Research Administrator

Beacon Hill; Chicago (IL); Remote; USD 47,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Beacon Hill is seeking a Pre-Award Research Administrator in Chicago to support faculty and PIs through proposal development and grant submission processes. The role advises on funding opportunities, sponsor guidelines, budgets, and compliance, with a focus on federally funded research in a deadline-driven, collaborative environment.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of pre-award experience, strong Excel skills, and proficiency with electronic research administration systems, while working

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 3+ years of pre-award research administration in university or research center.
• Experience submitting proposals to NIH, NSF, DoD, DOE, HRSA or government agencies.
• Strong knowledge of federal grant regulations (2 CFR 200) and sponsor policies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop complex grant budgets and budgets justifications.
• Familiar with electronic research administration systems and sponsor submission portals.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fully remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with faculty and PIs to develop and submit competitive grant proposals.
• Review funding opportunity announcements and interpret sponsor guidelines and requirements.
• Prepare detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications.
• Advise investigators on allowable costs, effort commitments, and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate proposal submissions to federal, state, foundation, and private sponsors.
• Manage proposal timelines to ensure all internal and sponsor deadlines are met.
• Review applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with sponsor regulations and university policies.
• Assist with preparation of narrative components, biosketches, current and pending support documentation, and other proposal materials.
• Coordinate subrecipient documentation and collaborate with partnering institutions.
• Facilitate internal approval processes and routing of proposals.
• Provide guidance on federal regulations, sponsor policies, and institutional procedures.
• Serve as a liaison between faculty, department administrators, sponsored programs, and external funding agencies.
• Maintain proposal records and documentation within research administration systems.
• Monitor and communicate changes to sponsor requirements and funding policies.
• Support faculty in identifying new funding opportunities aligned with their research interests.

Skills

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Time management

Independent worker

Deadline-driven

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

eRA systems

Job description

Research Administrator (A1477058CHI) Chicago, Illinois

Salary: USD34 - USD39 per hour

We’re hiring! Our client is seeking a Pre-Award Research Administrator to support faculty, principal investigators (PIs), and research teams throughout the proposal development and grant submission process. This role serves as a trusted advisor on funding opportunities, sponsor requirements, proposal preparation, budget development, and compliance review. The ideal candidate has experience supporting federally funded research and thrives in a collaborative, deadline-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with faculty and principal investigators to develop and submit competitive grant proposals.
• Review funding opportunity announcements and interpret sponsor guidelines and requirements.
• Prepare detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications.
• Advise investigators on allowable costs, effort commitments, and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate proposal submissions to federal, state, foundation, and private sponsors.
• Manage proposal timelines to ensure all internal and sponsor deadlines are met.
• Review applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with sponsor regulations and university policies.
• Assist with preparation of narrative components, biosketches, current and pending support documentation, and other proposal materials.
• Coordinate subrecipient documentation and collaborate with partnering institutions.
• Facilitate internal approval processes and routing of proposals.
• Provide guidance on federal regulations, sponsor policies, and institutional procedures.
• Serve as a liaison between faculty, department administrators, sponsored programs, and external funding agencies.
• Maintain proposal records and documentation within research administration systems.
• Monitor and communicate changes to sponsor requirements and funding policies.
• Support faculty in identifying new funding opportunities aligned with their research interests.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 3+ years of pre-award research administration experience within a university, academic medical center, or research institution.
• Experience preparing and submitting proposals to federal sponsors such as NIH, NSF, DoD, DOE, HRSA, or other government agencies.
• Strong knowledge of federal grant regulations, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and sponsor policies.
• Demonstrated experience developing complex grant budgets and budget justifications.
• Familiarity with electronic research administration systems and sponsor submission portals.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple proposal deadlines simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fully remote environment while supporting multiple stakeholders.