Senior Finance and Operations Associate

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than a thousand affiliated researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.

The Senior Finance and Operations Associate is based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.

The Finance and Operations team at J-PAL supports J-PAL’s mission to efficiently translate research by J-PAL affiliates into actionable poverty alleviation policies around the world. We are looking to hire staff who combine a strong passion for working with organizations around the world to inform development policy with solid administrative abilities to further our mission.  

Under the supervision of the Senior Manager of Finance and Operations, the Senior Finance and Operations Associate serves as financial and operational lead for a portfolio of up to three major initiatives at J-PAL and works with senior F&O staff to ensure efficient operational management at J-PAL. Tasks include a mix of financial operations, grants management, and leading organizational projects in the F&O area, all within a university environment.

J-PAL encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, and we value the diverse perspectives our staff bring to their roles and to the broader J-PAL community. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to this role. In your cover letter, you are welcome to share how your background and lived experiences have influenced your desire to work at J-PAL (this is entirely optional, just an opportunity for us to get to know you a bit better). 

Principal duties and responsibilities

Finance and Grants Management: 

• Grants & Finance: will have a portfolio of grants between $20M-$30M for which they are responsible for all financial transactions and reporting, including any audits.
  • Coordinate grant and gift related financial activities for major J-PAL Initiatives and/or Program Areas. Develop budgets for proposals and submit proposals into MIT systems while also ensuring compliance with donor requirements and formats and communicating compliance concerns with the team or management; monitor proposal progress and liaise with MIT grants administrators on negotiations and funding questions; review contract terms and conditions, establish subawards and partnership agreements as needed; manage regular financial reporting and closeout.  
  • Participate in donor meetings and conference calls as needed. 
  • Issue new blanket POs for new fiscal years; process procurement requisitions, journal vouchers, and verify credit card purchases.
  • Process accounts payable including approving invoices/RFP's and travel expense reports, interacting with vendors to answer questions and resolve issues.
  • Provide support for IRB applications and revision processing for several researchers. 
  • Implement new protocols as informed by Initiative Monthly meetings and/or Executive Committee decisions.
  • Collaborate with others for continuous improvement on grant management processes and quality of support provided.
• Analysis and Reporting
  • Pull data from internal MIT accounting systems, prepare regular financial reports on grants for donors and J-PAL staff. Report on spending compared to budget, monitor subaward spend progress, and advise project managers and senior management on financial position, spend-down, potential issues, reforecasting and gaps in project funding. 
• Subawards
  • Work with MIT’s Research Administration Services and J-PAL’s initiative management to establish subawards for recipients of research grants from J-PAL Initiatives and other funding.
  • Supervise subaward management, including receipt of donor and J-PAL deliverables, submitting invoices, tracking of finances, and compliance with MIT’s IRB policies and fiscal standards.
  • Serve on task forces at J-PAL and in collaboration with MIT offices to improve subaward processing.
  • Manage subaward closeout processes with MIT and award recipients.

Operations

• Work with senior F&O staff to support efficient operational management at J-PAL.
• May lead and participate in system improvement projects to be determined by bi-annual strategic planning. 
• Liaise with one or more regional offices to support their financial and operational management.
• Participate in teams with other MIT offices to support J-PAL’s work.
• Provide training for other grant admin staff in our regional offices on Initiative management.

Supervision received

The Senior Finance and Operations Associate reports directly to the Senior Manager of Finance and Operations. He/she takes ownership of tasks and exercises good judgment in knowing when to seek feedback from managers, and shows initiative in adding value to processes. The Senior Finance and Operations Associate is expected to see projects through from start to finish.

Qualifications & skills

• Education: A Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field is required.  
• Experience: At least four years of pertinent experience, preferably within higher education and non-profit sectors. A strong background in research and grant administration, finance, budgeting, or related fields, coupled with demonstrated proficiency in administrative roles, is highly desirable. Ideal candidate will possess professional experience either working for international organizations or collaborating with them.
• Software proficiency: Previous professional experience working with Salesforce, SAP, Quickbooks, and Google Workspace is a plus.
• Work style: Attention to detail, ability to work on projects independently and make decisions, along with a willingness to pitch in to get tasks done are all important.
• Travel: Willingness and ability to occasionally travel internationally is required. Position may require travel to J-PAL’s regional offices in France, Chile, India, Indonesia, Egypt and South Africa and country offices in Brazil, Guatemala, and Morocco.
• Languages: We prefer candidates who are proficient in one or more of the following languages relevant to our J-PAL Regional Offices: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic, or Hindi. Language skills are essential for: Effective communication with Principal Investigators, staff, partner organizations, and university administrators worldwide. Translating documentation as needed. Facilitating meetings and communications between MIT personnel and our international partners.
• Time Management: Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time and meet deadlines. A willingness to work hard, be self-motivated and learn will be essential for doing well in this position. Punctuality and consistency in work hours is required.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and confidently orally and in writing in English is required. Experience with presentations.
• Cultural competencies: You are comfortable and adept at working in a diverse and multicultural work environment with colleagues, partners, and principal investigators from around the world. You display sensitivity, adaptability, and inclusivity in your engagement with people from diverse backgrounds. International experience is a plus, enhancing the ability to understand diverse cultural contexts.

Professional development

J-PAL supports a culture of learning, with opportunities to attend weekly MIT-Harvard Development Seminars and take classes for credit at MIT or elsewhere with our generous tuition assistance program.

Compensation

Information about the pay range and pay grade for this position can be found here.

Benefits

As a member of the MIT community, you benefit from more than just your salary. 

J-PAL hires highly qualified staff and rewards them accordingly. Total compensation packages are competitive for the non-profit and international development field with excellent MIT benefits, including comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match and pension-based retirement plan, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, MIT community discounts, a generous vacation policy, and a flexible work policy that includes the opportunity to work from home three days a week. Please note this position is not eligible for full-time remote work.