Research Administration Manager

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

12h

About The Position

This role oversees and provides strategic direction for the management of all project budget preparation according to agency, sponsored research, and departmental guidelines when faculty and other department/institute personnel apply for extramural funding. It also oversees the review of state contracts for accuracy of dates and dollar amounts, the coordination of grant proposal development, and the process of entering proposals into UFIRST with all required documentation. The position serves as a liaison between the department, the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP), and other core administrative offices. It supervises research administration staff, monitors the department’s sponsored project portfolios, provides analyses and projections to leadership, and maintains performance dashboards. The role collaborates with leadership to forecast staffing needs, improve tools/systems, manage annual space allocation, and contribute to strategic planning. The position also leads the development and implementation of training programs for research administrators and faculty, and oversees the development and maintenance of research administration resources.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in grant and contract administration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Deep knowledge of federal, state, university, college, and departmental regulations governing sponsored research and financial compliance.
In-depth understanding of accounting principles and regulatory frameworks related to State, Federal, and institutional sponsored programs.
Strong familiarity with major funding agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF, DOD), private foundations, and corporate sponsors, including their application and compliance requirements.
Demonstrated experience navigating University of Florida systems and sponsored projects policies, with proficiency in UFIRST, ASSIST, ProposalCentral, Grants.gov, Fastlane, and related platforms.
Familiarity with UF and College of Medicine procedures is highly preferred.
Experience with PeopleSoft and related enterprise systems.
Proven ability to lead, train, and support research administrators; applies sound administrative judgment and fosters a culture of compliance and customer service.
High-level proficiency in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel and Word); experience with WordPress and database tools is essential.
Strong analytical skills, including program evaluation, financial forecasting, and interpreting complex data to inform strategic decision-making.
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Demonstrated discretion in handling confidential information and maintaining professionalism in all interactions.
Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a proven ability to lead through change and improve operational efficiency.
Track record of achieving performance goals and delivering high-quality support to investigators and departments.

