Hub Research Administrator

Northeastern Company; Boston, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Wellness program

Retirement plan

Job summary

Northeastern University NU-RES Hub is seeking a Research Administrator to support principal investigators across a broad research portfolio. The role emphasizes pre-award and post-award activities, financial analysis, and cross-unit collaboration to maximize efficiency and compliance.

Reporting to the Associate Director, the position requires exceptional service mindset, diplomacy, and the ability to navigate multiple departments while maintaining strong attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 4-6 years of relevant work experience.
• Experience in research administration and financial analysis.
• GAAP/Uniform Guidance knowledge or equivalent regulatory familiarity.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Award Administration (20%): identify proposal opportunities and develop budgets; coordinate subaward proposals; review proposals for compliance.
• Award Management (30%): manage grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements; monitor balances and term dates; coordinate approvals and changes; PI meetings.
• Transactional (30%): approve transactions in Concur/Workday; process cost transfers; plan extra compensation with PIs.
• Reporting & Analysis (10%): run monthly activity reports; analyze burn rates and projections; coordinate effort reporting.
• Training & Support (5%): attend trainings on regulations; provide training and policy updates; support cross-training initiatives.
• Other (5%): pursue professional development; complete ad hoc projects.

Skills

Advanced MS Office

Analytical skills

Written communication

Interpersonal communication

Customer service

Independent learning

Presentation & training

Teamwork

Project adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Concur

Workday

Job description

About the Opportunity

About Research Enterprise Services (NU-RES) Hub Northeastern University’s Research Enterprise Services (NU-RES) Hub seeks to hire talented, experienced, agile research administrators dedicated to supporting investigators secure and manage their extramurally funded sponsored activities. NU-RES provides leadership and expertise to faculty, investigators, and administrators, supporting the research and sponsored programs portfolios of the University and its affiliated research institutes. The Hub, a shared administrative and business service unit operating within Northeastern’s central sponsored programs office (NU-RES), assists faculty and research investigators across the University’s global research network by providing department-level administrative support. The Hub serves as a critical researcher-NU-RES interface and directly supports faculty throughout the proposal-award life cycle. Team members of the Hub provide direct assistance to faculty and research investigators; cross-function support to Hub and NU-RES team members; and work closely with all units reporting to the Senior Vice Provost for Research.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Research Finance, the Research Administrator position is a unique, central-level position providing college- and department-level research administration services to Principal Investigators while collaborating with the central research finance office. As such, the Research Administrator serves as a subject-matter expert, pivoting between multiple college and departmental units and liaising across multiple departments to maximize efficiencies and ensure holistic support to Principal Investigators. This position collaborates significantly with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including faculty, college administrators, internal and external research administrators, and finance personnel. Exceptional service-mindedness and the ability to perform with tact, diplomacy, and discretion are essential. Northeastern University, a dynamic, innovative, and entrepreneurial university with a diverse, complex, and growing award portfolio, is hiring and developing personnel who enjoy working in a high-performing culture that rewards excellence. In addition, Northeastern is a global university, and NU-RES supports its team working remotely. Remote locations and work schedules are determined based on operational needs and consultation with NU-RES team members, consistent with University policies and guidelines.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Pre-Award Administration (20%)
  • Identify proposal opportunities and work with faculty to develop proposal budgets.
  • Coordinate subaward proposals and prepare applications.
  • Review proposals to federal, state, and local government agencies, private foundations, and industry/corporate organizations to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, University policies, and program solicitations, including specific terms and conditions related to cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based contracts.
• Award Management (30%)
  • Provide overall financial management of a complex and growing portfolio comprised of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements from a variety of federal and non-federal sponsor types.
  • Monitor account balances, term dates, and activities.
  • Collaborate with central NU-RES offices to prepare and submit requests for prior approvals, scope-of-work or PI/key personnel changes, award extensions, post-award budget revisions and child/related funds.
  • Schedule and attend quarterly, or more frequent as needed, meetings with PIs to review accounts including balances, activity, projections, and terminations/closeouts.
  • Coordinate with the subaward team on subrecipient setup, monitoring, and invoicing.
  • Assist with submission of progress reports.
• Transactional (30%)
  • Monitor and approve transactions, including reviewing for appropriate backup and business purpose documentation in Concur, Workday, email, or other platforms.
  • Review and approve subrecipient invoices within the Workday financial system.
  • Prepare and submit cost transfer forms or other required documentation to support transactional activities.
  • Collaborate with PIs and colleges to identify extra compensation availability and planning needs.
  • Prepare, submit, and track extra compensation requests.
• Reporting & Analysis (10%)
  • Run and distribute monthly account activity reports to PIs.
  • Perform financial analysis on accounts, identify burn rates and projections, and communicate burn rates and projections to PIs and departments.
  • Coordinate with department administrators and Research Finance on effort allocations, changes, and reporting.
• Training & Support (5%)
  • Seek and attend training and meetings focused on federal regulations, research administration, and other relevant areas to maintain fluency in areas specific to the role.
  • Provide training and presentations, attend meetings and workshops, and communicate new policies and regulations relevant to research administration.
  • Participate in cross-training initiatives or workgroups as a subject matter expert or end-user to promote well-rounded perspectives, seamless transitions, processes, and adequate internal controls of research administration.
• Other (5%)
  • Routinely participate in ongoing professional development activities with a focus on continuous professional growth.
  • Complete ad hoc or miscellaneous projects as needed or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 4-6 years of relevant work experience.
• Research administration experience.
• Financial analysis experience, with familiarity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Uniform Guidance, or other regulations.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Service-mindedness with proven customer service skills.
• Ability to independently learn and utilize a variety of systems, applications, and resources.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with tact and diplomacy with constituents at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to create and deliver presentations and training for diverse audiences through virtual or in-person platforms, public speaking engagements, or recorded sessions.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team-oriented environment.
• Flexibility and agility to pivot between central and non-central roles, projects, and tasks to meet deadlines.
• Resourcefulness and willingness to support organizational and operational changes as part of ongoing process improvement initiatives.
• Ability to work effectively with varying levels of ambiguity.
• Ability to create and maintain a culture of service, accountability, and timeliness.
• Ability and willingness to keep abreast of federal and sponsor regulations and train others on applying those regulations.
• Commitment to compliance, stewardship, and continuous improvement.
• Preferred Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA).
• Currently holds, or is eligible to obtain, a security clearance.

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Position Type

• Research

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education, and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation

Grade/Pay Type: 108S
Expected Hiring Range: $60,315.00 - $85,192.50

Company Culture

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system—including 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—is a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.