Research Administrator III - Office of Research

Research Administrator III - Office of Research

Job No: 541121

Work Type:
Full Time

Location:

Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)

Categories:
Grant or Research Administration

Department:  - MD-OFFICE OF RESEARCH

Job Description

Classification

Title:

Research Administrator III

Classification

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree and three years of experience in grant and contract administration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The College of Medicine Office of Research is hiring a Research Administrator III (RA III) to provide advanced professional oversight, strategic guidance, and comprehensive administration of sponsored projects across an as part of our Excellence in Research Management team. This RA III manages not only individual transactions but also formulates strategies and administers policies and processes to support the department's research programs.

The RA III serves as the primary contact and liaison between departmental faculty, the UF Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP), and external sponsors for all pre-award and post-award activities. This position collaborates with department and college leadership to develop and implement research administration policies, procedures, and best practices; facilitates compliance from award inception through closeout; and provides strategic advice on risk management, complex funding mechanisms, and faculty effort allocation.

The RA III operates with a high degree of independence and exercises sound professional judgment on complex, nuanced matters.

• Serves as the primary pre-award resource for assigned faculty, independently managing the full lifecycle of proposal development from opportunity identification through submission
• Reviews program announcements and interprets complex sponsor guidelines, regulations, and eligibility requirements; advises PIs on compliance considerations and potential conflicts with university policy
• Develops accurate and comprehensive budgets for proposals including complex, multi-year, multidepartment, and multi-institutional projects; accounts for salary/fringe, tuition, subcontract costs, indirect cost rates, over-the-cap salaries, and cost-share commitments
• Prepares and assembles all proposal components in UFIRST and/or sponsor portals; provides technical assistance to PIs on formatting, document requirements, and system navigation
• Coordinates institutional approvals, subcontract documentation, and other required materials; acts as liaison with departments, colleges, and DSP to ensure timely and compliant submissions
• Assists PIs with post-submission activities including Just-in-Time (JIT) requests, sponsor queries, and award negotiation processes
• Maintains up-to-date Other Support pages for PIs in portfolio; tracks funding opportunities and advises on strategic alignment with departmental research priorities
• Facilitates strategically significant or complex proposals (e.g., fellowships, clinical studies, multi-PI mechanisms), providing guidance on risk management and compliance considerations

• Independently manages all post-award activities for an assigned portfolio of grants, contracts, and agreements with a high degree of autonomy
• Coordinates with DSP to establish projects, subprojects, and subawards in UFIRST upon award release; ensures accounts are set up accurately and that F&A returns are allocated appropriately
• Processes initial and subsequent payroll distributions in People Soft; manages faculty effort per commitment in UFIRST with consideration for over-the-cap salaries; records all changes in department shadow systems
• Manages effort reporting each semester and reviews all key personnel commitments and pay…