Responsibilities

Oversees and provides strategic direction for the management of all project budget preparation according to agency, sponsored research, and departmental guidelines.
Oversees the review of state contracts for accuracy of dates and dollar amounts.
Oversees the coordination of the development of grant proposals.
Oversees the process of entering proposals into UFIRST along with all required documentation, including conflict of interest disclosures, internal budgets, and supporting materials.
Serves as a liaison between the department, the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP), and other core administrative offices.
Supervises research administration staff, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, workload allocation, and professional development.
Monitors the department’s sponsored project portfolios and provides regular analyses and projections to Departmental leadership related to proposal activity, award trends, expenditures, and research growth opportunities.
Maintains performance dashboards or metrics, tracking proposal volume, turnaround time, and compliance rates, and uses data to guide improvements.
Coordinates regular check-ins with department leadership to align on priorities, gather feedback, and address pain points or anticipated changes in research activity.
Collaborates with the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics leadership to forecast staffing needs, improve tools/systems, annual space allocation (via SPIN), and contribute to strategic planning for the department.
Oversees the review and interpretation of sponsor guidelines prior to proposal preparation.
Interprets and communicates agency guidelines to Principal Investigators, highlighting potential conflicts with University guidelines or rules and regulations that require special attention.
Provides oversight of compliance requirements related to documents such as Other Support, Biosketches, Data Management and Sharing Plans, Diversity Plans, and other sponsor-required materials.
Provides oversight of proposal development activities across the department, including budget review, internal documentation, and sponsor-specific form compliance.
Reviews compiled proposal applications to ensure completeness and compliance with sponsor, contractor, and University regulations.
Oversees the submission of proposals through UFIRST and sponsor systems, as applicable.
Acts as liaison with other departments, colleges, and the Division of Sponsored Programs to ensure all appropriate approvals are achieved and grant/contract is submitted to the agency.
Supports preparation and review of Just-in-Time (JIT) requests, budget revisions, and resubmissions, ensuring alignment with initial submissions and sponsor requirements.
Tracks and manages proposal deadlines across the department, prioritizing workload and ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.
Maintains a repository of current templates, sponsor forms, and best practice documents to support proposal development consistency across the department.
Reviews proposal documents in UFIRST for completeness and accuracy prior to routing to the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) or other core offices.
Ensures that the proposal information log is maintained by grant staff.
Provides oversight and strategic direction for post-award activities across the department, ensuring compliance with sponsor, institutional, and federal regulations.
Coordinates with the Division of Sponsored Programs and Contracts & Grants on award setup, including subproject creation, subcontract initiation, and account structure planning for complex awards.
Serves as a department-level liaison for effort reporting matters when needed, including coordination of documentation and review of CAS exception justifications.
Engages regularly with research administration staff within the department and central offices to resolve post-award challenges, ensure policy alignment, and support audits or compliance reviews.
Supports departmental faculty and staff in understanding and complying with post-award sponsor requirements, including progress reports, financial reporting, other support updates, and RPPRs.
Facilitates quarterly review sessions with PIs and department RAs to assess spending trends, projections, and compliance with award conditions, and to reinforce best practices in award management.
Oversees effort certification, salary allocation, cost transfers, and payroll-related activities on sponsored projects to ensure compliance with sponsor and university requirements.
Oversees closeout activities across the department, ensuring timely completion of final reporting, reconciliations, and account inactivations, and provides guidance on PI transfers, extensions, and project changes.
Collaborates with central offices and COM leadership on special audits, compliance reviews, and post-award policy interpretation.
Provides direct post-award support only as needed, such as during staffing gaps or for high-priority awards requiring complex oversight or urgent resolution.
Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of structured onboarding and continuing education programs for research administrators and faculty within the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Collaborates with department leadership, UF campus experts, and research stakeholders to identify gaps in knowledge or compliance and to design training content that addresses emerging needs.
Creates and maintains departmental research administrator onboarding plans, ensuring consistent and effective onboarding implementation.
Develops and delivers in-person, virtual, and asynchronous trainings covering pre-award, post-award, compliance, and financial management topics.
Facilitates ongoing mentorship for new research administrators through one-on-one support, shadowing opportunities, and skill-building sessions, fostering long-term professional development.
Designs and executes outreach strategies to encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing among departmental staff, central offices, and faculty.
Regularly evaluates training effectiveness using participant feedback, performance metrics, and learning assessments; uses findings to update content and formats.
Prepares and maintains high-quality, user-friendly training materials, including guides, forms, videos, manuals, and visual aids, that are accurate, accessible, and aligned with current policies.
Ensures all resources are written clearly and presented in formats that are visually appealing and easy to understand.
Identifies and champions opportunities for cross-training and process alignment to promote operational consistency and team resiliency across units.
Ensures training responsibilities are coordinated effectively among team members and embedded into onboarding workflows for consistent delivery.
Oversees the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of research administration resources used across the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, including internal guides, templates, checklists, SOPs, and policy summaries.
Ensures all materials are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current federal, sponsor, university, and college-level policies, procedures, and best practices.
Partners with central offices (e.g., DSP, C&G, IRB) and college leadership to ensure that resources are aligned with institutional expectations and responsive to evolving compliance requirements.
Oversees the creation of user-friendly content to support research administrators and faculty in navigating the full research lifecycle—from proposal preparation to project closeout.
Integrates compliance-focused guidance into training and resource materials, proactively addressing topics such as effort reporting, allowable costs, cost share, and financial reporting.
Maintains centralized document libraries and repositories (e.g., shared drives, Teams channels, internal websites) and ensures they are well-organized and accessible.
Tracks and responds to changes in sponsor or federal guidance (e.g., NIH, NSF, Uniform Guidance), initiating updates and communication strategies as needed.
Oversees subaward monitoring and coordination activities to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and timely execution of agreements and amendments.
Collaborates with department leadership to identify recurring compliance issues or resource gaps and proposes creative, scalable solutions.