ORA Operations Specialist, Full Time

University of Miami•Coral Gables, FL

23h

About The Position

The ORA Operations Specialist supports the University of Miami’s Office of Research Administration (ORA) as a central point of entry for research administration inquiries, agreements, and sponsor communications. The role triages incoming requests, assigns contracts, and routes inquiries to appropriate subject matter experts, applying working knowledge of research administration processes and systems to assess requests and ensure accurate, timely handling. The specialist provides personalized service and operational support to faculty and departmental administrators, takes ownership of assigned inquiries, coordinates with University offices, and follows matters through to completion. The role communicates award status, deadlines, outstanding requirements, potential delays, and next steps, while providing clear guidance on intake requirements, policies, and sponsor requirements. The position supports pre-award, post-award, and contracts functions through administrative review, tracking, status updates, and follow-up. It maintains accurate work records, meets service-level agreements and performance standards, identifies barriers and recurring inefficiencies, and contributes to process and stakeholder-experience improvements. The specialist participates in training and professional development, follows University and unit policies, and safeguards University assets. Duties may be expanded as necessary.

Requirements

Minimum 1 year of relevant experience; an appropriate combination of relevant education and/or work experience may be considered.
Excellent organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills, with strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask successfully in a fast-paced environment.
Strong time-management skills.
Strong customer service skills.
Excellent data-entry skills.
Proficiency using MS Office products.
Ability to collect, organize, and analyze data.
Ability to recognize, analyze, and solve a variety of problems.
Ability to exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions.

Nice To Haves

Experience with sponsored research.

Responsibilities

Serve as a central point of entry for research administration inquiries, agreements, and sponsor communications.
Provide responsive, personalized customer service to faculty and departmental administrators and guide stakeholders through resolution.
Take ownership of assigned inquiries and issues, coordinate with appropriate University offices, and follow through to completion.
Communicate award status, upcoming deadlines, outstanding requirements, potential delays, next steps, and expected completion dates.
Meet ORA performance standards for response times, award setup, invoicing, financial reporting, account reconciliation, and award closeout while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
Maintain accurate, current records of assigned work to support monitoring of turnaround times, overdue items, error rates, and progress toward unit goals.
Identify and escalate barriers to timely completion, address delays within the assigned portfolio, and recommend improvements to reduce processing time and rework.
Provide clear, consistent guidance on policies and sponsor requirements, explain decisions, and identify allowable options for moving work forward.
Solicit and respond constructively to campus feedback, identify recurring service concerns, and contribute to improvements in stakeholder satisfaction and confidence.
Perform intake, triage, and administrative review of research administration submissions for completeness and appropriate routing; assess deadlines and prioritize tasks based on operational needs and sponsor requirements.
Provide administrative and operational support across pre-award, post-award, and contracts functions, including tracking, status updates, and follow-up.
Communicate with internal and external stakeholders, respond to inquiries, and provide guidance on intake requirements and processes.
Comply with service-level agreements and key performance indicators and participate in training and professional development.
Adhere to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguard University assets.
Identify recurring issues or inefficiencies in intake and communicate observations for process improvement.