The Senior Manager, Research Administration provides comprehensive pre- and post-award research administration support for the Executive Offices at Emory University, including the Office of the President, the Executive Vice President Health Affairs, the Executive Office of Business Operations, and the Office of the Senior Vice President of Research. This role ensures the effective management of research and development (R&D) and programmatic proposals and awards, serving as a strategic partner to senior leadership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manages pre- and post-award activities for an assigned portfolio of grants and contracts, ensuring compliance with federal, state, sponsor, and university policies.
- Leads the development, preparation, and submission of complex R&D and programmatic grant and contract proposals, working closely with faculty and senior administrators.
- Reviews budgets, justifications, and administrative documents to ensure accuracy and compliance with sponsor guidelines.
- Coordinates and reviews proposal elements, including biosketches, facilities, and other required documentation.
- Monitors post-award financial and non-financial compliance, reconciling budgets, preparing financial reports, and overseeing award closeout processes.
- Facilitates sub-award administration, effort reporting, and compliance with cost-sharing obligations.
- Works across functions and disciplines to foster a seamless research administration ecosystem that supports faculty and senior leadership.
- Facilitates issue resolution and serves as a central point of contact for research administration challenges affecting executive offices.
- Partners with finance, compliance, and legal teams to ensure research administration processes align with institutional priorities and funding requirements
- Serves as the primary research administration resource for principal investigators (PIs) within the Executive Offices, ensuring seamless support for their research funding needs while aligning with the broader strategic initiatives led by the AVP.
- Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across academic, clinical, and administrative units.
- Advises senior leadership on research administration best practices, policy updates, and regulatory changes.
- Identifies and implements process improvements to enhance research administration efficiency and effectiveness.
- Engages with the Office of Research Administration (ORA) Dragon Team to proactively address research administration challenges and optimize workflows.
- Collaborates with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and the Office of Research Grants and Contracts (RGC) to align with their missions in providing pre- and post-award support services.
- Works within Emory's established grant management systems, including Cayuse, PeopleSoft, and eRA Commons, ensuring data integrity and compliance.
- Assists Emory Healthcare Institute with proposal and award management as needed.
- Works within Emory's established grant management systems, including Cayuse, PeopleSoft, and eRA Commons, ensuring data integrity and compliance.
- Assists Emory Healthcare Institute with proposal and award management as needed.
- Leverages AI-driven research administration tools to streamline pre- and post-award processes, enhance compliance tracking, and improve data accuracy.
- Partners with ORA's Knowledge Management and AI teams to refine and expand the use of AI solutions within research administration.
- Provides training and support on emerging research administration technologies to faculty and administrative staff.
- Applies AI and automation techniques to optimize operational efficiency and workflow improvements in research administration.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree and at least five (5) years of experience in research administration, grants and contracts management, or a related field, OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Expertise in pre- and post-award functions, including budget development, financial reconciliation, and compliance management.
- Master's degree and Certified Research Administrator certification is preferred.
NOTE: This role will be granted the opportunity to work from home regularly but must be able to commute to Emory University location as needed and at times, on short notice. Emory reserves the right to change this status with notice to employee.