Senior Research Administrator - Post-award

MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL); Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

MIT CSAIL is seeking a Senior Research Administrator - Post-award to join CSAIL Headquarters in Cambridge. The role will perform comprehensive pre- and post-award financial management for the Laboratory’s sponsored activities and will float between pre- and post-award work based on operational needs as determined by the Senior Manager – Research Administration.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree with at least four years in accounting/finance or non-profit research administration, strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of four years of experience in accounting or finance with decision-making responsibility or in a non-profit research administrative function.
• Experience with Federal contracts terms and conditions, administrative rules, cost principals and regulations under OMB guidelines.
• Experience working in both pre- and post-award research administration, as well as sponsored programs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; familiarity with internet research tools.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive pre- and post-award financial research management of the Laboratory’s sponsored activities.
• Float between pre- and post-award activities based on operational needs as determined by the Senior Manager – Research Administration.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Senior Research Administrator - Post-award

SENIOR RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, will serve as a member of CSAIL Headquarters; perform comprehensive pre- and post-award financial research management of the Laboratory’s sponsored activities; and float between per and post award activities based on the operational needs of the Lab as determined by the Senior Manager – Research Administration.

https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_mit/external/jobDetails/jobDetail.html?jobPostId=33937&localeCode=en-us

The full job description is available, here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/81biuigj00x3icm7vahrt/CSAIL-Sen-Res-Admin-Post-Award-Pre-Float-Job-Description-Jan-2026.docx?rlkey=ccmmf291nlldp243u57mz2ym6&st=2clj0xx2&dl=0

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Bachelor's degree and a minimum of four years of experience in accounting or finance with decision-making responsibility or in a non-profit research administrative function; experience with Federal contracts terms and conditions, administrative rules, cost principals and regulations under OMB guidelines; experience working in both pre- and post-award research administration, as well as sponsored programs; knowledge of budgeting theory and practices including reporting requirements and procedures related to federal, state and other related grants, cost accounting, government accounting and auditing; knowledge of grants, contracts, and applications and familiarity with electronic research administration requirements from a variety of sponsoring agencies, federal, state, local, etc; knowledge of budget preparation and administration, financial record keeping and reporting; proficiency in the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of contractual terminology (pre- and post- award); financial management/forecasting skills and the ability to interpret financial data; ability to deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and judgment; ability to multi-task, prioritize, work with flexibility, and simultaneously manage numerous awards with varying degrees of complexity while meeting concurrent deadlines; ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced constantly changing environment; strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation including the ability to interact, cultivate trust and build rapport with a variety of constituents including departmental faculty, staff and sponsors; be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and the internet as a tool for information research; knowledge of enterprise financial systems, grants management tools and multidimensional databases; and very strong organizational, analytical and problem solving skills.