Principal Administrative Officer

University of Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 87,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability programs

Paid vacation

Tuition reduction

Retirement plans

Recreation and cultural activities

Job summary

The University of Arizona invites applications for a Principal Administrative Officer who provides administrative and business leadership for the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing. This role coordinates proposals, budgets, communications, and partnerships, while guiding facility operations and institutional reporting to enable research leadership.

It is a highly administrative position with considerable independence. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of university research administration and sponsored project lifecycle.
• Ability to build and manage complex teams and present administrative activities to leadership.
• Experience with international partnerships and controlled research environments.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates center-scale and multi-investigator proposals with budgets and commitments.
• Manages active awards, milestones, and deliverables; maintains project plans and histories.
• Oversees financial reporting, subawards, and procurement in line with university policy.
• Supports facility business operations, including equipment, billing, and access controls.
• Prepares briefing materials and coordinates delegations, site visits, and events.
• Supervises staff and represents the center on university committees.

Skills

Research administration

Budget management

Proposal development

Communication

Industry partnerships

Facility operations

Institutional reporting

Project management

Staff supervision

Education

Master's degree

Ph.D. preferred

Job description

Position Highlights

The Office of Research and Partnerships invites applicants to apply to join our team as a Principal Administrative Officer. The Principal Administrative Officer provides the administrative and business leadership that allows the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing to operate as a single enterprise across its research portfolio, international partnerships, workforce programs, and fabrication and training facilities. Reporting to Centers & Institutes leadership within the Office of Research & Partnerships (ORP) and taking day-to-day direction from the CSM Director, the incumbent owns the center's overall administration and working with the relevant team members in ORP around proposal development, budget, communications, industry partnership, facility business operations, and institutional reporting. The role is deliberately administrative rather than scientific: it creates the operating discipline that lets faculty leadership concentrate on research strategy and external engagement. Work is performed without appreciable direction, with considerable latitude in determining objectives and approaches.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

Duties & Responsibilities

Research Program Administration and Partnerships:

• Coordinates development of center-scale and multi-investigator proposals: timelines, budget preparation, institutional commitments, letters of support, and compliance attachments, in partnership with Sponsored Projects, college research offices, and Research Development Services.
• Administers active awards and consortium memberships, including reporting calendars, milestone tracking, deliverable submission, and close-out.
• Develops and maintains project plans covering timelines, resource requirements, and budgets for center initiatives and their associated programs.
• Tracks and coordinates execution of memoranda of understanding, master research agreements, membership agreements, and international partnership documents, working with Research Partnerships, Research Contracts, Research Security, Export Control, and the Office of General Counsel.
• Serves as the operational point of contact for partner institutions, industry members, and government partners; prepares briefing materials and coordinates delegations, site visits, and signing events.

Financial and Budget Administration:

• Administers the center's consolidated operating budget across state, industry, federal, philanthropic, and partner funding sources; monitors commitments, cost share, carry-forward, and recharge activity with the ORP Finance team.
• Prepares monthly and quarterly financial reporting for the CSM Director and Centers & Institutes leadership, with variance explanation and reforecasting.
• Administers subawards, purchase requisitions, service agreements, and participant support in accordance with university and sponsor requirements.

Facility and Program Business Operations:

• Supports business planning for the center's fabrication and training facilities, including equipment acquisition packages, installation schedules, recharge rate development, and user access and billing processes alongside the facilities managers and ORP Core Facilities Team.
• Coordinates space, safety, environmental health, and compliance requirements with facility leadership and technical staff.

Reporting, Analysis, and Communications:

• Compiles and analyzes program administration data; drafts sponsor, technical, and institutional reports and the center's metrics package.
• Coordinates communications, website content, events, and annual reporting with the appropriate university units.

Supervision and Other Duties:

• Supervises or provides day-to-day guidance to program or administrative support staff; represents the center on university committees; other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of university research administration: sponsored project lifecycle, uniform guidance and sponsor terms, cost principles, cost share, effort, subawards, and recharge center practice.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage complex teams and to present administrative activities clearly to faculty and administrative leadership.
• Working knowledge of research security, export control, conflict of interest, and international engagement requirements as they apply to foreign partnerships and controlled research environments.
• Ability to influence across colleges, divisions, and departments and to communicate effectively with management, leadership, faculty, industry members, and external stakeholders.
• Strong project management discipline, advanced proficiency with university financial and research administration systems, and the analytical skill to turn program data into decision-ready reporting.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

• A master's degree in a relevant discipline is required for this position. Applicants must possess the degree at the time of appointment.
• Minimum of eight years of relevant work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in a relevant discipline is preferred.
• Research administration experience in a center, institute, or large multi-investigator program environment.
• Experience administering industry consortium or membership-funded programs, and experience with federal center-scale proposals.
• Experience supporting core facility or recharge center operations, including equipment acquisition and user billing.
• Experience with international partnership administration, including agreement execution and delegation coordination.
• Familiarity with the semiconductor, photonics, or advanced manufacturing sector.

Job Details

• FLSA: Exempt
• Full Time/Part Time: Full Time
• Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40
• Job FTE: 1.0
• Work Calendar: Fiscal
• Job Category: Research
• Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits
• Rate of Pay: $86,870 - $112,932
• Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
• Grade: 11
• Compensation Guidance: The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity. The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.
• Career Stream and Level: PC4
• Job Family: Research Program Admin
• Job Function: Research
• Type of criminal background check required: Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to title or department)
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Contact Information for Candidates: Krishna Muralidharan I [e-mail]
• Open Date: 10/15/2026
• Open Until Filled: Yes
• Documents Needed to Apply: Resume and Cover Letter

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Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at [e-mail].