Senior Research Administration Specialist

Working Title Senior Research Administration Specialist

Appointment Type

Appointment Type EHRA Non-Faculty

Position Number

Position Number

Vacancy

Vacancy

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time/Part Time Full-Time Permanent

FTE

FTE 1

Hours per week 40

Position Location

Position Location North Carolina, US

Hiring Range

Hiring Range $85,000

Proposed Start Date

Proposed Start Date 11/30/2026

Position Information

Be a Tar Heel!

This is a senior-level role that will appeal to experienced research administrators looking to lead complex, high-impact proposals while serving as a trusted advisor and mentor. Senior Research Administration Specialist (Pre-Award Focus) Join the UNC
-Chapel Hill College of Arts & Sciences as a Senior Research Administration Specialist and play a key role in advancing innovative research across one of the nation’s leading public universities. This position leads the development and submission of complex sponsored research proposals, partnering closely with faculty, research teams, and institutional leaders to transform ideas into competitive funding opportunities. Ideal candidates bring deep pre-award research administration expertise, strong project management skills, and the ability to manage large, multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals.

In addition to serving as a subject matter expert in proposal development, budgeting, and sponsor compliance, this role provides mentorship to research administration staff and helps drive process improvements across the College’s research enterprise. The position offers a hybrid work arrangement and the opportunity to contribute to a growing and dynamic research portfolio.

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest academic unit within the University and consists of about 71 units, including centers, programs, institutional support and 42 academic departments and interdisciplinary curricula, which offer both undergraduate bachelor’s degrees and graduate-level masters and PhD degrees. The College is divided into four academic divisions:
Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education oversees all academic student support units, including but not limited to Academic Advising, Honors, and the Academic Success Center. The Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation drives strategic planning and provides guidance across the academic divisions and research programs, fostering new models of innovation, new initiatives and new collaborations.

The Office of the Dean is responsible for all of the academic, academic student support, financial and administrative operations in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The College of Arts & Sciences Business Operations Office is housed in the Office of the Dean and supports the fiscal and human resources operations of the departments, curricula, and programs by consolidating their business operations into one center. The Business Operations Office enables transparency of operations and information, creating a more responsive organization that utilizes online systems and automation to streamline processes.

It consistently applies policies, ensuring compliance to UNC , State, and Federal regulations and laws.

Within the Business Operations’ Accounting Department, grant and research administration support is provided for the non
- Big 5 Departments (Biology, Chemistry, Math, English and Psychology). The Big 5 Departments have their own grant and research administration units, which are given autonomy from the Business Operations Office due to the specificity of field, the number and value amounts of grants and other third-party funding handled by their faculty.

For the smaller…