HR and Grants Administration Assistant

RFCUNY Research Foundation of the City University of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The City College of New York's Grants and Sponsored Programs Office within RFCUNY seeks a Human Resources and Grants Administration Assistant. The role provides administrative support across pre-award, post-award, and HR functions, assisting during peak workloads and handling confidential information with discretion.

The successful candidate will help with onboarding, personnel records, data entry in Workday, document routing, and routine inquiries, working closely with RFCUNY HR and campus

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; associate degree or equivalent may be considered.
• 1–2 years in human resources, office administration, grants support, or related area.
• Familiarity with HR hiring requirements and sponsor guidelines is a plus.
• Excellent customer service and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain confidentiality.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.

Responsibilities

• Assist HR team with hires, rehires, and employment modifications for grant employees.
• Support onboarding activities and I-9/E-Verify processing as needed.
• Enter personnel data in Workday and maintain accurate records.
• Receive, log, route, and track proposal, award, and transaction documents.
• Respond to routine inquiries and route complex items to appropriate staff.
• Coordinate with RFCUNY HR and Payroll for timely processing and resolution.
• Prepare basic correspondence, reports, and filing materials.

Skills

HR knowledge

Customer service

Communication

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY). The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries. We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

Primary Location: The CITY COLLEGE of NEW YORK Bargaining Unit: No

Position Summary

The City College of New York's Grants and Sponsored Programs (GSP) Office is an administrative unit within the Division of Research in the Office of the Provost. GSP provides professional guidance and administrative support for sponsored research activities, helps Principal Investigators (PIs) navigate proposal and award processes, and supports compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements. Reporting to the Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs, the Human Resources and Grants Administration Assistant provides administrative support across the office. The position will assist the GSP Human Resources function during peak workload periods and provide routine, non-intensive support for pre-award, post-award, and general office operations. The successful candidate must be organized, detail-oriented, service-focused, and able to handle confidential information with discretion.

Key Responsibilities

Human Resources Support

• Assist the HR team, particularly during periods of high volume, with new hires, rehires, employment modifications, appointment extensions, and terminations for grant-sponsored employees.
• Support onboarding activities, including the collection and review of required personnel documents and, as assigned, I-9 and E-Verify processing and other federal, state, city, CUNY, and RFCUNY forms.
• Enter and update personnel information in Research Foundation systems, including Workday, and maintain accurate internal tracking records.
• Review submitted forms for completeness and apparent accuracy; follow up with PIs and employees regarding missing or incorrect information.
• Respond to routine HR inquiries by telephone, email, video conference, written communication, or in person, and refer policy questions or unresolved matters to the appropriate HR staff member or supervisor.
• Coordinate with RFCUNY Human Resources and Payroll staff, as needed, to support timely processing and resolution of routine discrepancies.
• Maintain confidential personnel records and handle employee information in accordance with applicable privacy and security requirements.
• Assist with internal CUNY data reviews and related coordination between RFCUNY and CUNY teams.

General Grants Administration and Office Support

• Provide routine administrative assistance to pre-award and post-award staff during peak workload periods and as office priorities require.
• Receive, log, organize, and route proposal, award, and transaction documents to the appropriate GSP staff member.
• Assist with collecting standard, non-technical proposal and award materials; maintaining checklists, shared files, trackers, and databases; and following up on outstanding documents and approvals.
• Support routine post-award administrative activities, such as document intake, transaction tracking, record maintenance, and follow-up on the status of personnel, purchasing, payment, or other requests.
• Monitor shared mailboxes and respond to or route general inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Prepare basic correspondence, spreadsheets, reports, meeting materials, and other office documents; perform data entry, proofreading, scanning, filing, and records-management tasks.
• Schedule meetings, assist with training or outreach logistics, and provide general administrative coverage for the office.
• Refer complex, policy-sensitive, compliance-related, or technical grants matters to the appropriate pre-award or post-award administrator or supervisor.
• Investigate and help resolve routine discrepancies as assigned, and perform other related duties necessary to support GSP operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; associate degree, equivalent college credits, or a comparable combination of education and relevant experience may be considered. A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• One to two years of experience in human resources, office administration, grants administration, customer service, or a related area preferred.
• Knowledge of HR hiring requirements, Department of Labor and USCIS regulations, sponsored-program administration, or Research Foundation processes is a plus but not required.
• Excellent customer service, communication, business writing, proofreading, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, employees, and external partners at all levels.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments, exercise sound judgment, solve routine problems, meet deadlines, and work both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and responsive service.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and with Adobe Acrobat.

Pay Range

Minimum - Maximum: $50,000 - $65,000

RFCUNY Benefits

RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/ Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.