Administrative Director

National Grants Management Association; Farmington (CT); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

UConn Health in Farmington, CT is seeking a Senior Sponsored Research Administrator to manage pre-award and post-award activities within the School of Dental Medicine and broader research offices.

You will coordinate complex grant applications, budgets, and reporting, collaborating with investigators and institutional partners. The role requires leadership, budgeting, and compliance with federal and sponsor guidelines.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of sponsored research administration practices.
• Familiarity with federal, state, institutional, and sponsor requirements and grant regulations.
• Ability to apply management principles and negotiate with stakeholders.
• Strong financial management, budgeting, and reporting skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee pre-award and post-award sponsored research activities.
• Prepare and submit complex grant applications with multi-year budgets and justifications.
• Collaborate with investigators and partners to facilitate timely proposals.
• Administer post-award activities including purchasing, contracts, and payroll allocations.
• Develop and maintain systems, policies, and controls for sponsored projects.

Skills

Sponsored research administration

Federal/state sponsor rules

Budget development

Financial reporting

Interpersonal communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

eRA systems

Job description

Why UConn Health

UConn Health is a vibrant, integrated academic medical center that is entering an era of unprecedented growth in all three areas of its mission: academics, research, and clinical care. A commitment to human health and well-being has been of utmost importance to UConn Health since the founding of the University of Connecticut schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine in 1961. Based on a strong foundation of groundbreaking research, first-rate education, and quality clinical care, we have expanded our medical missions over the decades. In just over 50 years, UConn Health has evolved to encompass more research endeavors, to provide more ways to access our superior care, and to innovate both practical medicine and our methods of educating the practitioners of tomorrow.

UConn Health is a vibrant, integrated academic medical center that is entering an era of unprecedented growth in all three areas of its mission: academics, research, and clinical care. A commitment to human health and well-being has been of utmost importance to UConn Health since the founding of the University of Connecticut schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine in 1961. Based on a strong foundation of groundbreaking research, first-rate education, and quality clinical care, we have expanded our medical missions over the decades. In just over 50 years, UConn Health has evolved to encompass more research endeavors, to provide more ways to access our superior care, and to innovate both practical medicine and our methods of educating the practitioners of tomorrow.

Supervision Received

Receives administrative direction from the Associate Dean for Research.

Supervision Exercised

Directs staff and operations of office, as assigned.

Examples Of Duties

• Directs staff and operations of the School of Dental Medicine research Office;
• Plans, coordinates, and oversees pre-award and post-award sponsored research activities;
• Prepares, reviews, and submits complex grant applications including development of multi-year budgets, budget justifications, and other required submission components;
• Collaborates with faculty investigators and other institutional partners to facilitate funding opportunities, timely proposal submissions, and effective sponsored project administration;
• Administers post-award financial and administrative activities, including purchasing, contracts and subawards, travel, personnel actions, effort commitments, payroll allocations, and other transactions;
• Establishes and maintains systems, policies, procedures, goals, service standards, and controls for tracking sponsored projects;
• Makes recommendations regarding long-term departmental strategy and organizational priorities;
• Analyzes sponsored research portfolios and prepares financial, operational, performance, accreditation, audit, and other reports for school and institutional leadership;
• Develops and administers departmental budget, allocates resources, and advocates for future resource needs;
• Evaluates operational and compliance risks, resolves complex administrative issues, and implements process improvements;
• Provides employee coaching, training, and performance improvement;
• Leads the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview, and selection;
• Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications Required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL & ABILITY:

• Considerable knowledge of

• Professional and technical practices applicable to sponsored research administration;
• Relevant federal state, institutional, and non-federal sponsor requirements and grant regulations;
• And ability to apply management principles and techniques;

• Financial management, budget development, financial modeling, and financial reporting;
• Interpersonal, oral, and written communication;
• Negotiation and consensus building;
• Public speaking and formal presentations;
• Developing and maintaining internal and external partnerships;
• Ability to

• Develop departmental strategy and align resources to organizational priorities;
• Influence senior stakeholders and negotiate complex issues;
• Anticipate future departmental needs and develop long-range plans;
• Utilize electronic research administration systems and tools;
• Interpret, apply, and communicate complex federal, state, institutional, and sponsor regulations and requirements;
• Analyze complex grant, financial, personnel, and operational information and make sound administrative recommendations.

Education And Training

Bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in sponsored research administration, including preparation and submission of grant applications to federal funding agencies and post-award grants management.

Special Experience

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity.

Substitution Allowed

A master’s degree in a related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of General Experience.

Working Conditions

• Incumbents in this class may be exposed to disagreeable conditions, stress, and demands for critical or urgent actions.
• Work is performed primarily in a professional office environment and requires use of computer systems and standard office equipment.
• Work may involve periods of prolonged sitting, standing, walking, and the ability to review detailed information on computer screens.
• The position may require work beyond normal business hours to meet operational needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) designation.
• Experience within an academic health center or dental/medical school environment.
• Experience with NIH Assist, eRA Commons, and My NCBI.

SCHEDULE:

This position is full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

SALARY:

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $120,000.