Research Administrator

RFCUNY Research Foundation of the City University of New York; United States; Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RFCUNY Benefits and Accruals

Job summary

RFCUNY Research Foundation of the City University of New York is seeking a mid-level professional for comprehensive post-award support, ensuring effective financial management and regulatory compliance for sponsored projects.

You will collaborate with PIs, department admins, and the GSP Office to implement, manage, and close awards in line with sponsor requirements and institutional policies. This hybrid role requires strong communication and analytical skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• 2+ years of experience in post-award administration or related field.
• Knowledge of budgeting, accounting, and sponsor guidelines.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office, especially Excel.

Responsibilities

• Post-Award Financial Management: assist in understanding terms, prepare requests, reconcile accounts monthly.
• Coordinate salary appointments, effort certifications, and personnel actions for grant staff.
• Maintain project files and monitor sponsor compliance and audits.
• Provide guidance to faculty on post-award processes and forms.
• Liaise with RFCUNY/GSP offices to streamline workflows and resolve issues.

Skills

Post-Award Financial Management

Budgeting

Communication skills

Analytical skills

MS Excel

Organization

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

CUNYfirst

Cayuse

Workday

Job description

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY)! We are thrilled that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join our team. Primary Location: The CITY COLLEGE of NEW YORK Bargaining Unit: No The Office of Research at The City College of New York (CCNY), under the Office of the Provost, supports and advances the college’s research enterprise by providing strategic leadership, professional services, and administrative oversight for scholarly and creative activities across all disciplines. The office plays a central role in helping faculty and research staff secure external funding, maintain regulatory compliance, and manage sponsored program activity throughout the award lifecycle. The Research Administrator is a mid-level professional responsible for providing comprehensive post-award support to ensure effective financial management, regulatory compliance, and smooth administrative operations for sponsored projects. Reporting to the Associate Provost for Research (or designee), the incumbent works closely with Principal Investigators (PIs), department administrators, and the Grants and Sponsored Programs (GSP) Office to ensure that awards are implemented, managed, and closed out in accordance with sponsor requirements and institutional policies. This position requires strong communication, analytical, and customer-service skills, as well as the ability to interpret sponsor guidelines, manage multiple priorities, and guide faculty through complex administrative processes. This is a hybrid position. Remote work arrangements are not a right or entitlement of employment and are subject to operational needs and the CUNY Flexible Work Guidelines.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• 1. Post-Award Financial Management Assist faculty and project staff in understanding the terms, conditions, and budgetary limits of their awards. Prepare and process payment requests, purchase orders, travel authorizations, and reimbursements. Reconcile project accounts monthly; identify, investigate, and resolve discrepancies in collaboration with the GSP Office and RFCUNY. Manage procurement transactions, including vendor setup, invoice processing, and purchase card reconciliations.
• 2. Personnel & Payroll Coordination Coordinate summer salary appointments, effort certifications, and supplemental pay for faculty and research personnel. Support hiring, onboarding, and personnel actions for grant-funded staff (e.g., graduate assistants, postdoctoral researchers, and hourly employees). Ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional personnel and compensation policies.
• 3. Compliance & Documentation Maintain accurate and complete electronic and physical project files, including budget documents, approvals, correspondence, and financial records. Assist in monitoring compliance with sponsor regulations, CCNY/CUNY policies, RFCUNY procedures, and federal Uniform Guidance. Support the preparation of reports, documentation requests, and audits.
• 4. Faculty Support & Training Provide individualized, hands-on guidance to faculty navigating post-award processes, systems, and forms (“hand-holding” when needed). Serve as the first point of contact for questions related to purchasing, travel, budgeting, and general post-award administration.
• 5. Coordination & Liaison Responsibilities Act as a liaison with the GSP Office and relevant RFCUNY offices (Grants and Contracts, Procurement, HR, Payroll) to ensure timely and accurate processing of award-related actions. Collaborate with department administrators, college finance staff, and other stakeholders to streamline grant-related workflows and resolve administrative issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Two (2) years of experience in research administration, grants management, sponsored programs administration, finance, or a related administrative field.
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles and experience with budgeting or financial reconciliation.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and sponsor guidelines.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex administrative processes to faculty and staff.
• Proficiency with standard office software (e.g., MS Office Suite, especially Excel).
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in business administration, public administration, research administration, finance, or a related field.
• Three to five (3–5) years of progressively responsible experience in post-award administration within higher education, a research institution, or a nonprofit organization.
• Familiarity with federal regulations governing sponsored projects, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• Experience working with grant administration systems such as RFCUNY’s tools, CUNYfirst, Cayuse, or similar systems (e.g., Workday).
• Knowledge of procurement processes, payroll coordination, and HR procedures for grant-funded positions.
• Experience working with faculty researchers and comfort in providing individualized training or “hands-on” support.
• Certification in research administration (CRA, CPRA, or CFRA) or willingness to pursue certification.
• Ability to problem-solve administrative issues across multiple offices and maintain constructive working relationships.

Pay Range: $65,000 -$75,000

RFCUNY Benefits

RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.