Administrator, Research & International Agreements

University of Waterloo•Waterloo, ON

3d•CA$61,955 - CA$77,444•Onsite

About The Position

The Administrator, Research Partnerships, is responsible to the Sr. Manager for government contract and grant administrative functions (legal, administrative and contractual) in all Faculties. This role provides general administrative support to the Research Partnerships team, including responding to requests from sponsors/partners for award agreements, disbursement and/or receipt of funds to/from partner institutions and correspondence regarding proposals and agreements. The Administrator will maintain complete and accurate files for each proposal and assigned award, process all proposals/projects through research administration workflow using the OR InfoEd system, and play a key role in the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of all matters associated with research projects and proposals. This role is also responsible for understanding university guidelines and policies pertaining to research, monitoring projects to ensure conformity with university policies, and assisting in the preparation and submission of amendments to contracts and grants. Additionally, the Administrator prepares standard University contract and grant agreements for signature, resolves issues, and prepares non-routine reports. In terms of customer service, the Administrator acts as an advisor/consultant in policy interpretation, manages correspondence to external sponsors, and assists the Manager in monitoring and disseminating announcements for funding opportunities. The role also involves streamlining workflow and business practices by collaborating with management on procedures, being fully cross-trained on all workflow processes, and maintaining data within management systems. Finally, the Administrator facilitates related activities by preparing announcements, assisting with presentation materials, and arranging meeting logistics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
Two+ years of experience in a project management and/or administrative role, preferably in an academic or research environment
Outstanding interpersonal skills, with a proven high level of aptitude for and success in providing exceptional customer service
Excellent communication (oral and written), ensuring effective interaction with a wide range of individuals both within the University and from external agencies
Demonstrate personal initiative and flexibility and possess strong problem-solving and dispute-resolution skills to ensure effective management of the Research Partnerships government portfolio
Strong analytical skills to accurately interpret and apply agency and institutional regulations, policies and guidelines during proposal review and agreement negotiation, and to integrate report data from various sources
Strong organizational skills coupled with the ability to take initiative, work independently, handle multiple tasks, meet conflicting deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced environment characterized by changing priorities

Nice To Haves

Broad knowledge of University policies and procedures relating to research and research agreements, contract and industrial grant management, the academic and research environment, and sponsor guidelines is an asset

Responsibilities

Provides general administrative support to the Research Partnerships team, including responding to requests from sponsors/partners for award agreements, disbursement and/or receipt of funds to/from partner institutions and correspondence regarding proposal and agreements
Maintains complete and accurate files for each proposal and assigned award, including all documentation received from the sponsor, and archives all closed or non-initiated projects for future reference
Processes all proposals/projects through research administration workflow using the OR InfoEd system
Plays a key role in the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of all matters associated with research projects and proposals
Responsible for understanding university guidelines and policies pertaining to research, and for proactively establishing appropriate and effective internal submission procedures that adhere to those guidelines and policies
Monitors projects to ensure that they conform to uWaterloo policies and procedures such as those pertaining to overhead, intellectual property, reporting deadlines, and payment dates
Assists in the preparation and submission of amendments to contracts and grants including requests for date extensions and budgetary reallocations; such requests may be initiated by the incumbent, sponsor or by the faculty member
Prepares, for signature, standard University contract and grant agreements ensuring that all relevant details and documents are included; follows up with sponsors as required to ensure documentation is signed and received with appropriate distribution to the sponsor and the researcher in a timely manner, and resolves any problems through process
Prepares non-routine reports required by stakeholders from various data sources including the InfoEd database system
Acts as an advisor/consultant in the interpretation of policies and procedures throughout the lifetime of assigned projects from initiation to file closure, as well as a resource person to internal clients (e.g. faculty researchers, executive assistants and administrative assistants) to ensure that the research administrative role is carried out promptly, accurately and effectively
Manages correspondence to external sponsors to ensure effective performance monitoring of research projects
Assists the Manager in the monitoring of and timely dissemination of announcements and calls for proposals for funding opportunities, maintaining university distribution lists, obtaining additional information as required, preparing clear and informative announcements in a timely manner, instituting follow-up measures, and contacting individual researchers when appropriate
Responsible for managing correspondence with external sponsors to ensure effective performance monitoring of government research projects
Acts as a point of contact for general inquiries regarding government research at UW
Collaborates with the Manager and Director with respect to the effective implementation of any procedures related to government research proposals, grants, funding, partnerships, and contracts
Fully cross-trained on all partnerships/research and general agreements workflow and processes
Responsible for data entry and the maintenance of information and records within data management systems, including tracking progress, providing reports, and monitoring and reviewing to ensure the accuracy of the input
Responsible for preparing and circulating announcements, assisting with preparing presentation materials and assist with meeting logistics including booking of rooms and arranging for food as required
Presentations to faculty and administrative staff, as required
Other general and specific duties as may from time to time be determined, including the completion of related projects as assigned, and the design and generation of any specific reports requested