Summary

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Administration Associate to oversee and manage all post-award activities for the department’s research portfolio. This position will work closely with principal investigators, department leadership, and administrative teams to ensure efficient and compliant management of grant funds, including budgeting, sponsor agreements, vendor agreements, subawards, and financial reporting. This role involves proactive oversight of grant/contract budgets, the submission of invoices, salary/effort distribution, and asset utilization. With significant independent judgment, the candidate will provide strategic input on research-related financial planning and support the seamless integration of post-award processes across departments, ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor guidelines.

Employees with CRA certification are eligible for certification pay.

This position will offer the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule after completion of an initial training period.

Job Duties

• Proactively leads, manages, and communicates the departments post award activities of each award in PI\'s portfolios, including account setup, sponsor agreements, sponsor payment deposits, subaward agreements, subaward payments, vendor agreements, vendor payments, grant period renewals, no cost extensions, and account close outs.
• Provides direction and partners with Lead Research Administration and Financial Analysts to streamline workflows, ensuring alignment with institutional and sponsor policies. This includes forecasting revenue, monitoring expenses, and routing funds as needed to maintain budget integrity.
• Provides budget projections as needed to support PI decision making and avoid over- or under-spending of grant funds.
• Oversees the processing of payments to subaward recipients (sub-outs) per the requirements of the award agreement.
• Maintains proper documentation and support of all invoices including creating goods receipts on items and service received and maintain reports for audit and sponsor requests.
• Oversees inventory control and asset utilization reports for research capital inventory.
• Directs faculty and staff salary/effort distribution and FTE projections, ensuring resource optimization, timely personnel hiring, and adherence to grant policies.
• Manages and pre-reviews salary, time and effort records for the department in the Effort Reporting System (ERS) prior and manages the record certification process.
• Oversees the management of all research budgets and corresponding accounts.
• Serves as approver of financial transactions in the areas of accounts payable, travel, and purchasing; verifies funds availability and ensures expenses meet institutional and sponsor guidelines.
• Ensures research faculty and staff have their salaries and expenses appropriately sourced in the financial accounting system (PEPT).
• Manages grants records and documentation for the department.
• Prepares financial reports to track research mission financial for monthly/quarterly/annual review upon request.
• May support the financial administration of clinical trials or pre-award administration.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s degree. Certified Research Administrator certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Four years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing large-scale research portfolios, including complex multi-institutional awards.
• Advanced knowledge of research administration, financial management, and compliance within an academic medical or research institution.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of fostering strong relationships with PIs, staff, and cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in financial systems, including SA4 Hanna, PEPT, Effort Reporting Systems, and grant management reports via PowerBi.