Assistant Contract Administrator

MIT • Cambridge, MA

4h

About The Position

ASSISTANT CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR , Research Services , will provide guidance and support to departments, labs, centers, and institutes across a broad range of research administration activities and partner closely with Principal Investigators (PIs) and administrative staff to support the full lifecycle of sponsored research, from proposal development and submission to award setup, management, and closeout. In collaboration with a Team Manager and Contract Administrators, will conduct initial reviews of proposals and budgets, ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements, including cost sharing, faculty effort, and disclosure obligations; support non-financial compliance activities such as IRB and export controls, and coordinates proposal submissions with relevant stakeholders; assist with interpreting sponsor guidelines and award terms, communicating key requirements and updates to PIs and administrators, and helping establish and modify awards, including account setup; and serve as a liaison between MIT and sponsors, supporting communication and addressing administrative issues throughout the award lifecycle. Additional responsibilities include providing backup support across RAS teams, assisting with award closeouts, and contributing to special projects or committees as needed. The full job description is available, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1687Np5vAp-2plr1p2vT70OZKb2qrXxaM/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110716311861814000406&rtpof=true&sd=true

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in research or financial administration
• a minimum of two years of experience
• experience with budget preparation
• familiarity with federal and non-federal sponsor regulations
• strong attention-to-detail, communication, organizational, and customer service skills
• proficiency in MS Office (Excel required)

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Kuali Coeus

Responsibilities

• provide guidance and support to departments, labs, centers, and institutes across a broad range of research administration activities
• partner closely with Principal Investigators (PIs) and administrative staff to support the full lifecycle of sponsored research, from proposal development and submission to award setup, management, and closeout
• conduct initial reviews of proposals and budgets, ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements, including cost sharing, faculty effort, and disclosure obligations
• support non-financial compliance activities such as IRB and export controls, and coordinates proposal submissions with relevant stakeholders
• assist with interpreting sponsor guidelines and award terms, communicating key requirements and updates to PIs and administrators, and helping establish and modify awards, including account setup
• serve as a liaison between MIT and sponsors, supporting communication and addressing administrative issues throughout the award lifecycle
• providing backup support across RAS teams
• assisting with award closeouts
• contributing to special projects or committees as needed

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level