Research Grants Specialist II

University of Louisville • Louisville, KY

8h • Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Louisville's College of Arts & Sciences seeks an experienced Research Grants Specialist II to join the A&S Research Office. This position provides comprehensive pre-award and post-award research administration support and serves as a key partner to faculty pursuing and managing externally funded research, training, and scholarly activities. This is an exciting opportunity to support a diverse portfolio of investigators while contributing to a collaborative research administration team dedicated to service excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement. The Research Grants Specialist II serves as the primary research administration advisor for an assigned portfolio of faculty and departments. The successful candidate will provide guidance and support throughout the entire sponsored project lifecycle, from proposal development and submission through award management, compliance oversight, financial stewardship, and closeout. The position exercises independent judgment in the interpretation of sponsor requirements, financial management, regulatory compliance, and research administration best practices while serving as a trusted advisor to faculty and departmental stakeholders. Working closely with faculty, departmental staff, and central administrative offices, this position helps ensure the successful acquisition, administration, and stewardship of externally sponsored funding.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and two (2) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Grade 7 (Salaried)

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting both pre-award and post-award sponsored programs activities in a higher education environment.
• Knowledge of federal regulations, Uniform Guidance, and sponsor requirements governing externally funded awards.
• Experience developing proposal budgets and managing sponsored project financials.
• Experience using research administration and financial systems, including Cayuse, iRIS, Workday, and related platforms.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience developing and delivering training programs for faculty and staff.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credential strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary research administration contact for an assigned portfolio of faculty, departments, grants, and contracts.
• Advise faculty and research personnel regarding sponsor requirements, funding opportunity guidelines, university policies, and regulatory compliance.
• Assist investigators with proposal preparation, budget development, internal approvals, and sponsor submissions.
• Coordinate proposal timelines, facilitate proposal development activities, and manage competing deadlines to ensure timely submission and compliance.
• Identify and help resolve financial, administrative, compliance, and award management risks.
• Collaborate with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSPA), Sponsored Programs Financial Administration (SPFA), Human Resources, Procurement, and other university partners.
• Support effort certification, personnel administration, and other sponsored project requirements.
• Develop and deliver training programs, workshops, and educational resources for faculty and staff.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives and implementation of research administration best practices.

What This Job Offers

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