Senior Post Award Research Administrator

George Mason University; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences seeks a Senior Post Award Research Administrator to manage post-award activities for multiple departments, ensuring compliance with sponsor and university policies. You will oversee award setup, labor allocations, budget revisions, and financial reporting while coordinating with PIs, OSP, and departmental staff.

The role supports approximately $7.5M in expenditures across about 60 externally funded awards, requiring meticulous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience (typically 3 years) in sponsored programs administration in post-award research support or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in research financial management, to include allocating effort (labor), processing non-labor expenses on sponsored projects and financial reconciliation.
• Strong financial and accounting aptitude required, particularly in financial research administration.
• Knowledge of policies, processes and offices related to grant/contract post award management; and
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Define award setup parameters and coordinate with PIs and staff.
• Review and reconcile award financial activity for compliance.
• Process personnel effort plans and budget revisions; manage no-cost extensions etc.
• Prepare internal budget reports and communicate balances with PIs.
• Ensure expenditures are allowable and compliant with sponsor and university policies.
• Provide guidance to department admins on post-award management.

Skills

Strong financial and accounting aptit

Ability to communicate clearly and eff

Knowledge of federal rules and regulat

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Tools

Banner Financial

Banner Self-Service

MicroStrategy

RAMP

Job description

Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: Financial Svcs Specialist 2

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship

Pay Band: 05

Salary: $75,000 - $85,000

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Finance and Human Resources manages the College ofHumanities and Social Sciences budget of approximately $75 million(all sources) and hiring faculty and staff. It serves as liaisonbetween the Central Offices (as for example budget, OSP,accounting, financial aid, human resources, and provost) andCollege departments and programs.

About the Position:

The CHSS Senior Post Award Research Administrator provides postaward research administration services to faculty of severaldifferent CHSS departments/centers and oversight of thedepartment's post award research activities. The Senior Post AwardResearch Administrator uses knowledge of grant and contractmanagement rules and regulations, technical expertise andanalytical skills to support a variety of post award researchactivities. Activities will include, but is not limited to: awardsetup review and management; reconciliation, monitoring andforecasting of award finances; preparing adjustments andcorrections; labor allocation processing and direct expenditureprocessing and approvals; assisting with preparation of financialreports; and ensuring all financial requirements have been met incompliance with university, state, federal and sponsor guidelines.Senior Post Award Research Administrator interacts regularly withand provides high quality customer service to faculty membersconducting sponsored research and ensures adherence to qualitystandards and all policies and award regulations. AnticipatedSenior Post Award Research Administrator portfolio of support isexpected for approximately $7.5M in research expenditures acrossapproximately 60 externally sponsored awards and ~8 different CHSSdepartments/centers, and will also monitor and support internallyfunded research activities as needed.

Responsibilities:

Award Set up for all college assigned awards

• Upon award acceptance, defines and reviews accountestablishment parameters, including billing and reportingrequirements, budget, and cost sharing obligations;
• Coordinates new award meetings with PIs, co-PIs and relevantdepartment staff;
• Communicates with faculty and OSP on award set up process andpending items and assist with completion as needed (i.e. completionof budget revisions, conflict of interest, etc.);
• Maintains SharePoint Document Library with executed awardinformation (uploading documents, creating permanent positionmodifiers, creating new positions);
• Evaluates documentation and financial setup for accuracy;
• Reviews scope of work and reviews files for missing orinaccurate information, and ensures corrections are made asneeded;
• Maintains knowledge of award terms and conditions, reportingrequirements and budget restrictions for effective and compliantmanagement of award; and
• Maintains post award research files and documents.

Process Award Activity for assigned portfolio of grants thatrequire direct post award support

• Works with the PI to determine and process appropriatepersonnel effort plans, to include timely processing of changelabor and hiring actions (to include relative cost shareeffort);
• Coordinates and prepares requests for:
  • No Cost Extensions, carryover, re-budgeting requests, changesin scope, and other changes to the award;
  • Ensures all requests are in compliance with sponsor guidelinesand university policies and coordinated with the Director or PostAward Manager as needed to complete submission of post awardactions;
  • Ensures budget revisions have the approval of the Director orPost Award Manager before submission to OSP;
• Facilitates the approval of invoices to pay subcontractors inaccordance with the university subaward policy;
• Reviews labor allocations and facilitate annual payrollcertification process; applies federal and university rules tomanagement of effort allocation appropriately for individualscompensated from sponsored awards;
• Ensures effort tracking for sponsored awards stays updated withfaculty labor allocations applied and forecasted budgetedeffort;
• Initiates P-card purchases for human subject research payments,ensuring university procedures are followed and expense isappropriate;
• Works with PI and department administrators in processingsponsored project expenses specific to participant support andstudent fellowship payments;
• Coordinates with the PI, and as needed departmentadministrators, non-labor direct expenditures such as: consultantagreements, honorariums, tuition, supplies, etc.;
• Ensures all grant financial activity is compliant withuniversity, sponsor, state and federal guidelines;
• Prepares internal budget reports and forecasted spendingreports for PIs as needed; regularly communicates with PIs onavailable balances and spending;
• Reviews and reconciles all award financial activity incompliance with university reconciliation policy, make necessaryadjustments as needed; and
• Ensures all award expenditures are allowable and allocable,corrections are made in a timely manner and maintain appropriatedocumentation for award financial activity.

