Research Administrator, Engineering Administration
Posting Number: req22953
Department: Engineering Administration
Location: Main Campus
Address: Tucson, AZ USA
Position Highlights
The College of Engineering's Research Administration Services (ERAS) team is seeking a dedicated Research Administrator (Grant and Contract Administrator II) to join our collaborative and service-oriented team. This position will support College of Engineering faculty in developing and submitting proposals to a variety of external sponsors, including foundations, industry, nonprofit organizations, and federal agencies. The role requires strong problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and the ability to work independently while taking the initiative to navigate complex sponsor requirements. Responsibilities include interpreting funding announcements, developing proposal budgets and documents, negotiating award terms with external agencies, and coordinating internal review and signature processes.This position requires sound judgment and the ability to navigate complex and sometimes ambiguous situations, applying knowledge gained through prior work while adapting to the specific needs of each submission. This position requires a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset to identify and address challenges.
Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!
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Duties & Responsibilities
- Provide leadership for pre-award research administration services, including developing proposal budgets for at least one academic department within the College of Engineering.
- Provide pre-award support for internal University of Arizona funding opportunities, including reviewing guidelines, and assisting faculty with budget preparation and submission requirements.
- Prepare proposals, routing compliant submissions through Kuali Research, and ensure timely submission to sponsors.
- Interpret complex policies and communicate them in a clear, accessible way to faculty and staff.
- Monitor and support compliance with university research policies, including conflict of interest, export control, and federal reporting requirements related to foreign collaborations.
- Contribute to the development of tools and processes to track faculty research involvement to ensure accurate documentation of all current and pending commitments.
- Review award documents and non-funded agreements, including confidentiality and material transfer agreements.
- Prepare and submit required documentation, such as contract cover pages, export control checklists, and conflict of interest forms, to Sponsored Project Services (SPS) to initiate institutional review and obtain necessary signatures.
- Manage specialized sponsored program submissions, such as proposals for Salt River Project funding, transportation-related research, and other high-impact funding programs.
- Communicate compliance-related concerns to academic units when awards are accepted and transitioned to departmental post-award administration.
- Consult with academic units on post-award questions related to budgets prepared for proposal submissions and answer related questions about terms and conditions of awards.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and significant attention to detail.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong critical thinking skills.
- Skilled in organizing complex projects, meeting deadlines, and prioritizing tasks in fast-paced environments.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams) and Adobe Acrobat.
- Working knowledge of Kuali Research and UAccess systems.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
- Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Three years of grant management experience (pre-award and/or post-award).
- Experience preparing detailed budgets in Excel and completing federal budget forms, such as the R&R and SF 424A Budget Forms and the DOE EERE Budget Form.
FLSA: Exempt
Full Time/Part Time: Full Time
Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40
Job FTE: 1.0
Work Calendar: Fiscal
Job Category: Research
Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits
Rate of Pay: $59,404 - $74,254
Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
Grade
8
Compensation Guidance
The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.
The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.
Career Stream and Level
PC2
Job Family
Grant & Contract Admin
Job Function
Research
Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)
Number of Vacancies: 1
Contact Information for Candidates
Wendy Turner | wendyturner@arizona.edu
Open Until Filled: Yes
Documents Needed to Apply: Resume and Cover Letter
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In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University's campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.
Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.
