Job Description
Description
Project Financial Analyst
Location – East Coast, United States
Are you the kind of finance professional who actually wants to see the impact of their work, not just report on it?
Can you bring rigour and pace to a high-stakes reconciliation backlog in a global clinical research environment?
At Cerba Research, we are committed to finding the best talent to join our team. We have partnered with Vector Talent to manage the recruitment process for this role. If you’re interested in applying, please direct all applications and questions to Vector Talent.
The Finance team at Cerba Research is looking for a Project Financial Analyst (PFA) to take ownership of financial reconciliations and manual billing across a portfolio of clinical studies. This is a fixed term role (12 months) with direct, measurable impact on revenue recovery and client confidence — sitting at the intersection of clinical operations and commercial delivery.
About Cerba Research
With over 40 years of clinical research expertise, Cerba Research has built a unique offering of services, including clinical trial management, specialty lab & biomarker services, and medical devices & diagnostics offerings.
Cerba Research supports clients from research and development all the way through clinical studies and commercialization of therapies. We combine the deep therapeutic understanding and agility of a specialist with the capacity, breadth, and global reach of a central lab.
We provide key laboratory services to biopharma, government, and not-for-profit organizations supporting clinical trials. Our global accredited laboratory network covers the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and Africa.
Our aim is to transform clinical research — delivering the promise of precision and predictive medicine to help people live healthier lives.
Why Join Us?
• Real Impact – This isn’t a support function. The work you do directly addresses revenue leakage, accelerates cash collection, and restores client confidence in billing. The numbers matter, and so does your output.
• A Business in Motion – Cerba are mid-transformation. SAP implementation, process modernisation, and a growing PFA function mean you’re joining at a moment where good people shape how things are built.
• Scale & Infrastructure – 40+ years of clinical research heritage, a global accredited lab network, and long-standing relationships across biopharma and biotech.
• A Team Worth Joining – You’ll work alongside an experienced subject matter expert who will coordinate and support the team.
How You Will Add Value
As Project Financial Analyst, you will contribute to:
• Recovering revenue through structured financial reconciliations across running and closing studies
• Accelerating cash collection by taking ownership of manual billing for a defined portfolio of central lab studies
• Improving client relationships by resolving invoicing queries accurately and in a timely manner
• Supporting the finance function’s wider transformation as Cerba Research moves toward full SAP go-live
Your Responsibilities
• Perform financial reconciliations across clinical studies — comparing revenues, budgets, and invoiced amounts, identifying variances, and driving resolution
• Execute manual billing for a defined portfolio of central lab studies, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Review and maintain project budgets, ensuring alignment with contract terms and reflecting subsequent change orders
• Monitor project revenues and expenses on a monthly basis, providing variance analysis for internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure accurate revenue recognition based on study progress, contract terms, and accounting standards
• Liaise with Accounts Receivable to support timely invoicing and payment collection
• Work cross-functionally with Project Managers, Finance, Lab Ops, and the Contracts & Proposals team to address financial questions and discrepancies
• Support internal and external audits by providing required financial documentation
• Contribute to automation initiatives, including financial reconciliation and profitability tracking tools
About You
You’re a detail-oriented finance professional with real experience in clinical research or CRO environments. You’re comfortable working independently, and you find a messy reconciliation genuinely satisfying to unpick.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field
• Experience in financial analysis, with a focus on project finance in Life Sciences, Clinical Trials, CRO, or Biotech
• Solid grounding in revenue recognition, contract financials, clinical trial budgeting, and billing processes
• Proficiency in financial systems — SAP, CTMS, Excel — and curiosity about what comes next (automation, AI-assisted tools)
• A self-starter who doesn’t need hand-holding to move from brief to output
• Excellent communicator — comfortable working with external clients as well as internal cross-functional teams
• CPA, CFA, or PMP certification is beneficial but not required
• Based in the Netherlands or Belgium (hybrid/remote), or remote from the UK, with full right to work in your country of residence
• Fluent in English; additional Dutch or French language skills are a plus but not required
Travel
No travel required for this role.
