, applying judgment and creativity to remove roadblocks, improve project execution, and enhance team efficiency and accuracy.
Apply a broad understanding of scope, schedule, and budget interactions to anticipate impacts, evaluate options, communicate risk/tradeoffs to stakeholders, and support timely corrective actions.
Coordinate proposal development and submissions by interpreting sponsor requirements, integrating business inputs (e.g., budget assumptions and statement of work elements), and partnering with cross-functional teams; advise on compliance, cost realism, and downstream execution impacts.
Support and/or lead cost estimating and pricing activities, ensuring appropriate treatment of direct vs. indirect costs, clear communication of assumptions/impacts, and consistent application of guidance across projects.
Prepare clear, decision-useful reporting (monthly/quarterly/annual) and draft financial/business content for internal and external audiences for review/approval by project leadership and senior staff; translate complex concepts into actionable guidance for nontechnical stakeholders.
Support procurement and subcontract actions and contribute to reconciliations, funding reviews, and closeout activities; identify efficiency opportunities, implement process improvements, and support consistent execution across the team.
Use tools such as Excel/Power BI/SharePoint and internal financial/project systems to track and analyze data; serve as a knowledgeable resource in business systems, ensure data integrity across projects, and drive business process automation and system enhancements.
Provides mentoring for junior level financial coordinators on technical business services, customer service, sponsor relationships and stakeholder engagement.
Build strong partnerships with project teams, operations, internal partners, and external stakeholders (as applicable, sponsors); communicate proactively, provide timely updates, provide work direction and troubleshooting guidance to project staff, and contribute to training/knowledge sharing as needed.