Research Administrator 4 - Medicine - 141681

UC San Diego/UC San Diego Health; United States; Remote; USD 92,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego's Department of Medicine is seeking a Research Administrator 4 to manage complex post-award and pre-award activities across high-volume portfolios. The role requires advanced contracts and grants knowledge, mentoring staff, and ensuring compliance with sponsor and institutional policies.

This is a remote, 100% effort, career appointment within DoM Administration. The incumbent will act as a subject matter expert in portfolio administration, interpreting regulations and guiding

Qualifications

• Nine years of related experience, education/training, OR a Bachelor's degree plus five years of related experience/training.
• Advanced financial analysis and customized reporting required.
• Advanced spreadsheet and database skills for financial analysis and reports.
• Strong organization, communication, and customer service across diverse areas.
• Extensive knowledge of Federal and non-Federal sponsors' program administration and travel regulations.
• Advanced knowledge of compliance requirements for human/animal subjects, conflicts of interest, biosafety, etc.
• Experience with all types of award mechanisms (grants, contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements).
• Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation and related policies.
• Ability to interpret policy for others and communicate clearly.
• Excellent time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee post-award and pre-award activities for one or more complex portfolios.
• Mentor new staff and participate in central committees.
• Review transactions to ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional policies.
• Provide technical guidance on contracts, grants, and subcontracts.
• Collaborate with the Department of Medicine, Sponsored Projects Office, and leadership.

Skills

Advanced financial analysis

Financial reporting

Spreadsheet skills

Communication skills

Policy knowledge

Independent judgment

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area

Job description

Payroll Title: RSCH ADM 4 RP

Department: MEDICINE/Administration

Hiring Pay Scale: $92,400.00 - $169,680.00/Yr.

Worksite: Remote

Appointment Type: Career

Appointment Percent: 100%

Union: RP Contract

Total Openings: 1

Work Schedule: 8 hrs/day, Monday-Friday

#141681 Research Administrator 4 - Medicine

Filing Deadline: Tue 11/17/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment: Apply by 11/5/2026 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

DESCRIPTION

The Department of Medicine (DoM) is the largest department within the UCSD School of Medicine (SoM) and is responsible for fulfilling its teaching, research, and clinical missions. DoM employs approximately 500 salaried faculty, nearly 200 academic appointees, and more than 300 residents, fellows, and postdocs, supported by almost 1,000 staff members. The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) functions within DoM Administration and interfaces with data and individuals throughout the department, SoM, campus, and Health System regarding financial and operational matters.

Incumbent serves as a technical specialist in a particular area overseeing a complex portfolio using demonstrated mastery of fund management principles and/or pre-award expertise across federal, state, industry, and institutional regulations. Incumbent is a key point of contact for unit and department and a subject matter expert (SME) in terms of both technical material but also the institutional knowledge of the assigned portfolio and the DoM. Incumbent will act independently and on behalf of the unit and department. Incumbent will cover open positions as needed.

Incumbent will oversee the post-award and/or pre-award activities and cleanup efforts for one or more complex, high volume portfolios within one of the largest research divisions. Mentoring new staff and participation in central committees will also be essential to the position to ensure that the mission of the department is accomplished.

Uses advanced contracts and grants concepts to manage high volume and high complexity transactions. May review and guide others in the review of financial and administrative management requirements of research contract and grant proposals, awards and / or transactions to ensure compliance with institutional and sponsor policies. Works independently to assess complex grant, contract and subcontract transactions where analysis requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. May be eligible for delegated signature authority. May review and sign transactions for less experienced staff. May serve as a technical specialist in a particular area, such as federal contracts, state contracts, subcontracts or information systems. May mentor and help to train new fund managers with less experience.

If Post-Award specialist: Incumbent is responsible for broad oversight of research administration ideas and practices including post-award management practices and guiding this on the division or department level, notifying leadership of material audit issues that arise, and using deep knowledge of research administration practices to develop and implement tools and processes within DoM.

If Pre-Award specialist: Incumbent is responsible for broad oversight of research administration ideas and practices with specific expertise to support Principal Investigators in submitting any type and complexity of sponsored proposal, including a broad range of federal, state, for-profit and/or non-profit agencies, international sub awards, as well as extensive knowledge of UCSD internal processes, controls and systems.

Incumbent may be assigned special projects in support of the overall Sponsored Projects Office and/or Department missions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Nine years of related experience, education/training, OR an Bachelor’s degree in related area plus five years of related experience/training.
• Ability to perform highly complex financial analysis and customized reporting.
• Demonstrated advanced competence in the use of spreadsheet and database software in financial analysis, fiscal management and financial reports.
• Ability to maintain independent judgment; strong organization and communication skills; and a customer service focus across broad and diverse subject areas.
• Extensive knowledge of program administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment.
• Extensive knowledge of policies regarding allowable and unallowable expenses on federal awards, and ability to communicate this information effectively to staff and faculty. Knowledge of federal regulations related to domestic and foreign travel paid on federal funding.
• Advanced knowledge of applicable compliance requirements related to use of human or animal subjects in research, financial conflict of interest, biosafety, etc.
• Ability to manage high volume and complex transactions.
• Maintains knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply sponsor, institutional and departmental policies. Knowledge of current compliance regulations in all areas of research administration.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of generally accepted accounting, fiscal and reporting principles.
• Experience with all types of award mechanisms, including grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements.
• Full knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation, Code of Federal Regulations, sponsor-specific policies, intellectual property policy, conflict of interest requirements, publication rights, application of indirect cost rates and other complex concepts in research administration.
• Ability to interpret policy for others.
• Excellent communication and time management skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience mentoring other staff and more junior research administrators in all aspects of sponsored research administration.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Occasional alternate work hours required, in particular in meeting pre-award submission deadlines.
• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: Unclassified - No data available (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: Unclassified - No data available

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

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UC San Diego Health Sciences is comprised of our School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and our Student Health and Well‑Being Department. We have long been at the forefront of translational - or "bench-to-bedside" - research, transforming patient care through discovery and innovation leading to new drugs and technologies. Translational research is carried out every day in the hundreds of clinical trials of promising new therapies offered through UC San Diego Health, and …

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