Research Administration Specialist/Coordinator - Mechanical Science and Engineering (105938)
- Employer
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Location
- Champaign, IL
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- Administrative Jobs
- Academic Affairs, Research Staff & Technicians, Institutional & Business Affairs, Clerical & Administrative Support
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Research Administration Specialist/Coordinator
Mechanical Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering seeks applicants for the position of Research Administration Specialist or Coordinator.
PRIMARY POSITION FUNCTION:
The Research Administration Specialist supports the pre- and post-award functions for externally funded sponsored research projects by assuming a role in the development and submission of proposals, and in the financial management of funded federal and non-federal awarded grants and contracts. The Specialist is responsible for maintaining familiarity with federal solicitations and changing federal regulations and guidelines associated with research administration in order to support the effective management of research programs.
The Research Administration Coordinator supports the pre- and post-award functions for externally funded complex sponsored research projects by assuming a key role in the development and submission of proposals, and in the financial management of funded federal and non-federal awarded grants and contracts. This position is responsible for maintaining familiarity with federal solicitations and changing federal regulations and guidelines associated with research administration in order to support the effective management of research programs.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT VARY BASED ON POSITION LEVEL:
- Provide support to faculty and principal investigators in the preparation and submission of routine proposals to various federal and non-federal sponsors. This includes reviewing and interpreting sponsor regulations and guidelines, as well as University policies and procedures for submission and ensuring all requirements are met. This includes preparation of proposal application packages for appropriate submission systems, budgets and budget justifications and other proposal documentation as required.
- Serve as liaison to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) and assist them in grant/contract negotiations as necessary. Follow up on pending agreements and work with SPA to ensure they are finalized and funded project accounts are established in a timely manner.
- Assist faculty and principal investigators with the management of their funded research programs, projects and accounts, including preparing financial forecasts as necessary. Advise faculty on the financial aspects of hiring decisions and major spending decisions, such as large equipment purchases, as necessary. Assist with the management of personnel budgets and expenditures by reviewing and approving proposed appointments in the My.Appointments application and by redistributing appointments of principal investigators and research staff in response to changes in research efforts.
- Assist with the semi-annual principal investigator expenditure certification process to obtain certifications in a timely manner.
- Maintain various reports and spreadsheets to effectively manage sponsored project funds.
- Analyze sponsored project budgets and review actual expenditures to ensure allowability, integrity and accuracy of all financial transactions. This includes designing and running simple and complex queries in the Decision Support Data Warehouse as necessary and reviewing/analyzing the results and supporting transactional details.
- Monitor investigator effort on sponsored projects for assigned faculty to ensure investigators meet their effort obligations on their awards. Recommend changes in investigator effort and appointment requests as necessary to ensure compliance with effort obligations. When necessary, obtain sponsor approval for deviations from budgeted effort.
- Serve as liaison to the campus SPA Postaward Office and assist them in account set up, management, budget development and input, billing, and close out as necessary. Ensure completed projects are closed timely. Prepare reports for SPA Postaward and/or the sponsor as necessary.
- Complete sponsored project close-out reviews and work with SPA Postaward to close completed project accounts in a timely manner. Ensure allowability of charges on awards prior to close out. This includes designing and running simple and complex queries in the Decision Support Data Warehouse, as necessary, reviewing/analyzing the results and supporting transactional details, and transferring unallowable or questionable charges to other funding sources.
- Request and monitor anticipation accounts, subaward agreements, and no-cost and other contract extensions as necessary.
- Assist with the maintenance of the Activity Reporting System (ARS) for assigned faculty. Update ARS as necessary and in accordance with the department allocation policy and discussion with faculty to ensure faculty teaching, research, public service, cost-sharing and other efforts are correctly reflected in ARS and cost-sharing effort obligations are met.
- Participate in the campus research administration community through attendance at OSP/GCO meetings, Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance (SPaRC) meetings, College of Engineering meetings, and serve on various committees to enhance and improve administration efforts.
- Assist with the completion of Reports of Sponsored Research Activities and their reconciliation to faculty Biographical Data Forms (BDFs).
- Assist the department human resources function by the review and approval of faculty and graduate student appointments.
- Assist the department purchasing and payables functions by the review and preapproval of purchasing transactions with possible compliance issues, and the review and approval of Travel and Expense Management (TEM) system transactions.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS - RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
- Two years of professional work experience in business, finance, or a related field.
Preferred:
- Illinois Certified Research Administrator designation.
QUALIFICATIONS - RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
- Two years of work experience in research administration.
Preferred:
- Illinois Certified Research Administrator designation.
HIGHLY QUALFIED APPLICANTS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
- Ability to organize and manage diverse activities. Excellent customer service, follow-up, and computer skills.
- Strong background in accounting principles and sponsored research pre- and post-award administration is preferred.
- Knowledge of University guidelines and procedures for general accounting, proposal processing, and grant administration is preferred.
- Comprehensive understanding of University, College, and Department organization, objectives and goals is preferred. Familiarity with database development and management is preferred. Familiarity with University personnel administration policies and procedures is preferred.
- 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 is preferred.
