Clinical Research Budget Associate

Job Title: Clinical Research Budget Associate Job Description
The Clinical Research Budget Associate plays a key role in supporting clinical research by developing, analyzing, and negotiating budgets for industry-sponsored and alliance clinical trials. This position provides financial and accounting support for clinical trial programs, contributes to strategic and long-range planning, and ensures that budgets accurately reflect the complexity and operational requirements of oncology studies. The role helps drive efficient financial stewardship, workflow management, and informed business decision-making in a mission-driven environment focused on advancing cancer research and patient care.
Responsibilities
- Provide financial administrative support for clinical research programs, focusing on the development and management of budgets for industry-sponsored clinical trials and alliance studies.
- Collaborate with the Director of Research Planning and Development to prepare detailed budgets for clinical trials, ensuring all trial-related costs are accurately captured.
- Manage and create budgets for all alliances coming into the clinical trials portfolio, aligning funding with protocol requirements and institutional standards.
- Complete Advance Set Up requests to establish funding accounts for clinical trials and ensure accounts are configured correctly for timely study activation and financial tracking.
- Review protocols, amendments, and ancillary documents to identify discrepancies or lack of clarity and work closely with principal investigator teams and sponsors to resolve issues.
- Work collaboratively with regulatory, budget, principal investigator teams, and clinical research finance (CRF) staff to review preliminary and final coverage analyses, report discrepancies, and incorporate recommended changes.
- Assist with strategic and long-range planning for the clinical trials program by attending weekly clinical research review meetings and ad hoc meetings to evaluate new protocols for potential participation.
- Partner with department clinical faculty to support clinical trial goals, providing financial insight and budgetary guidance to help optimize trial feasibility and sustainability.
- Conduct quality assurance reviews on budgets created by pre-award staff to ensure all budgetary items are captured accurately and consistently.
- Train new employees on pre-award budgeting duties and provide ongoing training to existing staff on updates and changes to budget processes implemented by CRF and the institution.
- Assist in maintaining training manuals and documentation for the budget team to ensure processes are clearly defined and up to date.
- Help manage team workload and efficiency by overseeing assignment lists and supporting equitable distribution of tasks.
- Collaborate with the protocol processing team to streamline protocol schema and maximize efficiency of charges and billing workflows.
- Participate in negotiations with industry sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) to process new and amended clinical trial budgets.
- Analyze sponsor budget proposals to determine whether proposed funding adequately covers trial-related costs, considering trial complexity, visit schedules, and reporting requirements.
- Prepare and present counter proposals when needed, and finalize study budgets and payment terms with sponsors in a timely manner.
- Ensure quick turnaround times for budget completion and study activation to support timely initiation of industry-sponsored trials.
- Create, update, and maintain pre-award files that include all pertinent correspondence and information related to clinical trial budgeting activities.
- Assist in maintaining the timelines database to verify and update pre-award information, enabling accurate tracking of contract activation milestones.
- Support the maintenance of databases that provide up-to-date financial information on department-sponsored trials and investigator-initiated funding.
- Ensure compliance with Good Clinical Research Practice standards in all budgeting and pre-award activities.
- Attend in-services, departmental meetings, trainings, and relevant events to stay current on policies and procedures affecting the conduct and financial management of protocols.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of the clinical trial process and its financial implications, including budgeting, billing, and coverage analysis.
- Utilize MS Excel, MS Access, Hyperion, OnCore, and other institutional financial systems to support data analysis, reporting, and budget management.
- Use word processing, spreadsheet, database, and graphics software to prepare financial reports, audit reports, cost analyses, and documentation for departmental and institutional use.
- Organize and maintain files and records, including redistributing and updating documentation, which may involve bending, stooping, reaching, walking, extended standing, sitting, and repetitive motions.
- Operate standard office equipment such as computers, facsimile machines, calculators, printers, photocopy machines, and multi-line telephones to perform daily work functions.
- Communicate clearly and professionally in person and by telephone, ensuring that information is conveyed accurately to team members, investigators, and sponsors.
