Business Officer 1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid leave

Discounts on campus events

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC is seeking a Pre-Award Research Administrator to manage proposal review, budgets, and sponsor compliance within the SPAO Pre-Award office. This role supports multiple departments and investigators across the School of Medicine.

The position requires knowledge of sponsor guidelines, university policies, and federal regulations, with strong communication and organizational skills to handle multiple priorities and confidential

Qualifications

• Entry-level with Masters or Bachelors and 0-2 years experience.
• Excellent MS Office skills and administrative practices.
• Strong written and oral communication, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide pre-award research administration services for a portfolio of departments and investigators.
• Review proposals, develop budgets, interpret sponsor guidelines, monitor compliance.
• Advise faculty and staff on grant administration requirements and deadlines.
• Support post-award activities as needed, including financial analyses and collaboration with University offices.

Skills

MS Office Suite

Written and oral communication

Critical thinking

Interpersonal skills

Office management

Judgment and decision making

Discretion with confidential info

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree + 0-2 years experience

Tools

RAMSeS

Connect Carolina

eRA Commons

Job description

Position Number 20078587; 20078592; 20078593; 20078594; 20078595; 20078596; 20078597

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC -Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.
Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.
Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.
Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary

This position serves within the SPAO Pre-Award Research and Support Office and provides professional research administration services to a portfolio of departments and investigators within the School of Medicine. The position manages and administers pre-award activities for sponsored research projects and applies knowledge of sponsor requirements, University policies, and federal regulations to support compliant proposal development and submission.
Responsibilities include proposal review, budget development, interpretation of sponsor guidelines, regulatory compliance monitoring, and advising faculty and staff on grant administration requirements. The position analyzes funding opportunities, identifies administrative and compliance issues, recommends appropriate solutions, and exercises independent judgment in managing assigned research administration activities.
The position also supports post-award administration activities as needed by providing pre-award specific support, monitors grant-related requirements and deadlines, helps prepare financial and administrative analyses, and collaborates with University offices including OSR , SPA , HR, Finance, the Provost’s Office, and the Dean’s Office. The role requires knowledge of sponsored research administration, sound decision-making skills, and the ability to independently manage multiple priorities while ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Entry-level with Masters; or Bachelors and 0-2 yrs experience

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

A demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, students, high-level officials and faculty; operational knowledge and/or familiarity with scientific terminology; excellent command of MS Office Suite; excellent written and oral communication skills, critical thinking and interpersonal skills; considerable experience with office management and administrative practices, techniques and technology; excellent judgment and decision-making ability; proven ability to exercise discretion dealing with top-level, proprietary and confidential information

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Experience with grants and contracts. Ability to prepare detailed financial reports and budgets in compliance with applicable University policies and procedures and/or sponsoring agencies. Extensive knowledge of university financial accounting, HR and administrative systems. Knowledge of NIH , NSF , DOD , and other awarding agency regulations and requirements, as well as RAMSeS, Connect Carolina, eRA Commons and other related systems. Certified Research Administrator ( CRA ) certification preferred.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at [phone] or send an email to [e-mail]
Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

• List of References

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please select the response below that describes your level of education that best or mostly closely satisfies the education requirements for this position.
  • Bachelor’s degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Bachelor's degree in any field/discipline
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in any field/discipline
  • None of the above
• * Do you have experience with contracts and grants?
  • YesNo
• * Describe the time management skills you use in order to meet deadlines on multiple projects with varying completion dates.

  (Open Ended Question)