Senior Financial Analyst - CICET

The Senior Financial Analyst will support CICET?s budgeting, financial analysis, and financial management across its clinical trials, operations, and programs. The position will prepare institute-wide and program-level reports; track revenue, expenses, commitments, and burn rate; support quarterly budget reviews and forecasting; and develop budgets for clinical studies, cell and gene therapy manufacturing, recruitment business plans, and other programs. Reporting to the Associate Director, Programs Management, the Senior Financial Analyst will collaborate with CICET leadership, Cell and Gene Therapy Trials Management (CGTM) and GMP teams, investigators, and University partners to ensure accurate reporting, timely invoicing, and effective financial controls. The position will contribute to CICET?s mission of strengthening the translational, manufacturing, and clinical continuum of cell engineering and therapy while promoting equitable and inclusive access to cell and gene therapies. Responsibilities Financial Planning, Reporting, and Analysis In partnership with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) Finance team, prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual P&L and operating reports for CICET and its program areas, consolidating revenue, expenses, commitments, and budget-to-actual results. Monitor revenue, operating expenses, personnel costs, open commitments, fund flow, and burn rate; analyze and clearly explain material variances from budget, forecast, and prior-period results; identify trends and financial risks; and recommend corrective actions to leadership. Develop and maintain financial forecasts, dashboards, and key performance indicators to support leadership decision-making. Prepare materials for quarterly budget reviews, the annual budget cycle, and multi-year financial planning. Programs and Study Budgeting Support the development of detailed budgets for grants and clinical studies, including industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials, in collaboration with the CUIMC Clinical Trials Office (CTO), CGTM, CICET GMP Team, and CICET Translational Laboratory. Support the development of business plans for CICET faculty recruitment. Prepare cost estimates and rate build-ups for GMP manufacturing, translational laboratory services, and other CICET program activities, including personnel, materials, facility, and indirect cost components. Support scenario analyses and the development of business plans, pricing and cost-recovery strategies, program feasibility assessments, and projected completion costs. Financial Operations and Invoicing Track CICET revenue and expenses by study, sponsor, and activity, including pass-through and reimbursable costs, and create Project and Department numbers to support financial tracking. Support pre- and post-award financial operations, including payroll salary allocations. Maintain study-level billing and financial trackers by Department and Project; prepare and review invoices and supporting documentation against contractual milestones and billing schedules; and coordinate with the CTO and Sponsored Projects Finance, which performs central invoicing and collections for industry-sponsored trials and externally sponsored grants. Monitor accounts receivable and aging; work with the CTO and Sponsored Projects Finance to resolve outstanding items; and support the financial closeout of completed studies, including final invoices and reconciliation. Financial Controls, Reconciliation, and Compliance Reconcile financial reports and account activity with University systems and, in collaboration with the CUIMC Finance Team, investigate discrepancies and support journal entries, accruals, expense transfers, budget tool entries, and other corrections. Monitor the appropriate use of institutional, sponsored, gift, grant, alliance, and other funding sources and support accurate allocation of personnel and operating expenses. Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready documentation for budgets, forecasts, invoices, reconciliations, approvals, and financial decisions; support quarterly budget tool updates, year-end close, internal reviews, audits, and other compliance activities; and exercise appropriate judgment while maintaining confidentiality. Collaboration and Process Improvement Partner with CICET program leaders and investigators; clinical research, manufacturing, quality, and procurement teams; and central offices, including Sponsored Projects Administration, Sponsored Projects Finance, the Clinical Trials Office, and CUIMC Finance, to validate assumptions and financial data. Standardize financial templates, definitions, workflows, and reporting processes across CICET programs and identify opportunities to improve data quality, billing timeliness, and operational efficiency. Prepare presentations and ad hoc analyses for leadership, governance committees, and program planning, and perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor?s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Economics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. At least four years of relevant experience in financial analysis, budgeting, accounting, research administration, healthcare finance, or a related area. Demonstrated experience preparing P&L or operating reports, budgets, forecasts, variance analyses, and account reconciliations. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, lookups, data validation, and financial modeling. Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial information for financial and nonfinancial audiences; manage multiple priorities and deadlines; collaborate across multidisciplinary teams; and exercise sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential financial information. Minimum Qualifications Master?s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field. Experience in an academic medical center, higher education, healthcare, research institute, biotechnology, or cell and gene therapy setting. Experience budgeting and managing finances for clinical trials, sponsored research, process development, GMP manufacturing, or laboratory programs. Experience with project budget development, project closeout, cost recovery, and portfolios supported by multiple funding sources. Familiarity with Columbia systems such as ARC, Cognos, PeopleSoft, or comparable enterprise resource planning and reporting systems. Experience with Power BI or similar data visualization tools. Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.