Neuroscience Institute Finance Manager - Mellon College of Science

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

12d

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. The Neuroscience Institute is where groundbreaking discoveries in brain science, artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology come to life. We are currently seeking a Finance Manager to join the team. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here! The Finance Manager provides strategic financial leadership and operational oversight for the financial and accounting functions within the Neuroscience Institute (NI). Reporting to the Executive Director of the Neuroscience Institute, the manager serves as a key strategic partner to the NI Executive Director, NI Director, Mellon College of Science (MCS) Associate Dean of Finance and unit leadership, providing financial insight and scenario analysis to shape and guide resource allocation and long-term planning. The manager is responsible for the strategic and day-to-day oversight of the unit's financial planning, analysis, and budgeting functions. This position plays a critical role in aligning financial strategy with the unit's academic and research mission aligned with both college and institutional priorities. The manager leads the development of the unit’s multi-year budgets, manages forecasting and financial performance analysis, and provides data-driven insights to inform senior leadership decision-making. Serving as a strategic business partner to the Dean’s Office, the manager assesses and advises on the financial implications of key business decisions, strategic initiatives, and long-term goals. In conjunction with the Associate Dean for Finance of the college, this role oversees the preparation of financial models and forecasts to evaluate performance against budgets forecasts and strategic plans, while ensuring accuracy, transparency, and alignment with institutional objectives. The manager may lead and develop a team of finance professionals responsible for budget development, revenue planning, and compliance, fostering collaboration across departments and with external stakeholders. Through effective leadership, performance management, and continuous process improvement, the manager ensures sound financial stewardship, supports strategic resource allocation, and drives a culture of financial accountability and excellence across the unit. Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in finance or related field required.
• 5-8 years of relevant work experience in finance, accounting, or business administration required.
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.
• Successful background check

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree preferred.
• Previous experience in higher education, human resources, and/or management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop complex forecasting and financial models to assess financial performance across all areas of the unit, including but not limited to: revenue and expenses, restricted accounts, endowment funds, scenario modeling, and other key financial initiatives.
• Advise the Executive Director, Director, Associate Dean for Finance and Dean on strategic priorities for short, medium, and long-term goals and objectives.
• Partner with the Institute’s Sponsored Research Administrator to ensure efficient financial management and effort charging/certification throughout the lifecycle of grants, in close partnership with the University’s central research support units.
• Drive a disciplined approach to financial reviews, planning, forecasts and analysis that supports both near-term operational needs and long-term strategic goals.
• Partner with Associate Dean for Finance in the formulation, monitoring, and reporting of the unit’s financial results.
• Supervise the Institute’s Financial Assistant.
• Communicate financial results, trends, and implications clearly and effectively to senior leadership — translating complex financial data into actionable insights that inform decision-making and resource allocation.
• Assess process gaps, identify needs, and implement improvements in efficiency and execution.
• Collaborate with colleagues and partners to collect and leverage financial and operational data for developing financial models (including predictive insights) and dashboards in Tableau, Power BI, and other analytical tools, effectively telling the unit’s financial story to the Dean, Office of the Provost, Budget Office, and other key stakeholders.
• Drive results through effective collaboration with in-person and remote teams using cloud-based communication and workflow tools.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships across academic departments and administrative units—including HR, Research, Facilities, and IT—to ensure financial plans and forecasts reflect accurate, complete, and timely information across respective cost centers.
• Ensure compliance with university accounting policies, GAAP standards, regulatory requirements, and sponsor regulations.
• Manage month, quarter, and year-end close processes, including journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analyses.
• Ensure payroll (including faculty summer salaries and sponsored research commitments), tax, and receivable transactions are processed in accordance with university requirements.
• Produce accurate and timely financial statements and reports for college and university leadership.
• Coordinate with grant and contract accounting, including pre-award budget review, post-award expense tracking, effort reporting, and closeout.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to unit and college leadership on finance and accounting matters, translating academic and research priorities into sustainable financial strategies.
• Perform other projects and duties as assigned to support the operational, financial, and strategic objectives of the Neuroscience Institute.

Benefits

• Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.
• Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• Unlock your potential with tuition benefits , take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays , and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access , and much more!
• For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page .

What This Job Offers

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