Senior Research Administration Lead — Pre-Award Expert

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking a Senior Research Administration Specialist (Pre-Award Focus) to lead complex proposal development and submission across assigned units. You will partner with faculty, research teams, and central offices to transform ideas into competitive funding opportunities.

The role emphasizes pre-award expertise, project management, and mentorship of staff, with limited post-award duties.

Qualifications

• Mid- to late-career with a Master’s degree and 2–4 years of experience in research administration.
• Strong knowledge of pre-award processes including budgeting and sponsor compliance.
• Experience developing complex, multi-investigator proposals for various sponsors.
• Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines and coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated mentoring and collaboration with staff across units.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex pre-award activities for sponsored research proposals.
• Manage a portfolio of multi-investigator and multi-institutional submissions.
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communications.
• Mentor research administration staff and promote best practices.
• Provide limited post-award support and ensure compliance with terms.

Skills

Pre-award administration

Budgeting

Sponsor compliance

Proposal development

Project management

Mentorship

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Tools

RAMSeS

Cayuse

PeopleSoft

Excel

Job description

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking a Senior Research Administration Specialist (Pre-Award Focus) to lead complex proposal development and submission across assigned units. You will partner with faculty, research teams, and central offices to transform ideas into competitive funding opportunities.

The role emphasizes pre-award expertise, project management, and mentorship of staff, with limited post-award duties.