Career Opportunities

CURRENT OPENINGS

Senior Financial Officer
Financial Officer
Senior Research Support Associate, Chung Lab
Technical Associate I, Gehrke Lab
Technical Associate I, Bhatia Lab
Administrative Assistant II

Senior Financial Officer – Job ID #16931

To provide effective management of all IMES and Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Program related financial activity, including all sponsored, non-sponsored, and general accounts administered through IMES and the HST Program at both MIT and Harvard Medical School. This position reports to the IMES Assistant Director for Administration (AD) in the area of finance and is responsible for the supervision of Finance Office staff.

This individual will work with the AD on the development, consistency, and implementation of the overall IMES accounting and financial management methodology and infrastructure, including transactions and reconciliations between MIT and HMS. Will also be responsible for the effective administration of sponsored research activity, preparation of annual institution budgets, day-to-day transactions, and closing activities. The Senior Fiscal Officer will provide financial reports, summaries, analysis, forecasts and resource needs assessments, utilizing current and historical data. Will coordinate with HST Program staff at MIT and HMS to ensure proactive and effective financial planning and monitoring in the areas of program administration, student support funding, course budgeting and training grants.

Position requires developing and maintaining relationships, and continuously interfacing, with a variety of departments and centralized offices at multiple institutions (MIT, HMS, area hospitals, and other affiliated research institutions) to facilitate financial activities for current and new initiatives. Will create, enhance and employ infrastructure and controls as needed to ensure compliance with policies and procedures, and make recommendations regarding fiscal policies, plans, and strategies.

Representative Duties:

Responsible for the development of financial goals and strategies for IMES.
Responsible for the implementation and reconciliation of MIT and HMS accounting and financial management practices, with respect to the HST Program.
Responsible for forecasting and reviewing monthly general and fund statement activity and budgets.
Responsible for managing the full sponsored research financial management from proposal to close-out, with support from the financial staff.
Maintain relationship with MIT and HMS budget, accounting and procurement offices, to ensure that IMES and HST business is conducted in compliance with institutional and local policies and procedures in an efficient and effective manner. Advise IMES and HST staff as to proper protocols for financial activity.
In conjunction with the Director and Assistant Director, develop, maintain, and compile the annual general and non-research account budgets at both MIT and Harvard.
Oversee the maintenance of information in financial systems of record, including the updating and correction of financial authorizations, addressees and SAP fund center hierarchy classifications.
Prepare, and process annual closing entries, including the drafting of pooled endowment and gift account funds (as determined in conjunction with the Director and the Assistant Director).
Provide the Director and Assistant Director with information and recommendations regarding budget forecasts and planning.
Set goals and quality standards for IMES financial policies and procedures.
Supervise and mentor financial staff; ensure high levels of performance from direct reports through training and by creating work standards for the team and holding individuals accountable for creating assignments; provide performance feedback and assist employees with plans for development and training. Train support staff and implement administrative systems with oversight on all financial operations and research administration matters to ensure compliance with all stakeholders (sponsors, MIT partners, etc). Contribute to the professional development of staff and the overall organization of the administrative operations of the department.
Continuously monitor complex research administration items, such as cost sharing and underrecovery. Monitor research overruns; work closely with faculty and department administration to resolve problematic transactions or clear overruns in an appropriate manner.
Manage quarterly operational expense reconciliation process between MIT and HMS.
Prepare quarterly financial reports and summaries, and examine current and historical costs for trend analysis and forecasting, including financial analysis of monthly and quarterly spending.
Work with the Director and the Assistant Director to assess overall financial policies and processes, including decisions on strategy and direction for effective management.
Develop and maintain proficiency in MIT and HMS financial systems and applications for relevant staff, including attending necessary training for SAP, Data Warehouse, Harvard System OBI, etc.
Utilize the financial systems at MIT and HMS to provide accurate and timely financial information for budgeting and reporting purposes.
Prepare special reports and analyses as requested.

Qualifications/Requirements: Bachelor’s degree required and at least 7 years prior experience in the preparation of sponsored research proposals, financial management, accounting, budgeting, and/or fiscal administration. Supervisory experience required. Must have proven ability to work in complex environment and handle multiple tasks efficiently simultaneously. Must have excellent communication skills and strong organizational and interpersonal skills and constantly strive for improvement. Demonstrated ability to work independently and with others, with strong attention to detail and accuracy, ability to set goals and objectives, meet deadlines, present solutions to complex problems, and be self-motivated. Strong experience with SAP, Kuali Coeus, Cognos, Brio, and Excel required, as is an aptitude for learning new systems quickly. Master’s degree preferred.

