Research Administration Specialist: Grants & Budgets

University of Southern California; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 51,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Tuition benefits

Professional development onlineCourses

Los Angeles location access to transit

Campus event discounts

Job summary

University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine seeks an experienced Assistant Research Administrator to support the Office of Research Administration and USC research communities. The role covers proposal preparation, budgeting, award setup, and reporting.

You will collaborate with internal offices, review expenditures, forecast needs, and ensure compliance with sponsor and university requirements. A teamwork-focused environment and strong communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• 1+ year of experience with sponsored research, NIH preferred.
• Proficient in Excel and MS Office.
• Enjoys teamwork and team building.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work under deadlines and balance priorities.
• Experience in academic/university or research settings.

Responsibilities

• Prepares complex proposals within sponsored/research guidelines.
• Develops, revises, and finalizes project budgets with justification.
• Collaborates with Sponsored Research Offices to set up awards.
• Reviews grant expenditures and reports on project status.
• Creates forecasting and decision aids.
• Manages contract closeout and audits inquiries.
• Acts as a Research Administration SME.
• Interprets university and government policies.
• Implements process improvements.
• May negotiate with sponsors on application issues.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication skills

Excel

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Access

Word

PowerPoint

Outlook

SPSS

Visio

SunGard

Job description

University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine seeks an experienced Assistant Research Administrator to support the Office of Research Administration and USC research communities. The role covers proposal preparation, budgeting, award setup, and reporting.

You will collaborate with internal offices, review expenditures, forecast needs, and ensure compliance with sponsor and university requirements. A teamwork-focused environment and strong communication are essential.