SENIOR BILLING & ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST, Research Finance & Property Management

Senior Billing & Accounts Specialist, Research Finance & Property Management

The Senior Billing & Accounts Specialist owns end to end invoicing and accounts receivable for a diverse and highly complex portfolio of sponsored projects, ensuring timely, accurate billing, active accounts receivable follow-up and full payment resolution in accordance with sponsor terms, federal and nonfederal regulations, and University policy. The role requires advanced interpretation of award documents, prepares and submits invoices as specified by the sponsor and continuously improves processes by automating workflows and leveraging SAP to its fullest extent. This position requires knowledge of sponsored research administration, strong analytical skills, and the ability to navigate complex systems.

Major duties of this position also include:

• Prepare, submit, and track sponsor invoices (cost reimbursable, milestone and other award types) across agency portals.
• Research, analyze, and resolve short payments, overpayments, unapplied cash, and sponsor discrepancies; actively monitor aging and follow up on delinquencies through to final resolution.
• Investigate complex payment issues including partial payments, denied costs, sponsor offsets, and timing differences.
• Coordinate with sponsors, central offices, and internal stakeholders to achieve full and accurate cash recovery.
• Generate and analyze monthly unbilled and A/R reports, surface risks, trends, and actionable insights for management.
• Review and recommend write offs with full justification and supporting documentation; present packages to Research Financial Operations management for approval.
• Review and interpret complex award and contract terms (federal, nonfederal, industry, and foundation) to ensure sponsor compliant invoicing and reporting.
• Apply evolving federal and nonfederal regulations and assess downstream billing and cash impact.
• Use SAP to its fullest extent, including invoice creation and posting, A/R subledger analysis, dunning and collections, cash application review, and portfolio level reporting; identify root causes of aged or problematic receivables and assist management in recommendations to standardize SOPs for billing and collections to drive consistency and scalability.
• Provide excellent customer service to PIs, administrators, and central partners; proactively communicate status, issues, and resolutions.
• Contribute to training and dissemination of policy updates.
• Partner with management on strategic and data driven projects to advance departmental goals and operational efficiency.
• Pay Range: Salary Grade 48
• Minimum $61,200, Midpoint $82,700, Maximum $104,100 Note: Salary is based on related experience, expertise, available budget, and internal equity; new hires can expect an initial annual salary which is between the minimum and midpoint of the range above ($72,000 - $83,000).
• Boston University supports a flexible work environment for authorized staff members.
• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement (i.e. remote work up to three (3) days per week), after completion of a successful observation period.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 3-5 years of progressive experience in research administration, sponsored programs billing and accounts receivable, and financial reconciliation within a university or similar research environment.
• Demonstrated excellence in organization, time management, communication, and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Intermediate (or higher) Excel skills (lookups, pivots, complex formulas) for data acquisition, analysis, and reconciliation.
• A proactive, diplomatic self-starter who works independently and as part of a small, collegial team.
• Able to prioritize routine tasks and ad hoc needs under multiple deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

• Hands on experience with SAP (billing, A/R, cash management, and reporting modules) and sponsor e billing portals.
• Note: the remission benefit extends to dependents as well. For more details on benefits, please refer to the Boston University benefits page.
• The department of Financial Affairs at Boston University values intellectual, cultural, and social diversity among its staff and students. We remain steadfast in our dedication to building a team that is inclusive and equitable and a place where all constituents can thrive.
• For all positions, we are looking for individuals who enjoy working with colleagues in a collaborative environment and who are flexible and creative. We strongly encourage applications from women and under-represented groups who share our interest in serving a university community with diverse needs, backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities.
• Interested applicants are asked to upload a resume, list of references (if available), and submit a cover letter addressed to 'Hiring Manager Senior Billing Account Specialist position'.
• We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation(s). We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.