Associate Director Research and Administration Pre-Award

Performs pre-award proposal preparation and submission. Coordinates administrative and financial details between researchers, sponsors and administrators.

• Provides expertise and practical guidance to research officers to resolve routine and non-routine issues related to grant and contract pre-award administration.
• Directs daily operations which includes approving all prior approval forms and providing authorized signatures on contracts, grant submissions, and other documents that require institutional authorization. Assists with developing strong and compliant project budgets.
• Reviews and interprets requests for proposals. Coordinates proposal preparation, internal approvals, and electronic submission in compliance with all applicable University, local, state, federal and sponsor policies and procedures.
• Inputs awarded grants and proposals into the University accounting system. Completes initial view of incoming contracts to forward to the correct party. Administers and maintains oversight of a limited portfolio of constituent areas.
• Interprets complex federal government and University policies for principal investigators. Consults with grant staff and other University offices as needed to answer questions and resolve issues during proposal submission and award negotiation and set-up.
• Leads and assists with providing professional development workshops for University faculty, staff and students regarding research and external funding. Keep up to date on trends and priorities of federal, state and other funders. Communicates with principal investigators on potential funding opportunities.
• Develops policies, procedures, and surveys that assists with strategic planning. Manages and provides significant input into the electronic research administration software.
• Participates in research administration meetings and training to meet annual professional development objectives. Maintains working knowledge of training manuals and other documentation and participates in webinars to learn electronic research administration systems and other web tools used.
• Hires, trains, evaluates and supervises staff and student employees.

Minimum qualifications based upon job documentation and industry best practices. Any current employees not meeting these qualifications will be grandfathered until they move to a different job.

• Bachelor's degree in related field from an accredited institution.

• Five years' relevant experience.
• Professional level experience with pre award research administration.
• Supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of federal regulations and University policy and procedures.
• Excellent writing, research, and analytical skills.
• Experience with budgeting and contract language.
• Excellent office software, including word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.

Office or other indoor work with minimal physical demands such as occasionally lifting or moving materials less than 25 pounds.

Work is generally performed in a well-lit, temperature-controlled indoor environment with occasional exposure to the outdoors or any number of elements.

Revised: 2024-04-08