Research Administrator I

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

4d • $22 - $25

About The Position

This position provides research administration support to faculty and research teams within the Department of Medicine, one of the largest departments in the University of Florida’s College of Medicine. The Research Administrator I supports Research Administrator II and III staff in the management of sponsored research activities for assigned divisions. Responsibilities include assisting with post-award financial management activities, payroll and effort support, financial reporting, research administration documentation, proposal preparation support, and processing of routine sponsored project transactions. The successful candidate will be a highly organized, detail oriented, and motivated individual with the ability to manage multiple priorities work collaboratively within a team environment, and provide responsive customer service to faculty, staff and research administration partners. The ideal candidate will possess foundational knowledge of research administration processes, university systems, and applicable policies, with the ability and willingness to develop expertise in sponsored research management.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to work independently, analyze and solve problems, exercise sound judgment, and prioritize tasks effectively based on organizational needs and deadlines.
• Basic knowledge of sponsor regulations (including OMB Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR Part 200), State of Florida policies and University of Florida procedures related to sponsored research administration.
• Experience with PeopleSoft (MyUFL), Workday, UFIRST, Microsoft Office Applications, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships across faculty, staff, and funding agencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing exceptional customer service through responsive, professional, and collaborative interactions with faculty, staff, sponsors, and other stakeholders.
• Experience developing and delivering training to faculty and staff in both individual and group settings.
• Commitment to professionalism, integrity, and service excellence.

Responsibilities

• Process and maintain salary distributions for faculty and staff within assigned divisions in accordance with approved budgets, funding sources, and direction provided by assigned Research Administrators.
• Enter current and retroactive payroll distribution changes as needed to assist with monitoring payroll activity for accuracy.
• Support semester effort review processes by assisting with the preparation and review of effort-related information for assigned faculty and staff and escalating discrepancies to the appropriate Research Administrator for resolution.
• Generate departmental and sponsored project reports to support routine financial monitoring and portfolio management activities.
• Assist research administrators with preparation of financial reports, budget projections, and monthly portfolio review materials, including identification of payroll concerns, negative balances, project end dates, personnel actions, and other items requiring follow-up.
• Maintain and update PI portfolio information, action plans, and supporting documentation to assist Research Administrators in their regular meetings with faculty and divisional leadership.
• Process routine post-award financial transactions and corrective actions in support of sponsored projects, including budget transfers, journal entries, payroll corrections, cost transfers, and cost accounting exception requests, as directed by assigned research administrator.
• Review supporting documentation for completeness and accuracy prior to submission and maintaining records of processed transactions.
• Assist with reconciliation of expenditures, including subaward and subcontract invoices, and escalate questions or discrepancies to the appropriate research administrator.
• Assist research administrators with monitoring sponsored project budgets and award activity for assigned divisions.
• Review available funding, expenditures, salary allocations, operating expenses, travel, equipment, and indirect costs to support accurate financial management of awards.
• Identify potential budget discrepancies or funding concerns and communicate findings to assigned research administrator for review and resolution.
• Maintain awareness of sponsor and university requirement related to allowable expenses and budget categories.
• Assist assigned divisions with routine pre-award activities in support of proposal submissions, under the guidance of Research Administrator II and III staff.
• Assist with preparation and organization of proposal documents, completion of applicable agency forms, entry and maintenance of proposal information in university systems (e.g. UFIRST), and development of budget documents and supporting materials.
• Review proposal components for completeness and accuracy and communicate identified issues to the assigned research administrator for resolution.
• Maintain familiarity with applicable university and sponsor guidelines to support accurate and timely proposal submissions.
• Maintain working knowledge of university fiscal policies, sponsor requirements, fringe benefit rates, indirect cost requirements, and other applicable research administration guidelines.
• Assist senior research administrators in communicating relevant updates and changes to faculty and research staff.
• Support the application of sponsor and university policies to assigned post-award activities and escalate questions or issues to appropriate personnel as needed.
• Assist the Assistant Director of Research Administration with maintaining departmental research administration processes, including grant records, data management practices, electronic filing documentation.
• Prepare and maintain reports and supporting documentation to facilitate accurate and timely information retrieval and decision-making.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support departmental research administration operations and team objectives.

What This Job Offers

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