Research Administrator I

Jackson County Florida 4-H; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Job summary

University of Florida is seeking a Research Administrator I to manage award setup and post-award activities, ensuring compliance with regulations and proper budgeting.

The role covers pre-award support, payroll and effort management, cost share monitoring, and collaboration with PIs and central offices. Strong attention to detail and proficiency with UF systems are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with UF systems is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Review award documents and interpret terms and regulations.
• Set up awards in UFIRST, including routing and subawards.
• Submit non-fiscal compliance requirements (IRB, IACUC, SFI, export control).
• Ensure payroll distribution setup for project personnel.
• Manage post-award actions: modifications, rebudgets, no-cost extensions.
• Support cost share monitoring and fund reconciliation.
• Prepare subawards and subcontracts; assist with pre-award activities.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PeopleSoft

UFIRST

Excel

Job description

Classification Minimum Requirements

Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Classification Title

Research Administrator I

Classification Minimum Requirements

Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Description

Award Setup, Modifications & Subawards

• Review award documents for applicable terms and conditions and interpret relevant policies and regulations.
• Complete award setup in UFIRST, including routing agreements, establishing subawards, and creating subprojects as needed.
• Facilitate submission of all non-fiscal compliance requirements to DSP prior to award setup, including IRB, IACUC, SFI, export control, and other regulatory items.
• Ensure timely payroll distribution setup for all project personnel.
• Facilitate temporary and advance spending requests.

Post Award Management, Closeout & Reporting

• Process modifications in UFIRST, including incremental funding, no-cost extensions, rebudgets, and other prior approvals.
• Submit CAS exemption requests when applicable.
• Maintain project summaries and meet with PIs at least once per semester.
• Ensure timely follow through on all changes or additions made to new or existing projects. This includes ensuring Ensure all project changes are implemented and expenditures (salary and non-salary) align with the awarded budget and applicable regulations.
• Collaborate with PIs and departmental staff to ensure proper allocation of expenditures; monitor burn rates, encumbrances, and close purchase orders in a timely manner.
• Monitor cost share to ensure commitments are properly recorded, allowable, and on track.
• Support subrecipient monitoring, including invoice review, ensuring allowability and alignment with the subaward budget, and timely approval and submission to C&G.
• Perform monthly reconciliations using institutional reports and internal records to identify and correct errors.
• Facilitate award closeout by ensuring expenditures are appropriate, encumbrances are cleared, balances are resolved, effort commitments are met, and cost share requirements are fulfilled.
• Support C&G with final financial reporting as needed and coordinate with PIs to ensure timely submission of technical, patent, and property reports.

Payroll/Effort Management

• Manage payroll distributions and effort for assigned PIs and staff, including entry, reconciliation, and cost transfers as needed.
• Provide PDRRs for cross-departmental payroll distributions.
• Ensure payroll charges align with approved allocations and supporting documentation.
• Administer effort reporting, including distribution, review, certification tracking, and issue resolution.
• Monitor effort commitments and notify appropriate parties of significant reductions (≥25%), facilitating sponsor approval when required.
• Ensure committed cost share is accurately reflected in effort reporting.

Research Compliance

• Maintain knowledge of federal regulations and sponsor requirements, including OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), FAR/DFARS, and agency-specific guidance, and apply in conjunction with State and UF policies.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of compliance areas including CAS, IRB, IACUC, FCOI, and export control.
• Proactively review transactions for compliance, mitigating risk and preventing unallowable costs.
• Partner with PIs, departmental staff, and central offices to promote consistent application of policies and sound financial stewardship.
• Provide guidance and training to support compliance with evolving requirements.
• Support audits and reviews by compiling accurate documentation and collaborating with leadership, senior RAs, and core offices (DSP, C&G) to address findings and implement corrective actions.

Pre-Award Administration

• Serve as backup support for pre-award activities, including proposal preparation and submission and agreement submission.
• Advise faculty on sponsor guidelines, required documentation, and budget development; prepare compliant budgets, applying appropriate indirect cost rates; assist with proposal components such as cover sheets, current and pending support, and conflict of interest documentation.
• Support preparation of subawards and subcontracts issued to subrecipients.

Other Duties As Assigned

Includes attending mandatory training, meetings and any other duties as assigned.

Expected Salary

$25.38 - $28.74 per hour; commensurate with education and experience

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred

• Familiarity with PeopleSoft, UFIRST, and other UF systems
• Superior attention to detail and an innate curiosity
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to understand, interpret and communicate policies and procedures
• Self-starter, diplomatic, pro-active, and able to manage stress
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to exercise independent judgement
• Strong problem solving and time management skills, including the ability to adapt to frequent changes in work assignments, prioritize, and manage competing priorities to meet deadlines are strongly preferred
• Follow internal procedures and manage multiple priorities simultaneously, all while meeting strict deadlines
• Show tact, diplomacy, and helpfulness in interactions with internal and external stakeholders
• Possess high-level computer proficiency using web-based tools, with experience using the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel
• Ability to multitask, take initiative and work independently, consulting with appropriate parties as needed
• High degree of personal integrity and ethics with uncompromising standards
• Should be precise, thorough, and reliable and perform daily activities with minimal supervision

Health Assessment Required: No