How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Job Summary

The School for Environment and Sustainability is seeking a Research Administrator Senior to provide expertise in pre- and post-award administrative support. The SEAS Research Office supports faculty, staff, and students research including federal and non-federal sponsored projects, unfunded agreements, internally funded research projects, and management of discretionary funds. You will support a diverse portfolio of sponsored projects, research group discretionary and research incentive funds, expendable restricted funds, and designated activity as assigned.

This position may be eligible for remote and/or flexible work opportunities at the discretion of the hiring department.

Application reviews will begin on January 6, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.

What You'll Do

Pre-Award

Support the timely submission of proposals to various sponsors including of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foundations, and industry. Coordinate submission of complex multi-PI submissions with other UM departments and external partners.
Meet with the Principal Investigator (PI) to advise and assist in the development of the budget, budget justification, facilities, CPS, and other non-technical forms.
Support the submission of internally funded projects such as Graham Catalyst, MIDAS, and OVPR awards.
Provide guidance on university, school, and sponsor guidelines, facilitate indirect cost waiver and cost-sharing requests, review UM and sponsor proposal forms for compliance with sponsor guidelines prior to submission.
Respond to sponsor requests for just-in-time documents or other sponsor requested information.

Post-Award

Work with appropriate University offices to resolve issues regarding the notice of grant award and establishment of the project accounting structure, project budget and appropriate indirect cost rate.
Review terms and conditions of sponsored projects. Meet with PI to review budget, terms and conditions, and develop a spending plan.
Prepare sub-project grant and subcontract requests.
Monitor personnel assignments on each project. Regularly review and correct personnel effort allocation to avoid retroactive changes.
Ensure project expenditures comply with Uniform Guidance (UG), all applicable funding agency guidelines, and accounting regulations and standards. Initiate corrective action as required, including processing journal entries.
Provide quarterly updates on financial status of projects to project directors and Research Administration Senior Manager.
Analyze need for and implement budget revision requests or request time extensions on grant funds.
Prepare annual renewals for funded research projects.
In coordination with the principal investigator, review, and address UG reports; finalize Financial Status Reports.
Maintain central electronic files for all assigned grant activity; retain files in accordance with university grant and contract records management guidelines.

Administrative Duties

Provide cross coverage and back-up to other research administration team members.
Review and approve budget approval requests from HR and Finance.
Review and approve Concur reports.
Participate in SEAS staff development and research group meetings.
Represent research offices on institutional task forces related to research administration. Serve on ad hoc working groups and committees to support process improvements.

Mission Statement

The School for Environment and Sustainability https://seas.umich.edu/ is a collaborative and interdisciplinary school. Our mission includes contributing to the protection of environmental resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. We accomplish this by generating and sharing knowledge, contributing to policy, and engaging managers and stakeholders. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks, and restaurants.

SEAS is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

Generous time off
A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
Life insurance
Long-term disability coverage
Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Required Qualifications*

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of five years experience working with contracts, grants, and subcontracts from a variety of government and non-government institutions.
Extensive knowledge of federal funding guidelines (UG) and academic policies and procedures related to sponsored research.
Experience in developing project budgets and completing variance analysis.
Demonstrate confident, clear, and professional communication skills.
Ability to work one-on-one with faculty and staff in coordinating research proposals and the financial administration of awarded projects.
Excellent attention to detail, strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively to meet deadlines.
Ability to work independently as well as build collaborative relationships.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word.

Desired Qualifications*

Minimum of Five years of progressive grant management experience.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA).
Knowledge of NOAA and Federally sponsored programs.
Previous experience with eResearch Proposal Management, MPathways, Business Objects, M-Reports, and Concur.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.

Salary will be determined based on experience.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for at least seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.