Research Administrator II

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

About The Position

This position works closely with stakeholders in connection with the management of research grants and grant-related funds. The role involves ensuring grant proposals meet administrative and budgetary requirements, monitoring grant fiscal records using UF and VetMed systems (myUFL and UFIRST), reviewing grant transactions for accuracy, processing correcting journal entries, monitoring and adjusting grant encumbrances, and analyzing grant accounts throughout their lifecycle for reconciliation. The Research Administrator II serves as a liaison between CVM Faculty P.I.’s, their support staff, the Department of Sponsored Programs, the Contracts and Grants Office, and the College Research office. This includes assisting principal investigators with submissions, budget preparation and revisions, award modifications in UFIRST, and other reporting documents. The role provides regular communication and support to PIs and their staff by preparing reports and meeting to review project status. It also involves interpreting policy and procedures to college stakeholders and assisting with monitoring and preparation of reports to sponsoring agencies. The position monitors projects for appropriate purchases, personnel distributions, expiration dates, remaining balances, and IACUC/IRB protocols, ensuring all payroll and cost sharing commitments are properly recorded. This includes providing support for effort tracking, overseeing research-related payroll distributions, and having signing authority for payroll distribution-retro requests (PDRR) and payroll cost transfer forms. The role also assists with budget submissions, revisions, and no-cost extensions, provides grant accounting for CVM departments, PIs, and University core offices to ensure compliance, and tracks all financial activity on awards, providing basic accounts payable, human resource/payroll support. Effort reporting is also a key responsibility, involving communication with departments and PIs to accurately record and verify effort. Finally, the Research Administrator II works with stakeholders including vendors, purchasing, disbursements, sponsored research, contracts and grants, faculty, and staff to resolve grant-related issues. This involves advising PIs and stakeholders on university, state, and federal guidelines governing expenditures and award activities, providing financial reports, and working with C&G to close out projects, including residual account transfers, maintaining payment records, assisting with data requests and reports, and maintaining subcontract records.

Requirements

Bachelors degree and two years of experience in grant and contract administration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

PeopleSoft, MS Office, and UFIRST, myInvestigator, Enterprise Analytics, ERA Commons (NIH) and UF fund accounting experience.
Strong customer service and team-centric skills, experience working with diverse personalities.
Ability to communicate effectively and courteously, both written and verbally and work with the public in a tactful and courteous manner.
Knowledge of grant process and accounting standards.
Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
Ability to operate Windows-based and character-driven programs.
Knowledge of State, UF and College of Veterinary Medicine rules and procedures.
Certified Research Administrator

Responsibilities

Works closely with stakeholders in connection with management of research grants and grant-related funds.
Works in partnership with CVM Research office to ensure grant proposals meet appropriate administrative and budgetary requirements.
Monitors grant fiscal records through the use of UF and VetMed systems, including but not limited to myUFL and UFIRST.
Reviews grant transactions for accuracy and process correcting journal entries as needed.
Monitors and adjust grant encumbrances frequently to maintain accurate balances.
Analyzes grant accounts during their life cycle and reconcile as needed at each milestone.
Serves as liaison between CVM Faculty P.I.’s, their support staff, the Department of Sponsored Programs, the Contracts and Grants Office, and the College Research office.
Assists principal investigators with submissions, budget preparation and revisions, award modifications in UFIRST and other reporting documents.
Provides regular communication and support for PI’s, PI support staff, and PI department staff by preparing reports and meeting regularly to review the status of projects.
Knowledge of grant-related regulations and guidelines. Interprets policy and procedures to college stakeholders.
Assists with monitoring and preparation of reports to sponsoring agencies.
Monitors projects for appropriate purchases, personnel distributions, expiration dates, remaining balances, and IACUC/IRB protocols.
Make sure all payroll and cost sharing commitments are properly recorded.
Consults with college stakeholders to provide appropriate support for effort tracking and serves as knowledge leader for effort related training.
Oversees all aspects of research-related payroll distributions.
Has signing authority for payroll distribution-retro requests (PDRR) and payroll cost transfer forms.
Assists PI’s and college stakeholders with budget submissions, revisions, and no-cost extensions as necessary.
Provides grant accounting for CVM departments, principal investigators, and University core offices to ensure compliance.
Tracks all financial activity on award and provides basic accounts payable human resource/payroll support.
Review and monitor effort and communicate with department and PI to accurately record and verify effort reporting.
Works with stakeholders including vendors, purchasing, disbursements, sponsored research, contracts and grants, faculty and staff to resolve grant-related issues.
Advises principal investigators and college stakeholders on university, state and federal guidelines governing expenditures and other award activities; provide financial reports to investigators and departments to assist in award oversight.
Works with C&G to close-out projects, including but not limited to residual account transfers, maintaining payment records from sponsors, assisting with data requests and reports, and maintaining subcontract records.