Award Management for all college assigned awards

• In collaboration with the department/center grant administratorensures all grant financial activity is compliant with university,sponsor, state and federal guidelines ensuring expenses tosponsored awards are allowable, allocable, reasonable andconsistent;
• Sends monthly reports to department/center admins forforecasted change labor actions that should be submitted andmonitors submission of needed actions;
• Receives department/center requests to process change labor andnew hiring actions; reviews requests for grant and universitycompliance;
• Creates new hiring actions, future change labor andreallocation of labor requests in Banner/Self-Service for finalapproval.;
• Receives, reviews and approves requests from departmentadministrators of non-labor expenses charged to grants (through APforms, MFG, or email); receives, reviews and approves all grantrelated journal voucher corrections, and processes requests inBanner/Self-Service;
• Assists department and center grant administrators as neededwith post award modifications and ensures appropriate documentationis submitted to support requests;
• Reviews department/center grant administrator submissions ofcompleted reconciliation for compliance with universityreconciliation policy;
• Provides support and guidance to the department/center grantadministrators day-to-day activities to ensure award expendituresare allowable and allocable, and corrections are made in a timelymanner;
• Assists department/center administrators with complexpurchasing actions, coordinates with central offices as needed toresolve issues; and
• Reviews award terms and conditions and assists departmentadministrators with making decisions on allowable budget revisionsand purchasing requests that may be raised, and/or makesappropriate judgement call to involve the Director or Post AwardManager in making such decisions.

Award Close Out

• In collaboration with the Director and Post Award Manager,assists as needed with sponsor/OSP financial reports;
• Closeout all funded projects consistent with university processand timelines in collaboration with PI and OSP;
• Ensure that awards are prepared for closeout, financialactivity is verified and provide any supporting information ordocumentation required for final reporting;
• Ensures any overspent funds are moved to non-sponsored fundingsources, and any regularly occurring charges to the grant are movedto an appropriate new funding source at project period end;and
• Assists with providing financial data for final invoicing asneeded in a timely manner to meet sponsor deadlines.

Additional research related duties

• Acts as a subject matter expert in managing research activitieswithin CHSS, solving problems, providing guidance and answeringpost award questions as needed for PIs and departments/centeradministrators;
• Works with CHSS Pre-award, PIs and OSP to review and editcurrent PI effort information as needed for proposal and financialreport submissions;
• Provides assistance or coordinates assistance as needed withother research support activities such as export control, IRB,IACUC, etc.;
• Maintains and keeps current knowledge of university, sponsor,state and federal guidelines related to sponsored award activitiesto ensure appropriate research support;
• Additional duties in support of overall CHSS Finance and HRactivities:
  • Reviews and enters change labor allocations (funding changeforms) regardless of funding source into Banner/Self-Service forapproval;
  • Provides ad hoc reporting and training/support on varioussystems to departments as needed (MicroStrategy,Banner/Self-Service, RAMP);
  • Assists with and provides subject matter support in resolvingdepartment issues with processing fiscal transactions (to includecoordinating resolutions with the Fiscal Services team);
  • Provides recommendations and supports as needed for addressingfinance and HR business operational needs (regardless of fundingsource) and
  • Assists with maintaining finance and HR resources for the CHSSFinance and HR team and CHSS departments (including documentmanagement of shared folders and maintaining the CFHR websiteresources)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or the equivalentcombination of education and experience;
• Experience (typically 3 years) in sponsored programsadministration in post-award research support or relatedfield;
• Demonstrated experience in research financial management, toinclude allocating effort (labor), processing non-labor expenses onsponsored projects and financial reconciliation;
• Strong financial and accounting aptitude required, particularlyin financial research administration;
• Knowledge of federal rules and regulations relating to researchgrant and/or contract activity;
• Knowledge of policies, processes and offices related togrant/contract post award management; and
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research administration certification;
• Research administration experience in higher education;and
• Experience with Banner Financial (or similar system) and/orresearch related software systems.

Posting Open Date: August 21, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: September 4, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement

George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 researchuniversity committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperousworld. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largestand most diverse public research university in Virginia, offeringdegree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level,along with certificates and credentials.

George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment forstudents, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. Webelieve in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancingour mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; andwe believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity oforigin, identity, circumstance, and thought.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative actionemployer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in itscommunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration foret employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability orveteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

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