Financial Analyst

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule: 35
• Salary Range: $66,300-$70,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Finance and Grants, the Financial Analyst is responsible for administering departmental financial operations, including payroll, purchasing, reimbursements, accounts payable, and endowment activity. The incumbent ensures compliance with university policies, sponsor guidelines, and federal regulations while supporting grant administration, financial reporting, and subaward management. The Financial Analyst serves as a key resource in maintaining accurate financial records, strengthening internal controls, and supporting the department's financial and research administration functions.

The Department of Physics in Arts and Sciences at Columbia University is a world-class research and teaching center dedicated to advancing fundamental understanding across diverse domains of physics. With renowned faculty and active research in areas spanning high-energy and particle physics, condensed matter, quantum information, and atomic and molecular systems, the department fosters an inclusive, intellectually dynamic community creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, student mentorship, and public engagement, integrating innovation, scholarship, and education to shape the next generation of scientists.

Responsibilities

Finance Operations - 70%

• Manage salary distributions and cost transfers for students, postdoctoral research scientists, graduate research assistants, and casual employees, ensuring alignment with funding sources, effort commitments, sponsor requirements, and institutional policies.
• Lead the coordination of additional compensation and reimbursement requests for casual employees, students, and postdoctoral researchers, ensuring timely, accurate, and policy-compliant processing.
• Conduct monthly financial activity audits for unrestricted, gift, student activity, and endowment accounts, identifying variances and supporting fiscal oversight.
• Participate in the annual fiscal year-end closing activities by preparing financial documentation and assisting with reconciliation efforts.
• Independently monitor payroll transactions to ensure timely and accurate compensation while maintaining compliance with institutional policies, funding agency requirements, and federal regulations.
• Proactively audit payroll suspense accounts by identifying discrepancies, initiating cost transfers, and ensuring accurate documentation and reconciliation of payroll adjustments.
• Assist management in documenting and improving financial workflows, implementing operational processes, and administering policies that support the Institute’s evolving research and programmatic activities. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and strengthen financial reporting and reconciliation processes.
• Ensure the integrity of monthly payroll reconciliations and resolve discrepancies to maintain financial integrity.
• Prepare and submit the Annual Form 990 Schedule F tax filing to the Controller’s office in a timely and accurate manner.
• Track and submit faculty search expenses to A&S; manage gift check submission to Gift Systems; handle invoices, honorarium, and prize payments; and process internal billing and invoicing.
• Process ITF and journal entries for monthly, quarterly, and year-end close.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining chartfields to ensure accurate accounting of expenses and revenue.
• Manage the setup of new sponsored and university projects, update financial reporting records, and notify the PI of the new award funding.
• Support the Associate Director of Finance and Grants or the Director of Administration and Finance on special projects and new departmental initiatives.

Grant and Subaward Operations - 30% 

• Prepare grant submission materials by organizing and maintaining supporting documentation, including biosketches and proposal components, ensuring accuracy and compliance with sponsor requirements.
• Support faculty throughout the grant proposal process for inbound subawards by coordinating required administrative documentation and submission materials.
• Assume responsibility for validating subaward invoices for billing accuracy, coordinating approvals, facilitating timely payments to subrecipients, and proactively resolving discrepancies.
• Assist with post-award financial validation activities to ensure compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.
• Support sponsored-project grant closeouts by reviewing contracts, invention reports, government property inventory reports, and other required documents to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and facilitate accurate and timely account closeout. 

Minimum Qualifications

• 0-2 years of related experience.
• Bachelor's Degree and/or equivalent experience required.

Other Requirements

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain high confidentiality and professionalism.
• Strong multitasking, prioritization, and organization skills.
• Attention to detail, research, critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Self-starter, a fast learner who can work independently under limited supervision.
• Work well in an interactive team environment.
• Able to quickly acquire a detailed knowledge of university policies, procedures, and systems.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.