Research Development Project Manager - Research Administration

University of Kansas Medical Center • Kansas City, MO

62d

About The Position

The Research Project Manager will support the University of Kansas Medical Center's (KUMC) Research Development Office's (RDO) by providing comprehensive project management and oversight, including proposal development services to support preparation and submission of large-scale, multidisciplinary applications to external sponsors and funding agencies. The successful candidate will primarily be responsible for the pre-award portion of lifecycle support. Duties will include coordination with KUMC's Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), senior-level principal investigators, other RDO staff, departmental administrative staff, and partner entities as needed to develop, draft, and finalize these strategically critical proposal applications for submission and award consideration.

Requirements

• Master's degree in a relevant field or equivalent demonstrated experience. Education may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.
• 5 years of direct experience as either a Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Investigator (Co-I), or a project manager leading, supporting, or overseeing federally funded research projects, including interactions with funding agencies.
• 5 years of experience with project management/research administration and research proposal development in an academic, medical, non-profit, or industry setting.
• Experience with grant proposal writing and editing, fund accounting concepts, and budget/justification preparation.
• Knowledge of research funding agencies, common grant programs, and the overall grant application process.
• Understanding of human subject's protections and other pertinent research regulations, including grant administration.
• Experience in understanding how to visualize data and communicate concepts.
• Experience with the Grants module in the Huron Research Suite.
• Experience with REDCap survey and database software.
• Organizational and project management skills to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strategic thinking and planning skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Oral/written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Microsoft Office Application skills.

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate degree in a relevant field or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• Certification in Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)
• Certification in Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA)
• Certification in Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC)

Responsibilities

• Lead large and complex research project applications for KUMC
• Monitor adherence to timeline and submission requirements. Supervise and organize efforts to ensure that stakeholders are on task, meeting deadlines, delivering content, and sharing information as needed.
• Prepare and submit grant proposal components. Review and edit other application sections, in coordination with the RDO Director, PIs, Co-Is, and partner institutions.
• Oversee the process of compiling application documentation such as biosketches, letters of support, human subjects section documents, budgets/budget justifications, and institutional or cost sharing commitments, both locally and with collaborators at other institutions.
• Act as key point of contact and communicator related to proposal applications.
• Network, build relationships, and work with other grant administrators on campus (i.e., SPA, departmental grant administrators, etc.)
• Effectively manage and oversee project coordination activities including planning and setup of projects, resource allocation, assign tasks and track completion, and drive progress toward project milestones in alignment with project team and other stakeholders.
• Prepare templates and checklists aligned with project and program guidelines where appropriate.
• Coordinate with RDO team members to finalize applications for routing and submission via SPA's mySponsoredProjects portal (Huron Research Suite).
• Serve as a primary liaison between faculty, senior leadership, and Research Development Office team, ensuring clear communication of goals, challenges, and outcomes.
• Manage efforts across academic departments, centers, and key stakeholders to promote collaboration in advancing large-scale research initiatives aligned with the University's strategic plan.
• Monitor progress of university-wide initiatives, ensuring milestones and objectives are achieved.
• Prepare presentations and reports for faculty and leadership to demonstrate the impact and outcomes of research initiatives.
• Effectively manage and coordinate stakeholder gatherings to identify and develop opportunities for partnerships that advance initiatives.
• Compile and analyze large volumes of information, distilling key insights and synthesizing complex data into clear and actionable conclusions.
• Develop, draft, and implement RDO standard operating procedures in coordination with the RDO Director and RDO team members, including process mapping, documentation, and ongoing review and improvement efforts.
• Create and manage effective systems and processes in coordination with the RDO Director and RDO team members, e.g., databases, spreadsheets, workflows, and assessment plans as needed, including identifying and suggesting process improvements when needed.
• Promote grant opportunities within the KUMC research community and cultivate potential collaborations or application ideas (internally and externally)
• Curate and disseminate relevant grant opportunities to interested parties using a targeted approach.
• Pursue collaborations both internally and externally to develop multidisciplinary, authoritative, and well-rounded research project teams.
• Track and distribute updated sponsor policy statements and/or program and regulatory changes that impact grants to appropriate parties.
• Support the RDO's Research Development Manager (RDM) as needed with training grant proposals during peak deadlines.
• Contribute to and lead as appropriate other RDO projects and initiatives.

Benefits

• Coverage begins on day one for health, dental, and vision insurance and includes health expense accounts with generous employer contributions if the employee participates in a qualifying health plan.
• Employer-paid life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and various additional voluntary insurance plans are available.
• Paid time off, including vacation and sick, begins accruing upon hire, plus ten paid holidays.
• One paid discretionary day is available after six months of employment, and paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, military service, and parental leave is available after 12 months of employment.
• A retirement program with a generous employer contribution and additional voluntary retirement programs (457 or 403b) are available.

What This Job Offers

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