HudsonAlpha - Research Administrator - Research Administration & Development

Hudson Alpha
- Research Administrator
- Research Administration & Development

Position:
Research Administrator
- Research Administration & Development

Institute Overview:

The Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology is a non-profit organization with the mission to use biotechnology and basic biological research to make important discoveries, improve human health, stimulate economic development, inspire young people to seek careers in science, and teach members of the public the importance of science in their everyday lives. Located in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama, one of the world's leading science and technology parks, Hudson Alpha's campus contains state-of-the-art laboratories for biological research and development, as well as education, in genomics, genetics, and personalized medicine.

Department Overview:

The Research Administration & Development (RAD) team supports the growth and vitality of Hudson Alpha's research mission. RAD staff work across the full life-cycle of sponsored projects: from identifying opportunities and sponsors, developing and submitting proposals, and negotiating and managing awards and partnership agreements, to overseeing the administrative components of project execution, communicating project results, and fostering the development and commercialization of discoveries.

Sound risk management is inherent throughout the process.

Position Summary:

This position supports research grant and contract administration activities, providing pre-award and post-award support to principal investigators, project directors, and senior administrators. Responsibilities span proposal preparation, budget development, award setup, compliance tracking, and post-award management.

Job
- Specific Tasks:

• Assists Principal Investigators and Project Directors (PIs/PDs) with proposal development, including budget preparation ranging from basic budget support to preparing detailed and multi-funded budgets applying institutionally approved rates and guidelines, assembling and organizing proposal documents, reviewing and summarizing sponsor guidelines and funding opportunity announcements (FOAs/NOFOs), and ensuring completeness and adherence to sponsor requirements
• Coordinates with PIs/PDs to ensure proposals meet sponsor requirements and consults with Research Compliance to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and Hudson Alpha procedures prior to submission
• Coordinates proposal submissions on behalf of Hudson Alpha through sponsor systems, including Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov, and other electronic submission platforms
• Coordinates with Hudson Alpha Accounting to set up awards in the accounting and financial system, reviews grant management procedures and award terms and conditions with PIs/PDs and related staff
• Provides primarily non-financial post-award management on externally funded grants and contracts, including monitoring grant activity to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, tracking key reporting dates and deliverable deadlines, supporting preparation of progress reports and financial reports, processing re-budgeting, no-cost extensions, carry-forward, and other prior approval requests, and coordinating award closeout activities
• In consultation with RAD staff, may negotiate contracts with sponsoring entities, develop, negotiate, and monitor subcontracts issued by Hudson Alpha to subrecipients, and track subaward progress to ensure compliance with FFATA (Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act)
• Assists with monitoring sponsor training requirements, coordinating required training arrangements, tracking researcher compliance with training currency requirements, and maintaining confidentiality and integrity of project records and sensitive institutional data
• Maintains grant records, files, and data tracking within electronic research administration (eRA) systems, attends meetings of professional research administrators, maintains working knowledge of current Hudson Alpha and federal/state/agency guidelines, contributes to researchers' guidebook and internal process documentation, participates in professional development activities, and performs other duties as assigned
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Required Skills

Experience:

Qualifications for all applicants:

• Proficient in office software, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and Google Workspace.
• Experience with the Apple operating platform preferred.
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload and work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven work environment, maintaining composure and productivity despite competing priorities.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, with a growth mindset, eagerness to learn, and ability to work proactively.
• Excellent relational and communication skills, both verbal and written, including tact, diplomacy, and the ability to respond to research customer inquiries and regulatory agencies/sponsors in a prompt,…