Job Title: Clinical Research Finance Manager
Job Description
The Clinical Research Finance Manager provides advanced financial and budgeting support for clinical research studies within a large, mission-driven healthcare organization undergoing an enterprise ERP transformation. This senior-level role leads the development and negotiation of clinical research budgets, evaluates study feasibility, ensures compliance with Medicare and institutional regulations, and serves as a key resource for research finance matters. The position plays a critical part in modernizing financial operations across research, supporting patient care and operational excellence, while mentoring junior staff and contributing to high-visibility reporting and leadership presentations.
Responsibilities
Lead the development of detailed and accurate budgets for clinical research studies, ensuring alignment with institutional guidelines and sponsor requirements.
Evaluate the financial feasibility of proposed clinical research studies, analyzing costs, reimbursement assumptions, and resource utilization.
Negotiate clinical research budgets with industry sponsors, advocating for appropriate funding and cost coverage while maintaining strong sponsor relationships.
Ensure compliance with Medicare regulations and institutional policies in all aspects of clinical research budgeting and billing.
Serve as a senior resource and subject matter expert for research finance matters, providing guidance and support to investigators, study teams, and internal stakeholders.
Identify, investigate, and resolve budget and billing issues related to clinical research studies in a timely and accurate manner.
Support the preparation of financial reports, dashboards, and analyses for leadership, including materials for presentations and decision-making.
Contribute to the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) activities related to clinical research, including forecasting, variance analysis, and financial modeling.
Utilize tools such as Microsoft Excel and Smartsheet to manage budgets, track financial performance, and support project planning and reporting.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams involved in the enterprise ERP transformation to support system modernization, process redesign, and data integrity for research finance.
Participate in or support activities related to the integration of clinical research financial processes into the broader ERP program across HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and Research.
Mentor and support junior staff within the clinical research finance team, sharing knowledge, best practices, and guidance on complex financial issues.
Engage with stakeholders across clinical, research, and administrative functions to ensure alignment on financial processes, policies, and project goals.
Contribute to a collaborative, people-first culture by actively participating in knowledge-sharing, continuous improvement, and team-based problem-solving.
Essential Skills
Proven experience in financial analysis and financial reporting, with a focus on supporting complex projects or programs.
Demonstrated expertise in clinical research finance, including clinical budgets and study financial management.
Strong proficiency in budgeting and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) for clinical research or similar environments.
Hands-on experience developing and negotiating clinical research budgets with industry sponsors.
In-depth understanding of Medicare regulations and institutional compliance requirements as they relate to clinical research budgeting and billing.
Ability to evaluate clinical study feasibility from a financial perspective, including cost structures and reimbursement assumptions.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for financial modeling, analysis, and reporting.
Experience using Smartsheet or similar tools to support project tracking, budgeting, and reporting.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex budget and billing issues.
Effective communication skills, with the ability to present financial information clearly to leadership and non-financial stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to serve as a senior resource on research finance matters and to provide guidance to colleagues and stakeholders.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience working within a healthcare, hospital, or clinical research environment.
Background supporting large-scale enterprise initiatives, such as ERP transformations or system modernization projects.
Familiarity with process redesign, data integrity, and cross-functional collaboration in complex organizational settings.
Experience mentoring or coaching junior staff in finance or research administration.
Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, people-first culture that values teamwork, respect, and knowledge-sharing.
Comfort working in a dynamic, transformative environment with evolving processes and priorities.
Interest in contributing to mission-driven work that directly supports patient care, research, and frontline staff.
Work Environment
This role supports a large-scale enterprise ERP transformation within a highly collaborative, mission-driven healthcare environment. The position follows a hybrid work model that combines on-site collaboration with remote flexibility. Employees are expected to be local to the Boston area, as there will be regular on-site engagement for collaboration, project meetings, system testing, and stakeholder alignment. On-site work takes place at a central campus that serves as a hub for clinical, research, and administrative operations. Remote work is supported and encouraged for focused project tasks, allowing for productivity while maintaining strong connections with cross-functional teams. The environment is professional, purpose-driven, and team-oriented, and it requires individuals who are comfortable working across departments, adapting to change, and contributing to a complex, enterprise-level transformation initiative.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Boston, MA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $55.00 - $65.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Boston,MA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Apr 17, 2026.
About Aston Carter:
Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com (%20astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com) for other accommodation options.
