Research Administrator

UC Irvine; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Irvine is seeking a detail-oriented Research Administrator to join our administrative team. You will manage post-award finances, ensure compliance, and support faculty with research administration.

Responsibilities include budget prep, payroll distributions, financial reporting, reconciliations, and travel/purchasing reimbursements. Strong communication and MS Office skills are essential, with a Bachelor's degree in relevant fields.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Accounting, Finance, or Economics.
• Experience with financial, purchasing, personnel, and payroll systems.
• Ability to gather retrievable information and perform financial analysis.
• Strong communication, writing, and presentation skills.
• Proficient with spreadsheet and database software for financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Grant and Financial Management: oversee post-award financial administration, including budget prep, reporting, reconciliations, and cost accounting; ensure NIH and institutional policy compliance.
• Payroll and Salary Management: maintain salary worksheets, process payroll distributions, track personnel effort on grants.
• Financial Reporting and Reconciliation: prepare and reconcile financial reports, monitor expenditures, analyze variances.
• Reimbursement Management: process travel, purchasing, and reimbursement requests; ensure compliance and timely payment.
• Fund Accounting & Compliance: manage fund allocations and cost accounting per sponsor guidelines.
• Collaboration & Problem-Solving: work in a dynamic team, manage multiple priorities efficiently.
• This role requires strong organizational and analytical skills to navigate complex financial systems.

Skills

Finance policies

Information gathering

Verbal & written communication

Spreadsheet skills

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Team collaboration

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. Its located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu. Our Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute serves as an international leader in advancing research and bolstering the support of investigators pursuing basic and translational sciences relevant to vision. We are bringing together exceptional scientific expertise from within the University, the School of Medicine and other schools, and complementary research programs to advance collaborations that focus on fundamental discoveries in vision research with translational potential. We aim to integrate basic and clinical research, including genetics and pharmacology, in order to develop innovative and accessible therapies for millions robbed of their sight or progressing toward blindness.

Your Role on the Team

The UCI Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research (BCTVR) is seeking a detail-oriented and analytical Research Administrator to join our administrative team. Under the general direction of the Associate Research Director, the Research Administrator will play a critical role in managing financial aspects of research grants, ensuring compliance, and supporting faculty with research administration.

Key Responsibilities Include

Grant and Financial Management: Oversee post-award financial administration of research grants, including budget preparation, financial reporting, reconciliations, and cost accounting. Ensure compliance with NIH and institutional policies.

Payroll and Salary Management: Maintain salary worksheets, process payroll distributions, and track personnel effort on grants to ensure accurate funding allocations.

Financial Reporting and Reconciliation: Prepare and reconcile financial reports, track expenditures, analyze budget variances, and provide recommendations to optimize resource utilization.

Reimbursement Management: Process and monitor travel, purchasing, and reimbursement requests for faculty, staff, trainees, and visiting scholars. Review documentation for accuracy and compliance with university and sponsor policies, track reimbursement status, and resolve issues to ensure timely payment.

Fund Accounting & Compliance: Manage fund allocations and cost accounting to ensure proper usage of grant funds. Monitor adherence to university policies and sponsor guidelines.

Collaboration & Problem-Solving: Work in a dynamic team environment, demonstrating effective problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities efficiently.

This role requires strong organizational and analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to navigate complex financial and administrative systems in a research setting.

Required

What It Takes to be Successful

• Working knowledge of finance policies, practices, and systems.
• Ability to gather reasonably retrievable information to organize and perform financial analysis assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively present information verbally and in writing clearly and concisely.
• Demonstrated ability using spreadsheet and database software, specifically Microsoft Office Suite for financial analysis, fiscal management, and financial reports.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills at all levels within the unit; excellent service orientation and critical thinking skills; and attention to detail. Demonstrated ability using organizational skills to multi-task in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated ability to respond with flexibility and efficiency to frequent changes in task focus, competing priorities, and multiple and sometimes competing deadlines.
• Ability to work well with others, in both one-on-one capacity and in group settings.
• Strong computer skills using MS Office Suite, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Experience with financial, purchasing, personnel, and payroll systems.

Preferred

• Intermediate knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.
• Experience working in an academic medical setting.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

Conditions Of Employment

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct*
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment
• Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at [phone] or [e-mail].

Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization