Research Administration Manager - Office of Research

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The College of Medicine's Office of Research is seeking a Research Administration Manager to lead the Office of Excellence in Research Management and oversee the comprehensive, full-cycle research administration services. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Research Administration, the Research Administration Manager will provide strategic oversight of Office operations, pre- and post-award administration, regulatory compliance, and the development of college-wide training and mentorship initiatives. The incumbent will serve as a primary liaison between the Office of Research and departments within the College of Medicine, ensuring effective, compliant, and collaborative research administration across all phases of sponsored program activity.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in grant and contract administration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• 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, Proposal Central, 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.
• Background in or familiarity with clinical trials research.

Responsibilities

• Oversees and provides strategic direction for the management of all project budget preparation according to agency, sponsored research, and College of Medicine guidelines when faculty and other department/institute personnel apply for extramural funding.
• 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 required documentation, including conflict of interest and internal budget.
• Provides communication and is a liaison to DSP and core offices from COM.
• 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 Office of Research leadership to forecast staffing needs, improve tools/systems, and contribute to strategic planning for the Office.
• Oversees the review and interpretation of sponsor guidelines prior to proposal preparation, including but not limited to Federal funding agencies, Industries, Private Foundations, and University internal opportunities.
• 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 proposal development activities across departments, including budget review, internal documentation, and sponsor-specific form compliance. Direct support may be provided during critical or high-volume periods.
• Reviews compiled proposal applications to ensure completion and compliance with agency, contractors as appropriate, and UF regulations. Inputs proposals into UFIRST and/or sponsoring agencies’ portals as applicable.
• Acts as liaison with departments, colleges, and 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 multiple departments, 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 departments.
• Reviews proposal documents in UFIRST for completeness and accuracy prior to routing to the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) or other core offices.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction for post-award activities across departments served by the Office of Excellence in Research Management, 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 the primary college-level liaison for effort reporting matters when needed, including coordination of documentation and review of CAS exception justifications.
• Engages regularly with departmental RAs and central offices to resolve post-award challenges, ensure policy alignment, and support audits or compliance reviews.
• Supports departments and PIs 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 closeout activities across departments, 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 Office of Excellence in Research Management.
• Collaborates with COM 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 the shared components of the Research Administrator Onboarding Plan, ensuring consistency across all departments supported by the Office.
• 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.
• Identifies and champions opportunities for cross-training and process alignment to promote operational consistency and team resiliency across units.
• Oversees the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of research administration resources used across the Office of Excellence in Research Management, 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.
• Collaborates with COM leadership to identify recurring compliance issues or resource gaps and proposes creative, scalable solutions.

Benefits

• Low-cost State Health Plans: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Generous Retirement Options to secure your future
• Comprehensive Paid Time Off Packages: (includes over 10 paid holidays, as well as paid family, sick and vacation leave)
• Exceptional Personal and Professional Development Opportunities: Access to UF Training & Organizational Development programs, leadership development, LinkedIn Learning, and more
• Tuition Assistance through the UF Employee Education Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Eligible Employer

What This Job Offers

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