Research Administrative Coordinator I / II / Senior (Post-Award)

UO HR Website • Eugene, OR

52d

About The Position

Research Administrative Coordinators (RACs) serve as problem-solving partners to faculty principal investigators (PIs), helping them navigate university and federal, state, or other sponsor processes to successfully execute their sponsored projects. These roles require flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to coordinate across several administrative offices to resolve obstacles and facilitate research activity. Post-award activities include regular review, reconciliation, and projection of award finances, preparing adjustments and corrections to award budgets, preparing financial reports, and at the end of the award, ensuring all financial requirements have been met. In this liaison role, RACs coordinate among faculty, CAS academic and administrative units, and central offices such as Sponsored Projects Services (SPS), Business Affairs, and Purchasing and Contract Services. They ensure communication and collaboration across these groups to support timely, compliant, and effective project administration. RACs apply sponsor and university policies to facilitate project success, ensuring that all transactions, expenditures, and reporting meet compliance standards. They balance service with accountability—providing accurate, timely, and compliant post-award support that enables faculty to focus on research and academic goals. The grant administration environment is dynamic and rapidly changing, and RACs are expected to respond to shifting priorities and external funding challenges with professionalism and sound judgment. The RAC 1 serves as a professional post-award administrator, applying specialized knowledge of research administration principles to support faculty and unit leadership in managing a portfolio of sponsored projects. RAC 1s analyze financial activity, interpret and apply sponsor and institutional requirements, and exercise professional judgment to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant award management. In addition, they contribute to process improvement and problem-solving within the post-award function while building independent expertise and professional capacity in a complex funding environment. The RAC 2 operates as an independent post-award administrator, managing a complex portfolio with minimal supervision and applying sponsor and university policies with sound judgment. RAC 2s serve as a resource to junior colleagues by providing guidance on processes, policy interpretation, and issue resolution while maintaining direct responsibility for assigned awards. The Senior RAC provides advanced post-award expertise and leadership, managing the most complex portfolios and serving as an escalation point for high-risk or nuanced award issues. In addition to direct award oversight, Senior RACs formally mentor and supervise staff, contribute to training and process development, and help ensure consistency and quality across the post-award function.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications for a RAC 1 role: Bachelor’s degree AND one (1) year of administrative experience, OR Three (3) years of administrative experience with exposure to finance, budgets, or accounting.
• Minimum Qualifications for a RAC 2 role: Bachelor’s degree AND two years of progressively responsible experience in research or grant administration, OR An equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Minimum Qualifications for a Senior RAC role: Bachelor’s degree AND four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in research or grant administration, including experience mentoring or supervising staff, OR An equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Ability to research, read, interpret, and apply complex and varying regulations.
• Excellent communication skills, diplomacy, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated flexibility, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in a dynamic research funding environment.
• Demonstrated customer-service orientation and ability to troubleshoot problems, coordinate across administrative offices, and navigate complex systems to support research success.
• In addition to the above, a successful Senior RAC candidate will demonstrate: Ability to provide leadership in mentoring and guiding staff; ability to model proactive problem-solving and collaboration across CAS, SPS, and other campus units to remove barriers and improve processes.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education, research administration, or a related field.
• Experience with grant management, financial reconciliation, and effort certification in a post-award environment.
• Experience with HRIS/FIS platforms/databases such as Banner, Cognos, Smartsheet, Electronic Proposal Clearance Systems, or similar.
• Experience serving a diverse client/customer base.
• In addition to the above, for RAC 2 and Senior RAC roles: Professional certification (CRA, CPRA, or CFRA) preferred.

Benefits

• The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

What This Job Offers

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