SALARY AND APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
This is a full-time Civil Service Grants and Contracts Associate position appointed on a 12-month service basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the application deadline. Salary is commensurate with experience.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINE INFORMATION
To apply for this position, please create a candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload your cover letter, resume (months and years of employment must be included), and academic credentials (copies of unofficial transcripts or diploma may be acceptable) by December 20, 2018. An online application will require names and contact information including email addresses for three references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for the position. Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For further information regarding application procedures, you may contact John Wierschem at jwiersch@illinois.edu.
The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.
The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. To learn more about the University's commitment to diversity, please visit http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu
College Name or Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
Category: 2-Administrative
Title: Research Administration Specialist/Coordinator - Mechanical Science and Engineering (105938)
Open Date: 12/07/2018
Close Date: 12/20/2018
Organization Name: Mechanical Sci and Engineering
PI106089518
Organization
Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement.
Faculty
A talented and highly respected faculty is the University's most significant resource. Many are recognized for exceptional scholarship with memberships in such organizations as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering.
Our faculty have been awarded Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, and the Fields Medal in Mathematics.The success of our faculty is matched by that of our alumni: 11 are Nobel laureates and another 18 have won Pulitzer Prizes.
Academic Resources
Academic resources on campus are among the finest in the world. The University Library is one of the largest public university collections in the world with 11 million volumes in its 37 unit libraries. Annually, 53,000,000 people visit its online catalog. Students have access to thousands of computer terminals in classrooms, residence halls, and campus libraries for use in classroom instruction, study, and research.
Research
Students and scholars find the University an ideal place to conduct research. The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology is a model for interdisciplinary research, where eighteen research groups from sixteen University departments work within and across three broadly defined themes: biological intelligence, human-computer intelligent interaction, and molecular and electronic nanostructures. The University is also home to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).
Undergraduate Education
The University has a fundamental commitment to undergraduate education. Nearly 28,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in nine undergraduate divisions, which together offer some 4,000 courses in more than 150 fields of study.
Undergraduate admission is highly selective. In the 2001 freshman class, students in the middle 50% had ACT scores between 25 and 30 and ranked between the 83rd and 96th percentiles of their high school graduating classes.
The University enrolls over 9,000 graduate and professional students in more than 100 disciplines. It is among the top five universities in number of earned doctorates awarded annually in the United States.
Also integral to the University's mission is a commitment to public engagement. Each year about 65,000 Illinois residents participate in scores of conferences, institutes, courses, and workshops presented statewide. Research and class projects take students and professors off campus to share expertise and technical support with Illinois farmers, manufacturing firms, and businesses. In a typical year, student volunteers log more than 60,000 volunteer hours.
The Arts
A major center for the arts, the campus attracts dozens of nationally and internationally renowned artists each year to its widely acclaimed Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The University also supports two major museums: the Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion; and the Spurlock Museum, a museum of world history and culture.
Other major facilities include the multipurpose Assembly Hall (16,500 seats); Memorial Stadium (70,000 seats), site of Big Ten Conference football games; and the Intramural-Physical Education Building, one of the largest recreational facilities of its kind on a university campus.
Inclusive Illinois, one campus, many voices
Inclusive Illinois is the University’s commitment to cultivating a community at Illinois where everyone is welcomed, celebrated, and respected. Illinois is about how we value difference to make a difference. http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu/
As evidence of the University’s commitment to enhance the working, living, and learning environment for faculty, staff, and students, the University will encourage a standard of conduct and behavior that is consistent with the values of inclusivity. In an environment of inclusivity, there is no place for acts of hatred, intolerance, insensitivity, bigotry, threats of violence, harassment or discrimination.
Inclusive Illinois, one campus, many voices
Inclusive Illinois is the University’s commitment to cultivating a community at Illinois where everyone is welcomed, celebrated, and respected. Through education, engagement, and excellence, each voice creates the Inclusive Illinois Experience.
How can we appreciate difference to make a difference?
Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. We value it because we know that we have so much to learn from each other in our living, learning, and working environment.
Illinois is the place where we recognize the power of possibility and where great potential is realized. Inclusive Illinois is the vision of that place: a vision made real by leadership and commitment.
Illinois is the place where consensus is forged by discourse and where everyone’s contributions are recognized: significant contributions that elevate us because they are informed and enhanced by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, physical ability, religion, class, and national origin. We are enriched by these perspectives, and we are united by the very discourse that brings these views together.
It is a process. It is transformative. And we celebrate the remarkable changes we set in motion here … taking an important step … crossing boundaries … starting with our own.
It all starts with each of us: with our willingness to embark on the journey in the search for answers, and with our openness and acceptance of the answers we find. Illinois is the place where it all comes together.
Learn more about how Inclusive Illinois promotes diversity here.
Commitment to Equal Opportunity
The commitment of the University to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity requires that decisions involving students and employees be based on individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms, whether or not specifically prohibited by law. Among the forms of invidious discrimination prohibited by the University policy but not law is discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of sexual orientation. Complaints of invidious discrimination in violation of University policy are to be resolved within existing University procedures. The policy of the University of Illinois is to comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action laws, orders, and regulations. The University will not engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. This nondiscrimination policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in University programs and activities
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