Senior Associate, Finance and Reporting

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) seeks a committed and resourceful full-time Senior Associate to support the administration of CEGA’s broad and diverse portfolio of research and training programs. A critical member of the Operations team, the Senior Associate will work across the Center to set up and manage funded research, enhance financial management and information systems across the center, and improve processes for quality assurance, reporting, and knowledge management.

About CEGA

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is a hub for research, training and innovation headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley. We generate insights that decision-makers can use to improve policies, programs, and people’s lives. Our best-in-class academic network includes nearly 200 faculty, 80 scholars from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—primarily from East and West Africa—and hundreds of graduate students from diverse academic disciplines who produce rigorous evidence about what works to expand education, health, and economic opportunities for people living in poverty. Our business model involves curating policy-relevant research agendas in collaboration with development leaders, overseeing competitive grant-making to answer critical questions, investing in research capacity, and strategically connecting research and ideas to inform decision-making by governments, NGOs, and the private sector.

CEGA values diversity and seeks to include people from under-represented groups on our team. Read our values statement.

Position Details

Reporting to the Director of Operations and working closely with the Finance and Reporting Manager (dotted line), CEGA seeks a motivated Senior Associate to support the Center’s financial management and operations. The position serves as a critical administrative engine for CEGA research and training programs, including CEGA’s new $75M USAID-funded Promoting Impact and Learning with Cost-Effectiveness Evidence (PILCEE) program. The Senior Associate will actively liaise with UC Berkeley Campus SHARE—the University’s finance and administration division—on behalf of CEGA regarding finance, subawards and grants; set up contracts with external partners; support center-wide information systems and reporting; and contribute to operations process improvements. Successful candidates are adept at analyzing complex, often interdependent variables and leveraging a wide range of financial and business practices to streamline CEGA operations.

This is an opportunity for motivated, early-career professionals who are interested in research administration and global development; have a strong desire to use and deepen skills in financial controls, project management, reporting and evaluation, and systems that advance planning and knowledge sharing; and are energized to contribute to the long-term success of a dynamic organization.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Financial Management and Contract & Grant Administration (45%):

• Liaise with central campus (i.e. SHARE/Sponsored Project Office) and CEGA program staff to (a) disburse funds to researchers/vendors, including setting up subawards, Professional Service Agreements, stipends, consultant appointments, and other payment mechanisms by determining appropriate agreement type; drafting scopes of work, terms/conditions, and deliverables, and managing associated paperwork, (b) proactively monitoring disbursement invoicing and spending and communicating with CEGA program teams and vendors on status, (c) support development of complex, multi-year budgets, (d) set up new contracts, grants, and gifts to CEGA in internal financial tools. Function as a resource to help faculty, colleagues, post docs, graduate students, and external vendors successfully engage with campus administration (SHARE/SPO).
• Support the Finance and Reporting Manager with monthly financial and budget management processes including independently cleaning and analyzing complex financial data, updating financial management tools, reconciling (in the Berkeley Financial System, BFS) and committing expenses, ensuring spending in compliance with funders and university policy.
• Provide analytical support and technical assistance to CEGA colleagues, faculty, graduate students, vendors, and other stakeholders regarding stipends and reimbursements, complex budgeting, financial management, resource analysis, subaward activation, and fund closeouts. Work with Operations colleagues to ensure that all grant funds are spent appropriately and by the end of their performance period.
• Document processes and procedures for complex financial activities. Ensure that appropriate internal controls are addressed, maintained, and strengthened to protect CEGA (and University) resources.

Financial and Business Reporting (40%):

• Leverage various Berkeley systems and databases (i.e. CalAnswers, CADS, BearBuy, BFS, Transcepta, Student Information System, etc.) to independently gather information, analyze, prepare and summarize recommendations for financial and/or resource plans, including annual allocations, future requirements, operating forecasts, sources and uses, etc.
• Produce accurate periodic financial reports and justifications for complex sponsored projects, including federal grants and cooperative agreements.
• Perform complex financial and resource analysis to determine past performance, inform present and future performance and/or resource allocations, and provide recommendations to the Director of Operations and other CEGA stakeholders as appropriate. Examples may include year-end financial reports; financial and business trends over time; supporting development of CEGA resource reports (return on investment reports, quarterly portfolio reviews, program plans, etc.); analyzing and modeling spending on contracts, grants, gifts, and interest/income for current periods and over time; and other budgetary analyses, forecasts, and projections (e.g. employee salary or FTE analysis, student enrollment analysis, fungibility of funds, etc.).
• Suggest new reports or financial/evaluation metrics and develop plans to track them.

System Administration (10%)

• Support payments for and administration of CEGA’s data management tools, and related business processes (e.g. Salesforce, Google Drive, Confluence, WordPress, and others). Support business process design and analysis, system or procedure testing and implementation, documentation, security, workflow, and process improvement.
• Support CEGA performance management by collecting and monitoring Operations KSAs and KPIs, developing custom fields in Salesforce, auditing Salesforce for data quality, coordinating and implementing mass data uploads/downloads. May support staff trainings on effective use of data platforms.

Center-wide Activities and Special Projects (5%)

• Actively participate in Center-wide activities, including weekly staff meetings, annual staff retreat, major events, maintenance of standard operating procedures, staff recruitment and onboarding, performance management, and other duties as assigned.
• May support administration of CEGA’s Faculty Advisory Committee (i.e. scheduling and affiliate nominations).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training, ideally in business, public administration, economics, mathematics or a related field.
• Minimum two years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong quantitative and Excel skills.
• Relevant experience managing data, finances, developing financial forecasts and reports, preparing budgets.
• Knowledge of finance policies, practices, and systems including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects at once, meet deadlines, and effectively manage your time with little direct supervision.
• Strong service ethic and attention to detail. Resourceful, frequently anticipates and solves problems, independently investigating solutions to administrative challenges.
• Agile, adaptable, self-motivated, hard-working, and collaborative.
• Advanced writing skills with demonstrated ability to precisely, clearly, and proactively communicate. Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality when necessary.
• Ability to think strategically, build trust, and communicate and collaborate effectively and openly with a diverse range of stakeholders, including USG clients, both US- and LMIC-based academic institutions/academic researchers, and other partners.
• Comfortable working in and learning computer applications, including MS and Google Suites, Salesforce, Confluence, etc.

Desired Qualifications

• Salesforce administrator certification
• Demonstrated love of learning and willingness to innovate and try new things.
• Passionate about global development and the rigorous research that informs it.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with CEGA’s compensation model; the approximate annual range for this position is $80,400-$89,467. This is not a visa opportunity. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

Apply Here

Please submit a brief cover letter and resume as a single PDF attachment when applying. The cover letter should be no more than one page, and include (1) your specific interest in working with CEGA, (2) your main qualifications for the responsibilities listed above, and (3) how you will contribute to diversity on the UC Berkeley campus and within CEGA, including through life experiences and activities you have been involved in. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note this position is not eligible for US visa sponsorship, though foreign nationals with permission to work in the US are encouraged to apply.