Summary

In this role, the candidate contributes to departmental research strategy and leads the implementation of pre- and post-award activities within the Department of Pathology & Immunology. This position independently manages complex sponsored research processes and provides grant program and financial expertise to faculty and departmental leadership. Responsibilities include proposal and budget development, departmental application review, financial oversight, sponsor compliance, and coordination with institutional offices and external funding partners. As a seasoned professional within the department’s centralized research administration team, the individual leads process improvements and provides technical guidance and training to less experienced staff.

Onsite work arrangement during training period, then eligible for hybrid work schedule (in office four days per week).

Employees with CRA certification are eligible for certification pay.

Job Duties

Proposal Development and Submission

•  Independently coordinate proposals for federal, state, foundation, industry, and other sponsors.
• Interpret funding announcements, establish submission timelines, develop and review budgets and budget justifications, and coordinate administrative documents and collaborator materials.
• Prepare grant and subcontract submissions through BRAIN and applicable sponsor systems, ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and institutional deadlines.

Departmental Application Review and Approval

• Review grant applications and supporting documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Review and approve applications and certify summary data in BRAIN on behalf of the department, within delegated authority and established institutional procedures.

Faculty Consultation

• Advise faculty on funding opportunities, eligibility, application requirements, budget feasibility, allowable expenditures, and award administration for projects ranging from fellowships and career development awards to complex grants and contracts.

Award Administration

• Review award terms, approved budgets, reporting obligations, and spending restrictions.
• Coordinate account establishment, award modifications, prior approval requests, no-cost extensions, and other administrative actions with the appropriate institutional offices.

Financial Oversight

• Review expenditures, commitments, salary allocations, and available balances using S4, Power BI, institutional reporting tools, and department processes.
• Reconcile accounts, prepare projections, identify potential deficits or unspent balances, and recommend corrective actions to faculty and departmental leadership.

Personnel and Effort Management

• Coordinate salary allocations and changes through PEPT and applicable institutional processes.
• Review personnel charges for consistency with approved budgets, appointment periods, and documented effort, and resolve discrepancies. 

Reporting and Closeout

• Prepare budgets and financial analyses for quarterly, semiannual, and annual reporting.
• Coordinate with central post-award offices on financial reports, invoicing, and award closeout; monitor deadlines and escalate unresolved issues affecting sponsor deliverables or compliance.

Complex Issue Resolution and Liaison Responsibilities

• Resolve expenditure discrepancies, delayed transactions, subaward issues, and award restrictions in collaboration with institutional offices.
• Serve as a liaison among faculty, departmental leadership, collaborating institutions, and central departments.

Process Leadership

• Evaluate departmental procedures, faculty-staff communication, and submission efficiencies. 
• Recommend and lead implementation of improvements that increase efficiency, accuracy, and timely completion of pre- and post-award activities.

Training and Audit Readiness

• Provide technical guidance and training to less experienced staff.
• Maintain complete award records, respond to audit and documentation requests, and coordinate resolution of identified issues. 
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
   

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.  Certified Research Administrator certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Four years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with independent management of complex pre- and post-award activities in an academic medical center or research-intensive institution.
• Extensive experience with NIH and other federal awards, nonfederal sponsors, subawards, and complex grant and contract submissions.
• Strong expertise in budget development, financial analysis, expenditure reconciliation, projections, reporting, effort administration, and award closeout.