Research Admin

Department: MCC Research Administration
Salary/Grade: EXS/8

Target hiring range for this position will be between $71,000-$81,000 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

This position provides sole administrative leadership and intermediate problem solving in support of McCormick's department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the Science of Networks in Communities (SONIC) lab. Provides pre- & post-award research administration to department ensuring the fulfillment of all grant &/or contract & compliance requirements. Manages overall day-to-day research administration activities including proposal development, award management, and assisting with award closeout responsibilities. Ensures that all activities are completed in compliance with associated local, state, federal & institutional rules & regulations. This position will also maintain a departmental database of proposals and awards and participate in school-level sponsored research initiatives and projects as assigned.

Pre-Award

• Manages pre-award administration of grants &/or contracts.
• Reviews solicitation and proactively resolves any issues/questions within the solicitation with SR and/or sponsor.
• Establishes procedures at the small to mid-sized unit level related to pre-award administration.
• 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 chartstrings.

Post-Award

• Completes post-award administration of research grants &/or contracts.
• Reviews account establishment.
• Manages effort commitments of key project personnel.
• 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 & SR, 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.
• Provides information needed to prepare interim & final financial reports

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.

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:

• A bachelor's degree or 2 years financial or administrative support experience.
• 2 years research administration + 1 year financial or administrative support experience in a research environment (total of 3 years).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two to four years of proposal/award management experience in a university environment.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA)
• Understanding of OMB Uniform Guidance, Research Terms & Conditions (FDP) and agency-specific terms and conditions, including the NSF and PHS Grants Policy Statements.
• Knowledge of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and NSF Fastlane.
• Knowledge of other electronic federal proposal/award management systems, including www.grants.gov.
• Knowledge of basic intellectual property principles.

Preferred Competencies:

• Knowledge of NU's financial systems and accounting procedures.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.