Research Administration Specialist (Pre-Award Focus), Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing

Penn State University • University Park, IL

9d

About The Position

Join the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing as a Research Administration Specialist to help advance the College’s research mission by ensuring high quality, compliance, and timely proposal development. While the primary focus of this position is pre-award administration, the Research Administration Specialist will also provide comprehensive administrative support across post-award. This role also provides integrated backup and operational support across research administration functions.

Requirements

• Applicants must have at least two years of experience in research administration or related areas such as grant management, regulatory compliance, academic administration, project management, or financial/budget administration.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Inclusive and respectful when working with others
• Excellent collaboration skills
• Ability to exercise discretion and judgment while managing confidential materials
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and manage multiple priorities
• Proficiency with core Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter with their application.
• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Nice To Haves

• Experience with pre-award and/or post-award administration is preferred.
• Holding or actively pursuing the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credential will be considered a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all pre‑award activities.
• Coordinate preparation of grant and contract proposals (e.g., budgets, justifications, biosketches)
• Review sponsor guidelines, funding announcements, and compliance requirements.
• Manage proposal timelines and ensure timely submission.
• Prepare and route proposals through institutional and federal sponsor submission systems (e.g., Cayuse, Research.gov, Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST).
• Support faculty with complex proposal submissions (e.g., multi‑site, collaborative, limited submissions).
• Maintain proposal records, tracking, and internal reporting.
• Provide training and guidance to faculty and staff on proposal development.
• Assist with contract and subaward negotiations coordination.
• Provide occasional support for award setup and sponsor communication.
• Participate in process improvement and development of research administration tools.
• Support routing of regulatory compliance materials, including Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and Conflict of Interest reviews.
• Perform interim account reconciliation, financial monitoring, and expense compliance review.
• Support student financial processing and reconciliation.
• Ensure operational continuity during staffing gaps.
• Create, submit, and monitor financial requests (e.g., purchasing, reimbursements, vendor setup); resolve workflow issues.
• Manage purchase orders for research supplies and services.
• Coordinate vendor communication, invoice resolution, and documentation.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees