Summary

The Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology Section, is seeking an experienced and highly organized Senior Research Administrative Associate to manage complex pre‑award and post‑award research administration activities. This role serves as a primary resource for faculty, section administrators, and research staff, providing expert guidance on sponsored programs administration, including grant and contract submissions, post‑award financial management, effort and cost allocation, SAP transactions, budget and expense oversight, invoicing, compliance, and award closeout. The position independently manages a diverse portfolio of grants and contracts, facilitates coordination with central administrative offices, and supports operational consistency across the department. Under the supervision of the Section Administrator, the Senior Research Administrative Associate may train and mentor lower‑level staff and faculty on research administration processes and best practices. A hybrid work schedule may be available upon successful completion of training.

Job Duties

Pre-Award Administration

• Provide advanced pre-award research administration support for federal, state, industry, and private foundation grants, contracts, and subcontracts as subject expert, including gathering, preparing, reviewing and approving proposal documentation such as budgets, budget justifications, other support, statements of work, spreadsheets, and related materials; establish and communicate submission timelines to ensure complete applications are routed to the central office for institutional review and approval.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for principal investigators, faculty, trainees, and staff, coordinating with the Office of Research, Sponsored Programs Offices (SPO), Grants & Contracts, Accounting, Legal, sponsors, and collaborating institutions to facilitate timely, accurate, and compliant proposal submissions.
• Interpret and apply sponsor guidelines, institutional policies, and regulatory requirements to guide proposal development; develop and maintain proposal checklists and tools to ensure compliance throughout grants and contracts lifecycle.
• Coordinate subcontracts and collaborative agreements by obtaining required documentation from internal and external partners and ensuring accurate, complete, and timely submission and execution.
• Support the negotiation and execution of industry-sponsored agreements—including sponsored research agreements, clinical trial agreements, material transfer agreements, and independent consultant agreements—in collaboration with Grants & Contracts, SPO, Legal, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of research administration operations by identifying process efficiencies, recommending and implementing enhancements, participating in training and professional development, and sharing best practices with colleagues and leadership.
• Maintain accurate and complete records for pending, active, and closed awards, including proposal and award metrics, faculty effort, and grant-related data; generate reports to support submissions, progress reporting, leadership requests, and closeout activities.

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Post-Award Administration

• Provide advanced full lifecycle post-award administration for sponsored projects, including award setup, budget allocation, monthly reconciliations, cost allowability reviews, cost transfers, effort certification, subrecipient monitoring, sponsor financial reporting, and award closeout.
• Develop, prepare, analyze, and review financial reports summarizing sponsored research activity, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and effective communication of financial status and trends to faculty, research teams, and leadership.
• Review and approve financial transactions—including shopping carts, travel requests, journal entries, and other expenditures—ensuring appropriate allocation to sponsored accounts and adherence to sponsor and institutional guidelines.
• Support annual and project-specific budgeting and forecasting activities by projecting expenditures and effort commitments, validating planned costs, and monitoring burn rates across all budget categories.
• Provide advanced post-award guidance and high-quality customer service to faculty, division administrators, and research staff on budget revisions, expenditure monitoring, financial reporting, compliance requirements, and award closeout procedures.
• Serve as a key liaison between faculty, departmental and divisional leadership, central finance offices, and sponsors to ensure effective communication, timely issue resolution, and consistent application of institutional and sponsor policies.
• Develop, maintain, and update post-award standard operating procedures (SOPs); provide training and informal guidance on cost allowability, effort reporting, and SAP workflow processes; and support mentoring and knowledge-sharing among research administration staff.
• Monitor and evaluate financial activity across sponsored projects through detailed account reviews to identify and resolve discrepancies, ensure proper cost allocation, and maintain compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements.
• Collaborate with pre-award colleagues to ensure a smooth transition from proposal submission to active award management, including accurate handoff of budgets, compliance requirements, and award documentation.
• Remain current on evolving research administration regulations, policies, and best practices; communicate updates to faculty and staff; assist with internal audits; and contribute to departmental policy development and process improvement initiatives. 
• 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

• Advanced Microsoft Excel experience.
• Experience with SAP S4 Hana, Microsoft Power BI, and other financial reporting tools.
• Strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills and a high level of accountability and organization.
• Self‑motivated team player who effectively manages multiple priorities, works well under pressure, and maintains accuracy and professionalism in a fast‑paced research environment.