Research Administrative Specialist

Universities of Wisconsin•Madison, WI

2d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

Join the College of Letters & Science (L&S) for an exciting role as a Divisional Research Administrative Specialist. You'll have an opportunity to make a positive impact by being responsible for general research admin support and serving as grant worktag manager for your assigned unit, the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP). IRP is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research institution dedicated to producing and disseminating rigorous evidence to inform policies and programs to combat poverty, inequality, and their effects in the United States. This position works under the general direction of the Assistant Dean for Research Services, reports to an Administrative Regional Team (ART) Research Administration Manager, and works closely with IRP’s Research Administration Director. Join our friendly, supportive, and dynamic team, to provide lifecycle research administration support to faculty and staff investigators. The main responsibilities include working closely with principal investigators and research staff to prepare, route, and submit funding proposals to sponsors, and then managing awards by monitoring expenditures, reconciling financials, and providing reporting for awarded funding. As part of the support team for IRP, you will work closely with other IRP research administrators, the IRP Research Administration Director, the Associate Director for Programs and Management, and the IRP Director. You will also work with the UW Research and Sponsored Programs office and other schools/colleges to foster research collaborations, and ensure compliance with federal, state, agency, and university policies and procedures. You will be expected to become a Workday subject matter expert and to serve as a key point of contact between the ART and IRP. This role is perfect for professionals who are passionate about building effective relationships and applying equitable practices that foster a community of belonging, while supporting a world-class research institute. Your work will directly support the IRP comprehensive research portfolio and indirectly help to combat poverty and inequality!

Requirements

At least two years of experience in research administration
Experience in research administration at an institution of higher education
Knowledge of and experience working with federal and other research funding mechanisms
Experience interpreting and analyzing financial data and effectively communicating summarized results
Strong interpersonal, customer service and communication skills; experience identifying and solving problems using sound judgement and discretion while applying and interpreting laws, rules, policies, and procedures
Excellent administrative and organizational skills prioritizing and delegating tasks, managing competing deadlines, and paying attention to detail
Experience working with complex, automated accounting systems and processes
Associate's Degree or higher

Nice To Haves

Three years or more experience in research administration
Knowledge of and experience with University of Wisconsin policies and related research administration and financial management systems
Experience working with systems such as: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-like systems, like PeopleSoft or Workday, accounting systems, proposal routing systems like RAMP, and sponsor systems like grants.gov or eRA Commons
Experience offering guidance, outreach and monitoring for compliance regarding complex research admin and/or fiscal policies in higher education, government or other highly regulated settings
Familiarity with Uniform Guidance, UW research administration policy, and sponsor guidance like the NIH Grants Policy Statement and NSF PAPPG; familiarity with reading and interpreting calls for proposal
Experience with improving processes and/or managing change
Bachelor’s degree or higher
Preferred focus in financial, project planning or related degree area

Responsibilities

Reviews and approves programmatic transactions spanning the life-cycle of sponsored projects to ensure compliance with institutional and/or sponsor policies and procedures
Provides training to faculty, staff, and/or administrators within the unit regarding policy, procedure, and/or execution of sponsored project administration
Serves as a liaison and expert resource for researchers regarding the interpretation of policy and procedure related to overall sponsored project management
May have authority to submit proposals, agreements, or invoices to a sponsor on behalf of the principal investigator or project director
May identify funding opportunities and disseminate to principal investigators
Works collaboratively with researchers to prepare non-technical materials for proposals, drafting contracts or agreements for review, and/or advising award setup
Leads researchers in the preparation and/or maintenance documentation, financial management, and/or reporting requirements related to sponsored grants, contracts, or agreements
Maintains and monitors grants and contract budgets
Assures compliance with grant, contract or agreement requirements and determine whether objectives are being met
Executes research administration operational policies and procedures including financial, administrative, staffing, and compliance on behalf of a unit

Benefits

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.

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