Research Program Coordinator

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee•Milwaukee, WI

1d•$60,000 - $65,000•Onsite

About The Position

This research administrative position is based in the D epartment of S ocial W ork, Helen Bader School of Social W elfare. The position directly reports to Dr. Melinda Kavanaugh, Professor of S ocial W ork. Major activities include managing the research and grant portfolio and the newly developed Y oung C arer C enter administration, including budgets, travel, community engagement and student supervision . Work is performed fully onsite at UWM’s main campus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
At least one year experience with budgeting tools/applications ( ie . Excel, Workday, etc.)
At least one year e xperience with grant management tools/applications ( ie . IRB manager , etc.)

Nice To Haves

Experience with grant writing
Experience m anaging/supervising students
Experience in c ommunity engagement
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Skill in m ultitasking across projects and meetings

Responsibilities

Program administration
Manage budgeting, including tracking and submitting expenses and preparing financial reports
Oversee day to day center administrative functions to ensure smooth operations
Support grant writing and proposal development efforts; including gathering materials, drafting sections, and coordinatizing submission requirements
Manage grant post-award activities, including budget tracking, compliance, deliverables and sponsorship reporting
Prepare and submit IRB applications, amendments, renewals, and required reporting
Coordinate travel arrangements for research projects
Prepare briefing materials, background documents, and data summaries ahead of meetings, presentations, and partner engagements
Maintain the center’s master calendar, ensuring alignment of events, grant timelines, reporting deadlines, and director commitments
Center Reporting & Compliance
Serve as the primary administrator for workday processes (procurement, reimbursement, onboarding, time approvals)
Lead the preparation and submission of the center’s annual report
Coordinate materials for the centers six-year comprehensive review
Maintain systems for tracking all publications, presentation , scholarly outputs, and engagements
Communications & External Relations
Field and triage speaking engagement inquiries for the Center Director
Coordinate closely with the Center Director’s affiliated foundation to ensure alignment of mission, messaging, and activities, fostering a collaborative approach to shared initiatives and external engagement
Support & coordinate center-related communications, marketing, and public facing activities
Support the Director in preparing slides, talking points, and materials for public speaking engagements, trainings , or media opportunities.
Coordinate public-facing activities—such as webinars, virtual events, symposiums, and informational sessions—to elevate the center’s visibility, share research, and maintain ongoing relevance in the community and field
Attend local events relevant to the center’s work
Travel approximately 15% of the time for conferences, partner meetings, and representation at events.
Student supervision
Provide supervision and task coordination for students
Coordinates the daily activities and contracts related to one or more research program(s)
Serves as a unit liaison and subject matter expert among internal and external stakeholder groups, collaborates across disciplines and functional areas, provides program information, and promotes the accomplishments and developments of scholars and research initiatives
Assists in the development, coordination, and facilitation of trainings and workshops for internal and external audiences to disseminate research program developments and information
Plans, develops, and implements processes and protocols to support research aims
Monitors program budget(s) and approves unit expenditures
Develops policies, procedures, and institutional agreements on behalf of the program