Research Administrator

Job description

Job Posting Title: Research Administrator ---- Hiring Department: Oden Institute ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Status: To Be Determined at Offer ---- Earliest Start Date: Ongoing ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue ---- Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS ---- Job Details: General Notes The Oden Institute is an organized research unit that fosters interdisciplinary programs in computational sciences and engineering, computational medicine, computational geosciences, mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, data science, software engineering, and computational visualization. Candidates will be considered for either the Research Administrator position or the Senior Research Administrator position based on their experience and qualifications. Candidates will need to upload a resume, letter of interest, and the names of three references to apply for this position. This position will require in-person attendance at the university's main campus. The opportunity to negotiate a flexible work arrangement will be determined based on satisfactory completion of a probationary period. Must be eligible to work in the US on a full-time basis. UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes: 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage Retirement contributions Paid vacation and sick time Paid holidays Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered. Purpose This position provides comprehensive administrative support to Oden Institute faculty, research centers, and groups, overseeing all aspects of grant and contract administration from pre-award to post-award stages. This role involves making complex decisions, maintaining liaison with university offices and national agencies, managing budgets, assisting in report preparation, and addressing official inquiries as needed. Responsibilities Pre-award and Post-award Administration: Provide support to develop, prepare, and submit research proposals through the Office of Sponsored Projects. Act as liaison between the research center and University departments as well as outside entities on various matters pertaining to proposal preparation and submission and post-award administration. Work with award negotiators to coordinate the facilitation of funded proposals or contracts to ensure execution, proper post-award paperwork submission and account set-up. Coordinate subawards and additional contractual agreements under the award. Aid with all award maintenance needs that arise throughout a project. Monitor expenditures on contracts and grants and assist with preparation of contract/grant reports. Maintain and reconcile spending plans for awarded grants and contracts. Coordinate with the PI and appropriate HR Partner for appointment planning across all account types. Prepare appointment and costing allocation information as needed. Review all salary and tuition transactions for appointment auditing. Meet with PIs on demand for questions on salary compensation. Liaise with HR Partner on new hire questions and paperwork. Assist PIs with subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. Travel Coordination: Process travel arrangements for students, postdocs, research staff, visitors, and faculty, while also facilitating reimbursements and assisting with immigration paperwork and housing logistics as needed. Event Coordination: Plan and coordinate all activities to successfully execute meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops. Manage all aspects of seminars and meeting schedules for visitors. Execute the required business contracts with the Contracts Office and set up payment systems with UT Compliance. Provide all logistical and administrative support for these events. Procurement: Process purchase requests, returns, and reimbursements, ensuring the proper delivery and documentation of all acquired items, while also maintaining an accurate inventory of group equipment. Participate in professional development activities to remain current with relevant university, local, state and federal guidelines and regulations. Other related functions as assigned. Required Qualifications Research Administrator: Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience with preparation and submission of sponsored project proposals or administration of project accounts. Experience supporting administrative, financial, or operational functions, including experience comparable to entry-level administrative or coordinator roles. Senior Research Administrator: Bachelor’s degree and at least eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in research administration, including sponsored project administration, financial management, and policy interpretation. Demonstrated experience in preparing and processing sponsored project proposals or administration of project accounts. Proficient command of the English language, both written and oral, with excellent communication skills. Proven experience in preparing budgets, conducting budget analysis, and generating reports. Strong problem-solving skills, high level of organizational skills, and attentiveness to detail. Proficient use of MS Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and Outlook; and Adobe Professional, along with the ability to navigate various online portals and systems. Ability to work both independently and with a team. Demonstrated capability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with various groups in a collegial manner. Must be adept at working in a high-volume office environment with multiple deadlines. Ability to promote a dynamic and customer service-oriented environment. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. Preferred Qualifications Certified Research Administrator (CRA). More than the required experience. Experience with research proposal preparation and submission to federal agencies including NIH, ARPA-E, DARPA, ONR, DOD, DOE, NSF, and NASA. Extensive knowledge of pre-award and post-award administration. Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and university-sponsored project guidelines and regulations. Experience with UT accounting policies and procedures for sponsored projects, prior experience working in a university environment. Ability to work without close supervision and demonstrated ability to make decisions. Salary Range Research Administrator: $57,000 + depending on qualifications. Senior Research Administrator: $70,000 + depending on qualifications. Working Conditions May work around standard office conditions Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation Required Materials Letter of Interest Resume/CV List of 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor. Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes. Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above. ---- Employment Eligibility: Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval. ---- Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. ---- Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position. ---- Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. ---- Pay Transparency: The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. ---- Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university. ---- E-Verify: The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF] ---- Compliance: Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 . The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.