Research Administration Specialist OR Coordinator - School of Computing and Data Science

Research Administration Specialist OR CoordinatorSiebel School of Computing and Data ScienceThe Grainger College of EngineeringUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The Siebel School of Computing and Data Science at The Grainger College of Engineering welcomes applicants to join our team of Research Administrators. Our team works with school faculty to apply for and manage a large volume of sponsored research projects funded by various grants and other funding sources. The primary job functions of the Grants and Contracts Specialist or Coordinator include pre-award grant proposal preparation and post-award grant administration. This position will work in a collaborative, team environment and will be trained by our expert team of Research Administration professionals and supported by others in the business office and across the school and college. All applicants interested in working with a team of self-motivated professionals are encouraged to apply! MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:The Research Administration Specialist will perform the following duties:Support faculty on research proposal preparation for the school, including: internal routing of applications, interpretation of sponsor guidelines, development of electronic proposals.

• Use independent judgment to identify, review, understand, and interpret sponsor guidelines, ensuring all requirements are met, such as deadlines, funding restrictions, eligibility restrictions, potential cost share, general compliance, and other requirements for valid submissions.
• Advise faculty and staff to ensure compliance with sponsor and funding opportunity guidelines on terms of research agreements, interpretations of proposal guidelines, and the submission requirements of such proposals according to university policy, with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA).
• Assist faculty with preparing proposal budgets, budget justifications, and any other required documents.
• With reference to the proposal guidelines, review materials to ensure all requirements are met before sending completed proposal to SPA for final review.
• Use sound judgment and attention to detail to make independent changes to proposals under strict time constraints to ensure successful and timely submissions to meet deadlines.
• Act as a liaison for the school when working with SPA, answer questions, resolve issues that occur with proposals and assist in grant/contract negotiations as necessary.
• Prepare financial reports and analyses to support faculty with the administration and development of their sponsored research projects, verify correct rates are being used in budget development, suggest budget revisions as needed, implement new indirect cost rates and fringe benefit rates, and accurately interpret sponsor guidelines to ensure proposal compliance.
• Ensure proposal packages are properly formatted with necessary materials and signatures by reviewing and editing proposals and budgets in accordance with sponsor and University guidelines.
• Support faculty with entering budget and other relevant information into online submission programs, such as FASTLANE/research.gov, grants.gov, Proposal Central, and NSPIRES for each faculty proposal submission as appropriate. This involves managing several drafts and revisions, according to the faculty member’s needs, until a final draft is approved by the faculty member. Once approved, enter the budget information into the sponsor’s portal. Sponsors such as NSF, NIH, ARPA-e, American Heart Association, and several others use an online submission system.
• Review and revise pending proposals and budgets according to university guidelines and changing sponsor requirements, monitor the status of proposal submissions, update their status in the proposal database, update database information on awards received, and prepare administrative reports on new awards for department administration.
• Coordinate requests for additional information on pending proposals.
• Work directly with the faculty member and SPA to provide additional information when a proposal is pending with a sponsor and additional information is requested. This may include a revised budget, salary confirmation, rate confirmation, additional justification online items in the proposed budget; any and all sponsor requests to assist in awarding the proposal.
• Use discretion, expertise, attention to detail and independent thinking to decipher what the sponsor is requesting and provide the most applicable and appropriate information.
• Prepare required documents related to budget modifications, renewal funding, and supplemental funding. When a request for supplemental funding or a renewal for a current award is necessary, work with the faculty member to prepare and submit a completed proposal through SPA containing a budget, budget justification and statement of work.
• Use independent judgment to make suggested changes to the package when necessary to allow for successful submission.
  
  

Work with the school's business office to coordinate various post-award activities such as personnel appointments and other charges on sponsored research projects, including an analysis of appropriateness of expenditures on research funds.

• Work with SPA to ensure funded project accounts are established in a timely manner, request and monitor anticipation accounts when necessary.
• Complete sponsored project close-out reviews and work with SPA to close completed project accounts in a timely manner.
• Prepare and record Banner journal entries, as appropriate, including those for month-and year-end close activities, rogue CFOP and other error corrections and necessary entries. Monitor budgets, account balances, and expenditures, make transfers when necessary.
  
  

Prepare financial reports, spending projections and analyses as requested by faculty, the Director of Administration and Operations, and the Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts.

• Periodically communicate with faculty regarding funding scenarios to ensure their understanding of their available funding.
• Prepare and review with faculty quarterly spending reports, which allow for accurate financial projections to aid faculty in effective spending decisions.
  
  

Assume additional appropriate duties to further the mission of the school.The Research Administration Coordinator will perform the above duties, in addition to the following: Manage financial aspects of post-award sponsored project activities. Work closely with Principal Investigators to develop and monitor grant spending plans including: staff planning, appropriate rates of spending, regularly reviewing and updating project expenditures to ensure compliance with sponsor and University policy requirements. Review sponsored project expenditures, ensuring integrity, for accuracy and allowability of transactions in accordance with project budgets and agreements as well as University and Federal guidelines.

• Work with SPA to ensure funded project accounts are established in a timely manner, request and monitor anticipation accounts when necessary.
• Regularly (i.e. annually) communicate with faculty regarding their School of Computing and Data Science funding portfolios to ensure they have a thorough understanding of their funding situation.
• Prepare and review with faculty quarterly spending reports, which allow for accurate financial projections to aid faculty in effective spending decisions.
• Update and manage Activity Reporting System for all relevant staff in the department.
• Coordinate faculty effort on sponsored projects by facilitating approvals of faculty summer appointments and auditing effort budgeted compared to effort taken. Ensure faculty remain within sponsor compliance for effort on a project.
  
  

Collaboration and Leadership.

• Mentor and train other members of the unit’s research administration team so that the team is cohesive and provides uniform, consistent service to the faculty.
• Serve as back-up to other research administration staff as needed.
• Communicate new sponsor policies to other research administration staff and update references in the staff’s training and template folders.
  
  

Specialist:Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics or a field related to the position.
• Two (2) years of office work experience in a business, government, or higher education environment.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in sponsored research administration, grants and contracts administration, or an ability and willingness to learn.
• Experience with Microsoft excel and basic data entry.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to self-manage priorities and be proactive in resolving issues.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
  
  

Coordinator:Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or a field related to the position.
• Two (2) years of progressive work experience in sponsored research administration in a large-scale institution.
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Excel.
• SPaRC’Ed Illini Certified Research Administrator.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in sponsored research administration, grants and contracts administration, or an ability and willingness to learn.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to perform core job duties independently, utilizing good judgment and prioritization skills.
• Ability to organize and manage diverse activities.
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Must be highly organized and be able to work under multiple deadlines.
• Knowledge of University guidelines and procedures for general accounting, proposal processing, and grant administration.
• Comprehensive understanding of University, College, and Department organization, objectives and goals.
• Knowledge of the operating procedures of the various private and public funding agencies sufficient to permit quality interaction on all administrative matters pertaining to the various agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
  
  

Appointment InformationThis is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5040 - Grants and Contracts Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. The budgeted salary range for the Specialist position is $57,000 - $65,000, and $65,000 - $70,000 for the Coordinator position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. Hybrid work options may be available for this position, with the ability to be on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as needed per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.Application Procedures & Deadline InformationApplications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on 04/04/2025. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact Bridget Gamel at bgamel@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.The University of Illinois offers a very competitive benefits portfolio, depending on the position. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.Requisition ID: 1029429

Job Category: Professional and Administrative

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