Senior Research Receivables Analyst Research, Financial Operations

Boston University • Boston, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Research Receivables Analyst owns end-to-end invoicing and accounts receivable for a diverse, highly complex portfolio of sponsored projects. The role ensures timely and accurate billing, active accounts receivable follow-up, and full payment resolution in accordance with sponsor terms, federal and non-federal regulations, and University policy. It requires advanced interpretation of award documents and sponsor requirements, strong analytical skills, knowledge of sponsored research administration, and the ability to navigate complex systems.

The analyst prepares and submits invoices as specified by sponsors, monitors and resolves receivables, and uses SAP to support billing, collections, cash application, and portfolio reporting. The position also contributes to process improvement by automating workflows, identifying root causes of problematic receivables, and helping standardize billing and collections procedures. It provides customer service and communicates with principal investigators, administrators, sponsors, central offices, and internal stakeholders.

Boston University supports a flexible work environment for authorized staff. This position is eligible for a hybrid arrangement, with remote work up to three days per week after completion of a successful observation period.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 3–5 years of progressive experience in research administration, sponsored programs billing and accounts receivable, and financial reconciliation within a university or similar research environment.
• Excellent organization, time management, communication, and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Intermediate or higher Excel skills, including lookups, pivot tables, and complex formulas, for data acquisition, analysis, and reconciliation.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small, collegial team, prioritize routine tasks and ad hoc needs, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Proactive, diplomatic, self-starting approach.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with SAP billing, accounts receivable, cash management, and reporting modules.
• Experience with sponsor e-billing portals.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, submit, and track sponsor invoices—including cost-reimbursable, milestone, and other award types—through agency portals.
• Research, analyze, and resolve short payments, overpayments, unapplied cash, and sponsor discrepancies.
• Monitor accounts receivable aging and follow up on delinquencies through final resolution.
• Investigate complex payment issues, including partial payments, denied costs, sponsor offsets, and timing differences; coordinate with sponsors, central offices, and internal stakeholders to achieve accurate cash recovery.
• Generate and analyze monthly unbilled and accounts receivable reports, identifying risks, trends, and actionable insights for management.
• Review and recommend write-offs with justification and supporting documentation, and present packages to Research Financial Operations management for approval.
• Review and interpret complex federal, non-federal, industry, and foundation award and contract terms to ensure compliant invoicing and reporting.
• Apply evolving regulations and assess their downstream billing and cash impact.
• Use SAP for invoice creation and posting, accounts receivable subledger analysis, dunning and collections, cash application review, and portfolio-level reporting.
• Identify root causes of aged or problematic receivables and assist management with recommendations to standardize billing and collections procedures.
• Provide customer service to principal investigators, administrators, and central partners; proactively communicate status, issues, and resolutions.
• Contribute to training and dissemination of policy updates.
• Partner with management on strategic and data-driven projects to advance departmental goals and operational efficiency.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition remission for Boston University courses for full-time employees; the benefit also extends to dependents.

What This Job Offers

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