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J-PAL North America, an economics research center at MIT, is actively recruiting for a Senior Finance Associate (MIT job Financial Administrator 2, SRS). Working at J-PAL North America means being part of a vibrant, collaborative team of professionals who are committed to translating research into innovative policy solutions that are effective in reducing poverty. As a regional office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), J-PAL North America is part of a network of hundreds of researchers at universities around the world, including some of the world’s leading economics researchers. J-PAL North America works closely with J-PAL’s global headquarters and six additional independent regional offices in Africa, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia to generate cutting-edge research, policy outreach, and training.  This position is based on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts and provides a hybrid work schedule with some days in the office and some days remote.   

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At J-PAL North America we understand that inequity is often institutionalized into policies and systems, and that these inequities contribute to cycles of poverty and a lack of opportunity for a great portion of the population, particularly women, people of color and other marginalized populations. We approach our work with the following staff values and are actively engaged in creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable culture where everyone can feel a sense of belonging and effectively contribute to the work. We seek applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences that can help to broaden our perspective and approach to economics research and policy. 

To learn more about our work and team culture, visit www.povertyactionlab.org/na. 

Opportunity Overview

As a member of the J-PAL North America team, you’ll be part of a Nobel-prize winning scientific movement that can transform US policy making. The Senior Finance Associate works under the supervision of the Finance and Operations Manager to conduct a broad range of grant and finance activities.  As a Senior Finance Associate, your primary tasks will involve a range of accounts payable and receivable activities, reviewing funding opportunities, preparing and submitting proposals, developing cost estimates and budgets for events and trainings, tracking and monitoring the financial performance of grants and other funding streams, preparing grant and financial reports, and participating in award closeouts. For this position, we are looking for candidates with a bachelors degree and 3 years of experience with grant administration, accounting, or financial administration.  We seek applicants from diverse backgrounds and especially encourage candidates with lived experience with the social policy issues that J-PAL North America aims to address through its work.  

Key Responsibilities

Conducts a broad range of grant and financial administration activities for J-PAL North America, which may include the following activities:

• Assists in funder research and proposal preparation and serves as a project manager for submission of funding proposals. 

• Completes the pre-award administration of grant/contract activities such as reviewing solicitations and determining necessary components; and managing renewal and submission applications. 

• Develops budgets for grant proposals and manages grant funds in accordance with MIT and donor regulations. 

• Tracks and monitors the financial performance of grants and contracts to ensure compliance with MIT and sponsor policies and consistency with approved award budgets. 

• Participates in the sponsored project closeout process; submits final reports and certificates. 

• Liaises with MIT offices and partner organizations. 

• Creates progress reports, and generates financial reports in accordance with specific grant requirements. 

• Monitors project deadlines and deliverables. 

• Prepares and submits requests for no cost extensions and other necessary changes to grant agreements. 

• Coordinates the receipt of award documentation; maintains proposal and funding records and compiles information and documents needed for audit inquiries.  

• Works with staff to prepare cost estimates and budgets for events, custom trainings and other activities and helps with reconciling related expenses.

• Tracks proposals, manages under-recovery, cost sharing, subcontracts, etc. 

• Reviews and approves financial transactions, such as reimbursements for travel and corporate card payments. 

• Manages service contracts and vendor relationships, including procurement. 

• Processes and tracks expenses and processes reimbursements and other payments. 

• Prepares cost estimates, invoices/billings and collects funds for services. 

• Monitors vacation tracking and enters salary allocations. 

• Monitors and analyzes actual and projected costs and identifies potential overruns.  

• Prepares budget reports, budget forecasts, and financial analyses and projections. 

• Assists with preparation of and reporting on annual operating budget for J-PAL NA. 

• Performs monthly and fiscal year-end closing processes. 

• Recommends and implements process improvements and develops and documents best practices. 

• Manages special projects and performs other duties as assigned. 

Benefits

J-PAL North America staff are MIT employees, which means they are eligible for a wide array of institutional benefits. Some of these MIT benefits include comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match up to 5% of salary plus a pension-based retirement plan, tuition assistance up to $5,250 per calendar year, commuter benefits, access to MyLifeServices, a generous vacation policy (3 weeks of paid vacation in your first year, and 4 weeks every year after that, plus an additional 12+ paid Institute-wide holidays per year and an end of year break), paid leave for sick time, maternity and parental leave, back-up child care benefits and much more.

Professional Development Opportunities

J-PAL North America supports a culture of learning, with opportunities to attend weekly seminars, engage in small-group discussions with other J-PAL staff, participate in workshops, or take classes for credit at MIT or elsewhere with our generous tuition assistance program.  

How to Apply

Ready to join a team of collaborative, inclusive, and inquisitive colleagues? Apply now. 

This position will be based at J-PAL North America’s offices on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts and will have a hybrid schedule, with some days in the office and some remote.

This position is not eligible for any type of visa sponsorship.

Submit an application for this Senior Finance Associate role via MIT’s human resources system. Visit http://jobs.mit.edu/external, search for job ID 24283 (Senior Finance Associate), and complete an application. 

In a single PDF uploaded to the resume field, please include:

1. A cover letter which highlights: 

1. Your qualifications for this role, and how they have prepared you to be an  effective Senior Finance Associate

2. Your interest in our mission of poverty alleviation in the North America region, especially in the US, including any professional, educational, or volunteer experiences that demonstrate your commitment to our mission

3. Optional- Please consider sharing how your personal lived experience or personal identities, beyond your professional or educational experience, contribute to your interest and insight into J-PAL North America’s anti-poverty work

Please note that in addition to addressing these prompts, your cover letter will be evaluated as a writing sample for this role and we will be reviewing it to see if your interest in our work and qualifications for this role are clearly communicated.

2. Resume

Should you need a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in our employee selection process, please contact Isaak Kifle, Human Resources Manager at najobs@povertyactionlab.org or (617) 715-5844.

We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis as we receive them. Short-listed applicants will be asked to complete a phone interview and technical exercise. Finalists will be called for a final interview and have references checked. 

Hiring for this position is contingent upon the completion of a successful background check.

MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.

Qualifications

• Education: This position requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

• Experience: A minimum of 3 years of experience in grants management, accounting or financial administration required.

• Technical Skills: Actively demonstrates the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to successfully execute grant and finance tasks to which they are assigned.  Technical proficiency with learning and using computer applications, including Microsoft office and/or Google applications, Excel, MIT’s grants and finance systems, Salesforce and Asana is required. 

• Ownership of Work: Takes responsibility/is accountable for effectively completing assigned discrete tasks or projects with high attention to detail. Produces high quality work in the time expected; identifies and follows up with manager and other stakeholders as needed to ensure assignments are completed on time. Takes initiative and offers ideas for new ways to approach work.

• Written Communication: Accurately and succinctly communicates in writing, including the ability to draft grammatically correct, cohesive emails, memos and reports, and prepare content for slides, proposals and publications. 

• Oral Communication: Demonstrates strong active listening skills and accurately and succinctly communicates information orally to staff and other key stakeholders. 

• Task & Project Management: Takes on a process-oriented task, plans and organizes work, coordinates with others, establishes appropriate priorities and timelines, exercises follow through, and adds overall value to the process. 

• Problem Solving/Decision Making: Demonstrates adeptness at analyzing facts, judgment, and strong decision-making ability. Responds to problems, issues, and opportunities that are identified by supervisors. Collaborates to identify a solution or response.  

• Commitment to Mission & Values: Demonstrates interest in poverty alleviation in the North American (primarily the United States) context in particular. Demonstrates a commitment to J-PAL North America’s values.

About J-PAL North America at MIT

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