Please apply to the position using job #16931 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Financial Officer – Job ID #16899

Financial Officer, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), to administer and oversee pre- and post-award sponsored activities and provide ‘cradle to grave’ contract/ grant and financial management for faculty and principal investigators (PIs).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Will be responsible for pre-award activities, including reviewing solicitations, proposal and budget development, and proposal submission to the Office of Sponsored Programs using the Kuali Coeus proposal module for the preparation, routing, and submission of proposals.
Will be responsible for post-award management activities, including monitoring the financial performance of grants and contracts to ensure compliance with MIT and sponsor policies and consistency with the sponsor-approved budget; performing financial review and control activities, such as personnel charges, expense review and approval, account extensions, and closeout activities; preparing monthly forecast projections; handling payroll distribution and certification, cost sharing and matching requirements, and other terms and conditions of the award; and preparing annual and final reports and financial analysis for faculty and PIs.
Perform financial transactions as necessary, such as approving credit card charges, reimbursements, and travel reports.
Serve as a primary contact and resource for faculty, PIs, and staff on financial and research matters, including the interpretation of policies. Advise faculty and PIs and implement their subsequent decisions.
Serve as trusted source and subject matter expert in compliance and audit best practices.
Will assist with the preparation and submission of General Institute Budget and The Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Budget.

Qualifications & Skills: Required: Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years’ related experience in grant management, accounting, or related financial area; initiative; ability to work independently and solve problems with minimal supervision; work as part of team in a fast paced environment; ability to adhere to tight deadlines; interpersonal and communication skills; analysis and organizational skills; attention to detail; ability to learn changing technologies related to grants and contract management; knowledge of sponsor policies; and advanced knowledge of Excel and SAP or similar accounting package.

Please apply to the position using job #16899 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Senior Research Support Associate – Job ID #16864

Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, to assist with general operational and research-related tasks within an experimental neuroscience / engineering laboratory working with mouse tissue and clinical samples. General operational tasks include maintaining inventory, making buffers, 3D microscope imaging, tissue processing, 3D image analysis, and other laboratory and experimental tasks as needed. The opportunity to contribute to or lead projects is available as competency in various skills is demonstrated. Will work under the supervision of the postdocs and principal investigator.

Requirements:
A B.S. in bioengineering, biology, neuroscience, biological engineering or a related field preferred. At least 1 year experience working in a laboratory setting is desirable. Ability to work independently and as part of a team is critical. Strong communication skills and attention to detail are required. Ability to troubleshoot experimental obstacles and exhibit good moral judgment. Experience in tissue processing, imaging and/or image analysis are highly desirable.

Please apply to the position using job #16864 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Technical Associate I, Gehrke Lab – Job ID #16591

Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), to join a team of three laboratories developing novel two-dimensional and three-dimensional models for human infectious diseases.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

With a high level of independence performs laboratory research experiments including growing and differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells that are subsequently infected with human viruses to experimentally explore host-pathogen interactions
Conducts both standard and specialized laboratory techniques. Standard techniques would include gel electrophoresis and thermal cycling quantification of nucleic acids using polymerase chain reaction technology. Specialized techniques the growth, storage, and differentiation of multiple human cell types from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells. Specialized techniques include the use of immunohistochemistry or fluorescence activated cell sorting to identify specific biomarkers that define specific cell types.
Collects data from experiments, improves protocols, and analyzes data using appropriate statistical software. Presents data analysis to other lab members at lab meetings.
Coordinates multiple research related projects. Is the key stem cell technical contact in a three-laboratory MIT collaboration, and coordinates the availability of key reagents used in experiments conducted by the three laboratories.
Prepares complex mixtures of cell culture media, requiring careful attention to detail for reproducible results.
Maintains inventories of common laboratory supplies, especially the specialized cell culture media that are required for expanding and differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Responsible for creating a database, managing and maintaining it with a software package called “Freezer Pro”, which is a database of stem cells, as well as cells that are differentiated from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Ensures safety standards and procedures are followed. Prepares lab for inspections and corrects problems; ensures biohazard waste disposal occurs following policies and procedures.
Participates in onboarding new staff to the lab and training individuals in the use of cell culture facilities, liquid nitrogen storage, blood borne pathogens safety, and equipment usage in the laboratory.
Assesses equipment needs and schedules maintenance and repairs including responsibility for ensuring that all equipment is functional. Monitors laboratory liquid nitrogen storage tanks, CO2 tanks, cell culture media supplies, and the pico pure water system. Trouble-shoots and makes recommendations to solve equipment issues; works with vendors and maintains equipment service contract and records; researches and recommends purchase of specialized equipment.
Participates actively in modification of protocols and experimental strategies; initiates and recommends changes to manuals and procedures
May co-author articles and/or manuscripts.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree of science degree in a field related to biology, chemistry or bioengineering, related laboratory experience, and a minimum of two years of specialized lab experience. Experience with sterile technique and cell culture is essential. Prior experience in working with stem cells is highly desirable. The individual must have excellent communications skills and the ability to work productively as a member of a team. Very strong organizational skills are essential to inventory all cells and record passage numbers. The successful candidate must have strong critical thinking skills with attention to detail, self-direction, motivation, and an ability to respond to a rapidly evolving work environment involving concurrent projects and responsibilities. Prior virus work and virology background are preferred. Laboratory experience in mammalian cell culture, RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry preferred. Prior experience in the pharmaceutical industry is desirable.

