Research Administration Lead, Workday ERP Transformation
About The Position
The Research Administration Lead for Workday ERP Transformation is accountable for the Research Administration workstream and serves as the primary University decision-maker for sponsored programs and grants management. Reporting to the VP for ERP Transformation, the role leads the design and delivery of research administration capabilities, coordinates with Finance on grants accounting and sponsored activity, directs the assigned research team and advisers, and escalates decisions or risks requiring broader program action. The role guides future-state design across pre-award and post-award administration, sponsored programs, grants, clinical trials, effort reporting, and related reporting needs. It ensures the solution meets sponsor requirements, institutional policy, controls, security, data integrity, and regulatory reporting needs. The position leads Research Administration participation in requirements, configuration reviews, data validation, testing, cutover, deployment readiness, and stabilization, and supports stakeholder alignment, training, knowledge transfer, and transition to ongoing operations. Position tasks are generally performed in person at an Emory University location. Remote work-from-home days may be granted at department discretion, and Emory reserves the right to change remote-work status with notice.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, a science field, or another related field.
- Ten years of progressively responsible research administration, sponsored programs, or transformation experience, including experience leading complex teams or workstreams.
- Broad expertise in pre-award and post-award administration, sponsored programs, grants management, effort reporting, and research compliance.
- Experience delivering large-scale research administration or enterprise system transformation.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and faculty stakeholders, resolve competing priorities, and communicate complex research and system topics clearly.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree and/or a professional certification in research administration.
- Direct Workday experience; strongly preferred.
- Full-life-cycle Workday grants or financial management implementation experience.
- Experience at a major research university, academic medical center, or similarly complex research institution.
Responsibilities
- Own Research Administration workstream scope, priorities, deliverables, dependencies, decisions, risks, and readiness in coordination with the ERP PMO.
- Serve as the functional product owner for sponsored programs and grants management and approve the future-state research administration design.
- Guide design across pre-award and post-award administration, sponsored programs, grants, clinical trials, effort reporting, and related reporting needs.
- Coordinate research administration design with Finance grants accounting and other cross-functional processes while preserving required compliance and operating distinctions.
- Secure appropriate subject matter advisers and identify backfill or operational capacity needed to sustain research administration during the program.
- Ensure the solution addresses sponsor requirements, institutional policy, controls, security, data integrity, and regulatory reporting.
- Lead Research Administration participation in requirements, configuration reviews, data validation, testing, cutover, deployment readiness, and stabilization.
- Communicate decisions and impacts, build stakeholder alignment, and support training, knowledge transfer, and transition to ongoing operations.
- Perform related responsibilities as required.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