- Demonstrate and promote core values of caring, integrity, and discovery by fostering teamwork and inclusiveness, communicating openly and reliably, modeling safe behaviors, encouraging learning and new ideas, and supporting problem-solving and personal growth.
- Build and maintain effective relationships and networks across clinical, regulatory, financial, and sponsor teams, showing sincere interest in others and their concerns.
- Apply analytical thinking to gather relevant information systematically, break down complex financial and protocol issues into manageable components, and support sound decision-making.
- Approach challenges with curiosity and open-mindedness, offering innovative ideas, solutions, and options to improve budget processes and operational efficiency.
- Perform other related duties as needed to support the financial and operational success of the clinical trials program.
Essential Skills
- Demonstrated proficiency in MS Excel, MS Access, Hyperion, and institutional financial systems used for budgeting, analysis, and reporting.
- Strong understanding of accounting principles, financial management, and data analysis in a healthcare or research setting.
- Thorough working knowledge of institutional and state guidelines related to purchasing, check requests, petty cash, and travel.
- Working knowledge of mainframe access programs and related systems used to monitor cost center or company center activities.
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage responsibilities with minimal supervision.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with clinical staff, sponsors, and co-workers.
- Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in financial analysis, documentation, and data entry.
- Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple budgets, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.
- Ability to use personal computers with standard word processing software, spreadsheets, and programs for database and graphics usage.
- Capability to master new software and systems by leveraging available resources such as colleagues, manuals, and training classes.
- Ability to maintain a satisfactory work environment through effective organization of files, records, and documentation.
- Physical ability to perform tasks that may require bending, stooping, reaching, manual handling, walking, visual inspection, extended standing, sitting, repetitive motions, and lifting up to 15 pounds.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment, including computers, facsimile machines, calculators, printers, photocopy machines, and multi-line telephone sets.
- Clear and understandable verbal communication in face-to-face encounters and by telephone.
- Demonstrated analytical thinking skills, including the ability to gather information systematically, break down problems into simple components, and support sound decisions.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships, initiate and develop networks, and show sincere interest in others and their concerns.
- Innovative thinking skills, including approaching problems with curiosity and open-mindedness and offering new ideas, solutions, and options.
- Knowledge of oncology clinical research budgeting, including clinical research budgets, industry trials, and budget development and negotiation activities.
- Experience working with study teams to review protocol documents and communicating with sponsors to finalize study budgets and payment terms.
- Familiarity with OnCore or similar clinical trials management systems used to support financial and operational workflows.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience in clinical research finance or pre-award budgeting for industry-sponsored trials is highly beneficial.
- Background in oncology or exposure to cancer-related clinical research environments is an advantage.
- Understanding of technology systems used to support financial stewardship, workflow management, operational efficiency, and business decision-making.
- Knowledge of Good Clinical Research Practice standards and their application to budgeting and financial processes.
- Ability to participate effectively in sponsor and CRO negotiations and to advocate for appropriate funding based on trial complexity and requirements.
- Comfort working in a remote, technology-enabled environment and collaborating with distributed teams.
- Interest in contributing to mission-driven work focused on advancing cancer research, patient care, and prevention.
- Commitment to core values of caring, integrity, and discovery, including teamwork, reliability, accountability, safety, responsiveness, and personal leadership.
Work Environment
This role offers a remote work environment, enabling you to perform your responsibilities from home using standard computer equipment and secure access to institutional financial and clinical trial systems such as MS Excel, MS Access, Hyperion, and OnCore. Team collaboration occurs through virtual meetings, email, and other communication platforms, with a mandatory weekly meeting that remote team members can attend virtually. Individuals located near Houston may have the option to go into the office to meet with the team when needed. The position involves extensive computer-based work, use of office equipment such as printers, photocopiers, facsimile machines, calculators, and multi-line telephones, and routine handling and organization of files and records. The work focuses on supporting one of the largest cancer research institutions in the world, offering the opportunity to shape budgets for a significant portfolio of oncology clinical trials in a culture that values teamwork, open communication, safety, innovation, and continuous learning.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Houston, TX.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $35.00 - $45.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. 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 fully remote position.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 7, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

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