Senior Research Administrator
Chicago, IL 
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Posted 14 days ago
Job Description
Job ID
49592
Location
Chicago, Illinois

Department: MED-Medical Social Sciences
Salary/Grade: EXS/9

Target hiring range for this position will be between $76,196-$95,245 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

Provides administrative leadership by incorporating a significant amount of experience in support of unit's research programs and mission. This individual will support the MSS affiliated university-wide Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci). May provide sole support to a small to mid-sized unit or support a portion of activities in a larger unit. Using extensive research administration experience within the same unit, coordinates all aspects of multiple grant &/or contract pre- & post-award activities. Assists in developing new funding opportunities throughout the university-wide DevSci community & strategic plans regarding grants &/or contracts by providing guidance & counsel in regard to grant &/or contract administration which includes attending internal & external meetings, interpreting clauses, reviewing contracts, & resolving reporting &/or expense problems. Reviews associated policies & procedures & recommends changes to increase productivity & effectiveness. Works as a key member of the DevSci team and participates in DevSci team meetings and events as needed.

Please note: This position may (on occasion) require work outside the normal 9-5 business hours in order to meet grant submission deadlines. This role will be operating on a hybrid schedule. It is anticipated that this position will be in the office 1-2 times monthly, and as needed.

This role requires a cover letter for its application.

Specific Responsibilities:

* Applies extensive knowledge of NIH grant submissions to support pre-and post award activities, including providing guidance to investigators and ensuring accuracy and regulatory compliance;

* Maintains management responsibility for Institute's research administration activities;

* Ensures all research administration activities are completed in a timely, accurate, and compliant manner;

* Employs a clear and transparent tracking system so that all relevant parties are up-to-date on grant and planning activity;

* Integrates all departmental staff efforts for grant and contract management;

* Ensures work products meet department and university requirements;

* Responds to inquiries related to research administration;

* Acts as liaison with Department of Medical Social Sciences and other departments on shared grants to ensure that costs, including salary, are allocated correctly;

* Develops and maintains an accurate and flexible department fund accounting system to help monitor monthly activity, link pooled resources, track short-turnaround sponsorship and account for flow-through funds from NMH and NMFF;

* Oversees pre-award administration of grants and contracts activities, which includes: proposal submission and coordination; proposal budget and justification preparation; sponsor and university proposal form completion; coordination of IRB and ACUC protocols; sub-recipient coordination; coordination of facilities and administrative costs, space, and co-investigator agreements; and Just In Time (JIT) protocol;

* Submits and coordinates submission of moderately complex to complex grant proposals and clinical trial/industry contracts, ensuring compliance with sponsor regulations/specifications and university policy/procedures;

* Coordinates large grant proposals, reviews all sponsored budgets, budget justifications, and other required administrative data;

* Provides guidance to researchers and staff during preparation of research proposal budgets or budget modifications; Can do so effectively with DevSci investigators from different disciplines, units and campuses; Can rapidly incorporate and apply alternate sponsors approaches and guidelines (e.g. NSF, PCORI etc);

* Oversees post award administration of grants and contracts, which includes: account set up; labor distribution assignments; processing purchase orders; completing expenditure reviews; coordinating core resource account setup and maintenance; reconciling monthly payroll entries; verifying and processing cost share entries; preparing and submitting invoices to sponsors;

* regularly reviewing award budget status with investigators; preparing interim and final financial and technical progress reports; and facilitating account close out activities; implements a proactive budget monitoring system that ensures grant budgets are balanced, anticipates problems, and works with research teams to anticipate changes to ensure that budgets are aligned with grant activity and to prevent budget shortfalls.

* Works closely with scientific operations team to ensure accuracy of budgets and to incorporate changes. Communicates updates and revisions in a timely manner.

* Prepares special reports based on investigator, chief, administrator, and departmental requests;

* Maintains departmental funding commitments for investigators;

* Assists administrator organize necessary documentation for reports;

* Produces monthly pre-award reports for the department;

* Creates monthly, quarterly, annual account reports, and various financial analyses reports as needed;

* Serves as the departmental contact and liaison for all research related audit requests;

* Assists investigators with the search for new funding opportunities;

* Serves as a liaison for funding agencies, subcontractors, collaborators, and other institutes/centers/departments within the university;

* Leads and participates in efforts to improve research administration for the department and school as needed;

* Serves on department, school and university committees related to research administration;

* Serves as a back-up manager of business operations in administrator's absence and provides leadership to administrative team;

* Maintains department's research compliance program by ensuring adherence to all University policies and procedures, federal, state, and other funding agency rules and regulations;

* Provides guidance and training to investigators and research support staff on applicable rules and regulations, compliance program components include, but are not limited to research safety, effort reporting, and conflict of interest reporting;

* Participates as a member of industry/pharma team by helping to provide proposal budgets, tracking project approval progress through OSR and billing sponsors; and

* Performs related duties as required or assigned.

Complexity

* Typically administers multiple research projects such as:

* Complex multi-PI or multi-unit proposals, grants &/or contracts

* Research portfolio for a more complex small to mid-sized unit

* NIH U-approximately $500K+/yr. over multiple yrs.

* NIH P-approximately $500K+/yr. over multiple yrs.

* NIH T-approximately $100-$200K+/yr. over multiple yrs.

* DOD and industry awards

* Center or program grants

* Proposals with cost sharing

* Fixed-price contracts

* Non-funded negotiations such as NDAs, user agreements

Pre-Award

* Manages pre-award administration of grants and &/or contracts.

* Coordinates proposal submission.

* Coordinates budget and justification preparation.

* Completes sponsor and university proposal forms.

* Coordinates IRB and IACUC protocols; sub-recipients, facilities, administrative costs, space, and co-investigator agreements.

* Creatively and proactively evaluates and resolves problems and makes decisions.

Post-Award

* Coordinates post-award activities.

* Monitors execution of all financial transactions in research portfolio.

* Forecasts & provides information for reports on financial status of projects.

* Manages day-to-day financial functions.

* Verifies that protocols are linked to CUFS chart strings; labor distribution assignments.

* Completes expenditure reviews.

* Reconciles monthly payroll entries.

* Verifies & processes cost share entries.

* Prepares & submits invoices to sponsors.

* Identifies program income issues.

* Proposes resolutions to overdrafts.

* Prepares interim & final financial reports.

* Facilitates account close out activities.

* Participates in efforts to improve research administration including serving on university committees related to research administration.

Financial

* Oversees unit's entire sponsored project portfolio.

* Reviews transactions and resolve issues that requires a more complex level of financial understanding such as cost-sharing &/or effort reporting knowledge.

* Provides information to senior management that is used for department budgeting purposes.

Human Resources

* Manages & integrates all departmental staff efforts for grant &/or contract administration.

* Provides research administration training.

* Develops staff.

* Mentors other administrative staff in research administration.

* Serves as the primary resource for research administration guidance.

Compliance

* Ensures compliance with all appropriate NU policies & practices; local, state, federal, agency & sponsor rules, regulations & requirements regarding grant &/or contract administration.

* Recommends changes to improve programs, policy &/or practice.

* Resolves compliance problems & issues working in conjunction with faculty.

Supervision

* Provides direct supervision to research support staff.

* Assigns & reviews staff work.

* Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
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We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more.



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Job Summary
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Salary and Benefits
$76,196-$95,245
Required Experience
Open
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