This is a one year appointment with possibility of renewal contingent upon grant funding.

Please apply to the position using job #16591 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Technical Associate I, Bhatia Lab – Job ID #16791

Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Work in Professor Bhatia’s lab at the cutting edge of nanotechnology for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance/drug delivery barriers in infectious disease. The position will also include an administrative component, for which the candidate will play a lab-supporting role under the supervision of the lab manager. Relevant duties may include participation in supply ordering, invoice tracking and filing, organizing and maintaining various lab inventories, equipment maintenance and requesting equipment repairs. Hands-on experimental work will be performed at the interface of microbiology and nanomedicine, where the main research responsibility will be to plan and execute bacterial culture experiments under the supervision of a postdoctoral mentor. Bench responsibilities will include techniques applied to assess candidate antibacterial materials (microdilution, cytotoxicity, hemolysis), animal studies (bacteria innoculation, injections, breath collection, live animal imaging, tissue collection, processing animal tissues), mammalian and bacterial cell culture, microscopy, nanotechnology (peptide conjugation and analysis), and biology (FACS analysis, RT-qPCR, Western blotting). Other duties may include configuring and operating laboratory apparatus and instruments such as those necessary for standard tissue culture or molecular biology assays, as well as animal surgical and husbandry tasks; reading and recording instrument data; tabulating data and keeping detailed laboratory records; ordering chemicals, reagents, and other laboratory supplies; participating in laboratory meetings and planning sessions with a diverse group of biologists and engineers; reading literature applicable to nano drug delivery systems and the development of ant-infective agents; and overall, contribute – with the aid of colleagues – to maintaining the laboratory.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences in a field related to microbiology, bioengineering, infectious disease, cellular biology, and/or molecular biology required, with the equivalent of at least 2 years of relevant research experience in related lab techniques, which may include undergraduate work. Proven aptitude with lab techniques including bacteria culture, animal handling, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry are strongly preferred. Experience with mammalian and bacterial viability assays, animal infection models and imaging, as well as molecular techniques such as cloning, PCR, and Western blotting are also desired. Ability to solve complex problems. Ability to exercise judgment within defined practices and techniques. Willingness to learn new research and techniques. Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact with all levels of staff and with external contacts. Exceptional organizational, critical thinking skills, and attention to detail are essential.

This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon grant funding.

Please apply to the position using job #16791 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Technical Associate I, Gehrke Lab – Job ID #16591

Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), to join a team of three laboratories developing novel two-dimensional and three-dimensional models for human infectious diseases.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

