Research Administration Manager

Apply now Job no: 540860
Work type: Staff Full-Time
Location: Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)
Categories: Grant or Research Administration
Department:  - MD-PHARMACOLOGY - THERAPEUTICS

Classification

Title:

Research Administration Manager

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

Job Description:

• Oversees and provides strategic direction for the management of all project budget preparation according to agency, sponsored research, and departmental guidelines when faculty and other department/institute personnel apply for extramural funding.
• Oversees the review of state contracts for accuracy of dates and dollar amounts.
• Oversees the coordination of the development of grant proposals.
• Oversees the process of entering proposals into UFIRST along with all required documentation, including conflict of interest disclosures, internal budgets, and supporting materials.
• Serves as a liaison between the department, the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP), and other core administrative offices.
• Supervises research administration staff, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, workload allocation, and professional development.
• Monitors the department’s sponsored project portfolios and provides regular analyses and projections to Departmental leadership related to proposal activity, award trends, expenditures, and research growth opportunities.
• Maintains performance dashboards or metrics, tracking proposal volume, turnaround time, and compliance rates, and uses data to guide improvements.
• Coordinates regular check-ins with department leadership to align on priorities, gather feedback, and address pain points or anticipated changes in research activity.
• Collaborates with the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics leadership to forecast staffing needs, improve tools/systems, annual space allocation (via SPIN), and contribute to strategic planning for the department.
• Oversees the review and interpretation of sponsor guidelines prior to proposal preparation, including but not limited to requirements from federal funding agencies, industry sponsors, private foundations, and internal university funding opportunities.
• Interprets and communicates agency guidelines to Principal Investigators, highlighting potential conflicts with University guidelines or rules and regulations that require special attention.
• Provides oversight of compliance requirements related to documents such as Other Support, Biosketches, Data Management and Sharing Plans, Diversity Plans, and other sponsor-required materials.
• Provides oversight of proposal development activities across the department, including budget review, internal documentation, and sponsor-specific form compliance. Direct support may be provided during critical or high-volume periods.
• Reviews compiled proposal applications to ensure completeness and compliance with sponsor, contractor, and University regulations. Oversees the submission of proposals through UFIRST and sponsor systems, as applicable.
• Acts as liaison with other departments, colleges, and the Division of Sponsored Programs to ensure all appropriate approvals are achieved and grant/contract is submitted to the agency.
• Supports preparation and review of Just-in-Time (JIT) requests, budget revisions, and resubmissions, ensuring alignment with initial submissions and sponsor requirements.
• Tracks and manages proposal deadlines across the department, prioritizing workload and ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.
• Maintains a repository of current templates, sponsor forms, and best practice documents to support proposal development consistency across the department.
• Reviews proposal documents in UFIRST for completeness and accuracy prior to routing to the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) or other core offices.
• Ensures that the proposal information log is maintained by grant staff.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction for post-award activities across the department, ensuring compliance with sponsor, institutional, and federal regulations.
• Coordinates with the Division of Sponsored Programs and Contracts & Grants on award setup, including subproject creation, subcontract initiation, and account structure planning for complex awards.
• Serves as a department-level liaison for effort reporting matters when needed, including coordination of documentation and review of CAS exception justifications.
• Engages regularly with research administration staff within the department and central offices to resolve post-award challenges, ensure policy alignment, and support audits or compliance reviews.
• Supports departmental faculty and staff in understanding and complying with post-award sponsor requirements, including progress reports, financial reporting, other support updates, and RPPRs.
• Facilitates quarterly review sessions with PIs and department RAs to assess spending trends,…