Sr. Research Administrator, Oncology

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital•Memphis, TN

11d

About The Position

The Senior Research Administrator serves as a trusted partner to Oncology investigators and research teams, providing expert support across the full lifecycle of sponsored projects, with a primary focus on post-award grants and contract administration. This role is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of complex sponsored awards while ensuring sound financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and exceptional customer service in support of the Department of Oncology's research mission. The Senior Research Administrator independently oversees award management activities, including financial monitoring, reconciliation, reporting, compliance oversight, subaward administration, and resolution of complex administrative and financial issues. As needed, the position also supports pre-award activities, including proposal development, budget preparation, review of submission materials, and interpretation of sponsor guidelines and requirements. The successful candidate will be comfortable navigating both pre- and post-award functions and adapting to evolving departmental needs. Working in a highly collaborative environment, the Senior Research Administrator partners closely with investigators, research teams, Finance Operations, Grants Operations, Grants Accounting, sponsor institutions, and other institutional stakeholders to ensure effective management of sponsored funding throughout the award lifecycle. This role serves as a key resource for faculty and staff, providing guidance on sponsor requirements, regulatory compliance, financial management, and research administration best practices. The ideal candidate is a proactive, solutions-oriented professional with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, meticulous attention to detail, and a strong commitment to customer service. They are highly organized, thrive in a team-based environment, and have the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and accountability. Success in this role requires sound judgment, strong analytical capabilities, and the ability to build productive relationships across diverse stakeholders. As a subject matter expert in research administration, the Senior Research Administrator contributes to the development of policies, procedures, reports, training resources, and process improvements that strengthen compliance, enhance operational efficiency, and support the continued growth and success of Oncology research programs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Minimum Requirement: 4+ years of experience in grant administration processes as applicable to grants and sponsored programs or accounting experience or related financial information systems.
Experience working with relevant regulations.
Experience working with cross-functional teams.
Proven performance in earlier role.

Responsibilities

Manage administration of grants and sponsored programs (e.g., review of proposal documents including budget, monitoring of subawards, primarily award lifecycle management).
Ensure compliance with federal, sponsor or institutional guidelines related to grants.
Implement and monitor compliance with current accounting standards, policies, procedures and regulatory guidelines.
Proactively work with cross-functional teams (e.g., research team, sponsor institutions) on matters related to audits and complex issue resolution.
Actively contributes to the development of policies and procedures to ensure high-quality services of own team/ department.
Lead development and maintenance of analytical & departmental reports including account reconciliations.
Reconcile and analyze grants and contracts in compliance with internal and departmental policy while adhering to established deadlines.
Identify opportunities and provide inputs to improve efficiency/ automate current processes.
Perform other duties as assigned to meet the goals and objectives of the department and institution.
Maintains regular and predictable attendance.