Research Center Business Operations Specialist

UMBC • Baltimore, MD

10d • $77,500 - $87,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is part of the Earth & Space Research Administration (ESRA) under the Division of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA). ESRA serves as a centralized shared resource to support UMBC’s Research Centers and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) with administrative pre-award and post-award support. The ESRA staff supports these centers, working with UMBC or partner staff, students, research faculty, GSFC sponsors, appointed fellows, and affiliated tenured/tenure-track faculty. This position serves as a critical bridge between financial compliance and technical documentation within the Earth & Space Research Administration (ESRA). The position acts as the Project Coordinator for a team of five, overseeing the lifecycle of proposal document collection and procurement workflows.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and three (3) years of relevant experience.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree preferably in English, Communications, Business Administration, Management, Accounting, or Finance.

Responsibilities

• Drafting complex budget justifications, editing non-technical proposal components, and managing the project management timeline to ensure all team deliverables meet Sponsor and University standards.
• Analyze and manage sponsored project finances for a portfolio of research faculty from the Centers from pre-award through closeout.
• Support and review grant proposal documents for all ESRA proposal submissions, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Execute and oversee procurement activities, including vendor coordination and purchasing.
• Provide cross-team support with the team of ESRA Analysts and support administrative operations related to research activities and documentation.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Over 4 weeks of vacation for regular full-time roles
• Tuition remission
• Generous Leave which includes accruing: 22 Days of Annual Leave, 15 Days of Sick Leave, 15 Holidays, 3 Personal Days
• Tuition remission at UMBC for eligible dependents after two years of FT employment
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement plans (including the choice of joining the pension plan)
• Professional development opportunities
• Wellness opportunities

What This Job Offers

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