Research Administration Manager - Office of Research

Office of Research • Gainesville, FL

2d • 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.
• 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