Business & Fiscal Operations Specialist (Casual III)

Company Description

EDC is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development firms.  EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Collaborating with both public and private partners, we strive for a world where all people are empowered to live healthy, productive lives.

EDC has a commitment to promoting equity and access to high quality education and health services that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. EDC expresses its commitment to increasing equity through its strategies, services and products, which contribute to building capacity and transforming lives.

EDC is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Job Description

Strong candidate identified for this position.

The US Division (USD) at Education Development Center has an opening for a Business & Fiscal Operations Specialist (Casual III). This is an opportunity to work on the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands (REL-NEI), a $25M contract through 2027 from the Institute of Education (IES) at the Department of Education. As part of a network of 10 regional educational laboratories, REL Northeast & Islands (REL-NEI) will continue to build the capacity of state and local education agency partners to use data to improve student outcomes.

The position will work with the Director of REL Northeast & Islands to support pre-award and post-award management. The position is responsible for advising the project director on business matters related to fiscal viability, including annual projections, forecasting, profitability, contractual and other issues, as well as financial oversight of project expenditures. The Business & Fiscal Operations Specialist (Casual III) will report to the Director of REL Northeast & Islands.

EDC casual employees generally work as needed.  A casual position receives statutory benefits of Social Security contributions, Medicare contributions, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation insurance and sick leave.  A casual position ends when work is complete.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The person in this position is expected to communicate clearly and courteously; to develop and maintain positive relationships with clients, consultants, collaborators, co-workers, field sites, and funders; and to work respectfully with EDC colleagues. The job requires adherence to EDC policies & procedures.

The Business & Fiscal Operations Specialist (Casual III) will work closely with the REL-NEI Director, Deputy Director and others on the Leadership Team to:

• Develop annual projections, project cost to completes, forecasting, profitability, contractual issues related to finances, decisions about subcontractors, consultants and small businesses and other issues related to project expenditures.   
• Analyze and monitor spending across REL-NEI budget subtasks, including adjusting staffing spreadsheet to reflect any updates to project budgets and staffing time. 
• Monitor the incremental funding awards and ensures that additional funding is awarded as expected
• Review and approve budget updates and monitor financial progress on expenditure
• Provide information to the funder, as needed, including annual modification budget worksheets
• Develop concept paper and proposal budgets with Task Leads and project teams and collaborate with Project Management Staff around the tracking of deliverable submissions, revision of deliverable schedule, and approval of work/invoices from subcontractors as necessary
• Work with Director and Project Associate on scope of work budgets for subcontractors. 
• Create and monitor systems to analyze and manage the REL-NEI budget; seek methods to streamline budget monitoring processes.
• Uses performance indicators to assist the REL-NEI leadership team to evaluate budget health and forecasting for the full five-year contract period.

Qualifications

This position requires educational achievement; excellent writing skills; demonstrable initiative, creativity, and flexibility; ability to work independently and effectively in groups; and strong interpersonal & organizational skills. Specific requirements:

Education:  

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

Skills/Experience: 

• Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet modeling, including the ability to build dynamic spreadsheets with multiple variables, to create reports, summarize, and analyze data using Excel, and other spreadsheet and proprietary applications
• Experience developing business packages in response to federal and