Research Specialist, ONC - (Budget Analyst)

UPMC•Pittsburgh, PA

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is an internationally recognized institution for cancer care, research, and education, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. The center is hiring a regular full-time Research Specialist - Budget, ONC to join the Oncology Clinical Research Services (CRS) team at the Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside/Pittsburgh, PA. This role supports the Financial Compliance team, working Monday through Friday during daylight hours with a remote schedule. The primary responsibility of this position is to develop clinical trial budgets and conduct coverage analyses for clinical trials. The Clinical Trial Budget Analyst ensures financial compliance and proper coverage of clinical trial procedures by reviewing protocols to determine billable services to third-party payers, aligning with Medicare and other insurance rules, and identifying sponsor-covered study costs. The specialist collaborates with clinical research teams, finance, and compliance departments for accurate financial planning and billing. This role utilizes systems like EPIC EHR and OnCore CTMS for charge segregation and pricing for budgeting. The CRS team, comprising nearly 200 staff members, facilitates various oncology-focused trials, including institutional, multi-center cooperative group/NCTN, consortium, and industry-sponsored trials, providing comprehensive support from study development to data and specimen collection.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in health-related field.
3 years of experience in clinical trials.
Knowledge of clinical research protocol and budgeting is required.
Excellent analytical skills with attention to detail.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Act 34

Nice To Haves

1 year of experience in Medicare coverage determination preferred.
Clinical Research Professional Certification or related certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, analysis, and maintenance of comprehensive clinical trial budgets, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with protocol requirements, coverage analysis outcomes, and institutional standards.
Build, enter, and maintain study budgets within the Clinical Trial Management System (OnCore CTMS), ensuring synchronization with final protocols, contracts, and coverage analysis documentation.
Conduct detailed coverage analyses in accordance with Medicare’s Clinical Trial Policy, CMS guidelines, and commercial payer requirements to appropriately distinguish study-related costs from routine care.
Apply appropriate CDM and CPT coding to identify billable versus sponsor-covered services, supporting compliant billing workflows and downstream claims review.
Negotiate clinical trial budgets with sponsors and CROs in collaboration with contracting and finance teams, advocating for institutional cost recovery and policy adherence.
Ensure institutional policies, financial compliance standards, and payer regulations are consistently enforced throughout budget development, negotiation, and study activation.
Collaborate closely with investigators, clinical research coordinators, finance, contracting, and compliance teams to resolve budget questions and align financial expectations across stakeholders.
Communicate coverage analysis determinations and finalized budget details clearly to research teams to support accurate study conduct and billing execution.
Support resolution of billing discrepancies or compliance concerns related to clinical trial services by reviewing documentation and coordinating with appropriate teams.
Maintain current knowledge of clinical trial financial regulations, reimbursement guidelines, and payer coverage policies, incorporating updates into budgeting and coverage analysis practices.
Provide education and guidance to research staff regarding clinical trial budgeting, coverage analysis interpretation, and compliant financial practices.