With a high level of independence performs laboratory research experiments including growing and differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells that are subsequently infected with human viruses to experimentally explore host-pathogen interactions
Conducts both standard and specialized laboratory techniques. Standard techniques would include gel electrophoresis and thermal cycling quantification of nucleic acids using polymerase chain reaction technology. Specialized techniques the growth, storage, and differentiation of multiple human cell types from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells. Specialized techniques include the use of immunohistochemistry or fluorescence activated cell sorting to identify specific biomarkers that define specific cell types.
Collects data from experiments, improves protocols, and analyzes data using appropriate statistical software. Presents data analysis to other lab members at lab meetings.
Coordinates multiple research related projects. Is the key stem cell technical contact in a three-laboratory MIT collaboration, and coordinates the availability of key reagents used in experiments conducted by the three laboratories.
Prepares complex mixtures of cell culture media, requiring careful attention to detail for reproducible results.
Maintains inventories of common laboratory supplies, especially the specialized cell culture media that are required for expanding and differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Responsible for creating a database, managing and maintaining it with a software package called “Freezer Pro”, which is a database of stem cells, as well as cells that are differentiated from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Ensures safety standards and procedures are followed. Prepares lab for inspections and corrects problems; ensures biohazard waste disposal occurs following policies and procedures.
Participates in onboarding new staff to the lab and training individuals in the use of cell culture facilities, liquid nitrogen storage, blood borne pathogens safety, and equipment usage in the laboratory.
Assesses equipment needs and schedules maintenance and repairs including responsibility for ensuring that all equipment is functional. Monitors laboratory liquid nitrogen storage tanks, CO2 tanks, cell culture media supplies, and the pico pure water system. Trouble-shoots and makes recommendations to solve equipment issues; works with vendors and maintains equipment service contract and records; researches and recommends purchase of specialized equipment.
Participates actively in modification of protocols and experimental strategies; initiates and recommends changes to manuals and procedures
May co-author articles and/or manuscripts.

This is a one year appointment with possibility of renewal contingent upon grant funding.

Please apply to the position using job #16591 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.

Administrative Assistant II – Job ID #16987

Under minimal supervision, provide comprehensive administrative support for two professors and their research groups in the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Schedule appointments and meetings. Coordinate and staff events, such as research group meetings, seminars, conference logistics, luncheons and recreational activities for the labs and class trips. Duties include reserving space, scheduling presenters, ordering refreshments, preparing materials, advertising, room set-up, and registration check-in. Prepare complex itineraries for multiple constituents.
Manage complex domestic and international travel arrangements. Process travel reimbursements using Concur. Coordinate logistics for attendance at conferences for staff as well as internal and external sponsor visits including hotel, transportation and visa, if applicable.
Gather information and submit requests for visiting and postdoctoral appointments. Draft appointment letters. Assist with orienting and training new students, staff, and visitors. (For example, provide guidance on the Institute procedures for ordering research materials.)
Following budgetary guidelines, monitor and order supplies and equipment. Select vendors. Process journal vouchers, requisitions, and purchase orders using SAP. Process requests for payment and invoices. Use signature and purchasing authorization as appropriate.
Monitor and reconcile accounting statements in compliance with financial review and control. Investigate and follow up on purchasing/accounting discrepancies. In conjunction with Finance office, assist with the monitoring and reconciling of research and discretionary accounts in SAP. Prepare and approve purchasing and accounting forms; approve Procurement card transactions; submit FRCs monthly.
Assist faculty with the preparation of grant proposals and coordinate pre- and post-grant award management, including tracking submission deadlines for funding requests, renewals and annual reports.
Update faculty member’s CV and maintain up to date list of his publications. Compose and edit internal correspondence and documents. Assist with layout and graphics for research manuscripts. Design PowerPoint presentations from established content.
Use Web software to input, update, and maintain Web content including the lab websites and develop a template for all project pages.
Assist with the preparation and organization of materials for courses such as assisting with updating and compiling course reading materials, editing Powerpoint presentations, and working with Copytech on copyright information. Maintain course website.
Assist in upkeep of the space, including overseeing the maintenance of office equipment, and setting up and maintaining common areas.
Respond to inquiries requiring a broad understanding of work-area policies and procedures. Provide explanations and instructions and ensure inquiries are addressed and resolved.
Resolve problems in a thorough and timely manner, including basic computer problems.
Create filing systems and monitor for efficiency. Maintain records such as travel vouchers and research grants/contracts. Initiates changes and updates to manuals and procedures for own area. Train others regarding policies and procedures.
Deal with confidential issues using discretion and judgment.
Proactively seek training and development opportunities to improve and update skills in order to better support faculty.
Perform other administrative, financial, and clerical duties as necessary to support faculty activities, including: distribute mail, coordinate mass mailings, photocopy, and library and Internet searches.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Education: High School education or equivalent. Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Experience: A minimum of three years secretarial, office, or related experience.

Strong oral and written communication, interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with people at all levels;. Strong customer service and attention to detail. Ability to maintain confidentiality, learn new skills and balance priorities across simultaneous projects. Proficiency with MS Office and ability to learn new software applications. Adobe, Endnote, Stellar, SAP, and web design software experience preferred. Proactive, self-motivated, and resourceful individual who is able to work independently as well as on a team. Prior MIT experience helpful.

Please apply to the position using job #16987 through the MIT jobs portal at http://jobs.mit.edu.