Department: MED-Basic Science Admin
Salary/Grade: EXS/8

Job Summary:

The Research Administrator provides administrative leadership and intermediate problem solving in support of unit's research programs and mission. May provide sole support to a small to mid-sized unit or support a portion of activities in a larger unit. May provide lifecycle pre- & post-award research administration ensuring the fulfillment of all grant &/or contract & compliance requirements. Manages overall day-to-day research administration activities & may research & identify funding opportunities & faculty &/or PIs with associated research competencies & interests. Ensures that all activities are completed in compliance with associated local, state, federal & institutional rules & regulations.

* This position provides support within the Basic Sciences Administration's (BSA) group, supporting a portion of activities in a larger unit. Constituency will be determined based upon candidate experience and unit needs and will support approximately 8 faculty of varying portfolio size and complexity. BSA supports the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Microbiology-Immunology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, as well as Center for Genetic Medicine and Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics.

This position offers a hybrid schedule.

Specific Responsibilities:

Complexity

• Typically administers multiple research projects such as:

* Single Principal Investigator (PI) proposals, grants &/or contracts

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

* Research portfolio for a 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 &/or contracts.
• Reviews solicitation and proactively resolves any issues/questions within the solicitation with OSR and/or sponsor.
• Coordinates large-scale proposals, teaming/collaboration agreements, confidentiality agreements, intellectual property agreements or user agreements.
• Manage representation of sub-recipients, cost sharing and administrative costs on a proposal.
• Coordinates IRB and IACUC protocols.
• Prepares &/or reviews complete budget.
• Assesses the need for the redistribution of project F&A among multiple redistributed chart strings.

Post-Award

• Completes post-award administration of research grants &/or contracts.
• Reviews account establishment.
• Manages effort commitments of key project personnel.
• Approves high-value/high-risk expenditures.
• Interprets awards documents.
• Reviews and reports expenditures.
• Verifies processing of cost share transactions.
• Reviews award budget status with PIs.
• Provides data needed for interim and final financial and technical progress reports.
• Facilitates account close out activities, coordinating with ASRSP as needed.
• Serves as liaison between department & OSR, ASRSP, IACUC, IRB, internal audit, funding & regulatory agencies, subcontractors, collaborators, institutes, centers, etc.
• Participates in efforts to improve research administration including serving on university committees related to research administration.

Financial

• 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.

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.
• Resolves compliance problems & issues involving research safety, animal subjects and human subjects.
• Alerts supervisor to potential higher risk compliance issues.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 3 years research administration or other relevant experience required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Organization, time management, detail oriented
• Multi-tasking, communication
• Self-starter, diplomatic, pro-active, manage stress

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1 year financial or administrative support experience in a research environment preferred.
• Knowledge of Northwestern's enterprise systems including NU Financials, InfoEd, ERS, and Cognos
• Knowledge of National Institutes of Health policies and procedures

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Provide informal leadership by cooperatively anticipating, coordinating, strategizing with BSA Research Administration Team

Target hiring range for this position will be between $67,978 to $95,595 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.

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