Research Administrator Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three years of grants and contracts and/or leadership experience.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong grants systems knowledge required.
• Demonstrated communication skills and sound judgment.

Nice To Haves

• Research or grants education or certification preferred.
• Completion of the Research Administration Academy (RAA) and Advanced Grants Management (AGM) required.
• Certified Research Administrator preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise faculty and Principal Investigators (PIs) on administrative requirements related to proposal development and submission.
• Assist with the development, preparation, and submission of research proposals, ensuring all applications meet sponsor and Duke guidelines, published timetables, and deadlines.
• Develop detailed budgets and budget justifications, ensuring accuracy and consistency across proposal materials and sub‑recipient documentation.
• Prepare, coordinate, and review proposals for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
• Monitor compliance with sponsor and university regulations, including verification of financial data and application of appropriate F&A rates.
• Ensure proposals are entered and routed through Duke systems in a timely manner for institutional review and approval.
• Monitor proposal status and proactively advise PIs on requirements, timelines, and deadlines.
• Manage subcontract processes in coordination with ORA/ORS and collaborating organizations.
• Manage large and complex sponsored projects that may span multiple disciplines, departments, and faculty.
• Meet regularly with faculty to provide financial updates, guidance, and proactive portfolio management support.
• Validate AARs for expenses and perform detailed monthly reconciliations of assigned project budgets.
• Prepare and submit cost transfers, salary redistributions, rebudgets, and no‑cost extension requests as needed.
• Prepare complex budget and financial reports.
• Establish and monitor sub‑recipient requirements, including reconciliation and closeout of sub‑recipient budgets.
• Maintain financial records in accordance with Duke document retention guidelines.
• Manage cost sharing, compliance timelines, WBSE communications, overdrafts, and revenue recording.
• Close out projects in accordance with sponsor and university requirements.
• Perform ongoing grants monitoring using available tools to ensure compliance with Duke policies.
• Provide reports to the Senior Manager as requested.
• Supervise and manage a team of Grants and Contracts Administrators while maintaining responsibility for a complex personal portfolio.
• Partner closely with the Senior Manager to ensure staff are appropriately trained and delivering high‑quality service.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for team members on grants and contracts issues and interpretation of Duke guidelines.
• Act as a key point of contact for faculty regarding team performance and service delivery.
• Execute regular monitoring and performance reports to ensure university performance metrics are met.
• Recommend and support personnel actions, including hiring, performance evaluations, promotions, transfers, and scheduling.
• Foster a team culture that promotes open communication, collaboration, learning, and professional development.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs
• Generous retirement benefits
• A wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs