Project Finance Analyst - 12 month FTC

Cerba Research • Montreal, QC

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance team at Cerba Research is looking for a Project Financial Analyst (PFA) to take ownership of financial reconciliations and manual billing across a portfolio of clinical studies. This is a fixed term role (12 months) with direct, measurable impact on revenue recovery and client confidence — sitting at the intersection of clinical operations and commercial delivery.

About Cerba Research
With over 40 years of clinical research expertise, Cerba Research has built a unique offering of services, including clinical trial management, specialty lab & biomarker services, and medical devices & diagnostics offerings.
Cerba Research supports clients from research and development all the way through clinical studies and commercialization of therapies. We combine the deep therapeutic understanding and agility of a specialist with the capacity, breadth, and global reach of a central lab.
We provide key laboratory services to biopharma, government, and not-for-profit organizations supporting clinical trials. Our global accredited laboratory network covers the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and Africa.
Our aim is to transform clinical research — delivering the promise of precision and predictive medicine to help people live healthier lives.

Why Join Us?
• Real Impact – This isn't a support function. The work you do directly addresses revenue leakage, accelerates cash collection, and restores client confidence in billing. The numbers matter, and so does your output.
• A Business in Motion – Cerba are mid-transformation. SAP implementation, process modernisation, and a growing PFA function mean you're joining at a moment where good people shape how things are built.
• Scale & Infrastructure – 40+ years of clinical research heritage, a global accredited lab network, and long-standing relationships across biopharma and biotech.
• A Team Worth Joining – You'll work alongside an experienced subject matter expert who will coordinate and support the team.

How You Will Add Value
As Project Financial Analyst, you will contribute to:
• Recovering revenue through structured financial reconciliations across running and closing studies
• Accelerating cash collection by taking ownership of manual billing for a defined portfolio of central lab studies
• Improving client relationships by resolving invoicing queries accurately and in a timely manner
• Supporting the finance function's wider transformation as Cerba Research moves toward full SAP go-live

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field
• Experience in financial analysis, with a focus on project finance in Life Sciences, Clinical Trials, CRO, or Biotech
• Solid grounding in revenue recognition, contract financials, clinical trial budgeting, and billing processes
• Proficiency in financial systems — SAP, CTMS, Excel — and curiosity about what comes next (automation, AI-assisted tools)
• A self-starter who doesn't need hand-holding to move from brief to output
• Excellent communicator — comfortable working with external clients as well as internal cross-functional teams
• Based in the Netherlands or Belgium (hybrid/remote), or remote from the UK, with full right to work in your country of residence
• Fluent in English

Nice To Haves

• CPA, CFA, or PMP certification is beneficial but not required
• additional Dutch or French language skills are a plus but not required

Responsibilities

• Perform financial reconciliations across clinical studies — comparing revenues, budgets, and invoiced amounts, identifying variances, and driving resolution
• Execute manual billing for a defined portfolio of central lab studies, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Review and maintain project budgets, ensuring alignment with contract terms and reflecting subsequent change orders
• Monitor project revenues and expenses on a monthly basis, providing variance analysis for internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure accurate revenue recognition based on study progress, contract terms, and accounting standards
• Liaise with Accounts Receivable to support timely invoicing and payment collection
• Work cross-functionally with Project Managers, Finance, Lab Ops, and the Contracts & Proposals team to address financial questions and discrepancies
• Support internal and external audits by providing required financial documentation
• Contribute to automation initiatives, including financial reconciliation and profitability tracking tools

Benefits

• Real Impact – This isn't a support function. The work you do directly addresses revenue leakage, accelerates cash collection, and restores client confidence in billing. The numbers matter, and so does your output.
• A Business in Motion – Cerba are mid-transformation. SAP implementation, process modernisation, and a growing PFA function mean you're joining at a moment where good people shape how things are built.
• Scale & Infrastructure – 40+ years of clinical research heritage, a global accredited lab network, and long-standing relationships across biopharma and biotech.
• A Team Worth Joining – You'll work alongside an experienced subject matter expert who will coordinate and support the team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level