University of Michigan

Research Administrator Sr

University of Michigan$75K — $95K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance or equivalent work experience
  • 5+ years of post-award research administration experience for senior level
  • 3+ years of post-award research administration experience for intermediate level
  • Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, with attention to detail

Responsibilities

  • Reconcile and analyze project grant budgets and expenditures
  • Assist in monitoring accounting, budgeting, and collection/billing activities
  • Troubleshoot procurement and vendor payment issues
  • Evaluate financial analyses and meet regularly with faculty and division administrators
  • Monitor expenditures to ensure compliance with sponsor guidelines
  • Prepare financial forecasting for future spending plans
  • Act as a mentor to lower-level research administrators

Benefits

  • Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on first day
  • 2:1 Match on retirement savings
Full Job Description
Job Summary

The Department of Pediatrics as Michigan Medicine seek a full-time Research Administrator Senior/Intermediate. This role provides high level post-award research administration and financial support in the execution of project grant budgets, financial planning, analysis and long-range forecasting.

Responsibilities*

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Reconcile and analyze project grant budgets and expenditures in eReconciliation and M-Reports; review expenditures, investigate and resolve discrepancies;
  • Assists in the analyzing and monitoring of accounting, budgeting and collection/billing activities
  • Troubleshoot procurement and vendor payment problems
  • Evaluate and provide interpretation of financial analyses to faculty and division administrators; meet with them on a regular basis to review their accounts
  • Monitor expenditures on grants and contracts to ensure expenses are appropriate according to sponsors? guidelines and complying with Uniform Guidance standards
  • Assess changes in revenue and expenditures to ensure sponsored funds are being spent by the deadline without overspending; proactively anticipate changes in effort and gaps in funding
  • Prepare short and long-term financial forecasting to aid Principal Investigators in making future spending plans
  • Effort planning responsibilities, including tracking faculty and staff effort to minimize retroactive appointment changes, initiate and submit Personnel Action Requests (PARs/DBE changes)
  • Work closely with Sponsored Programs to coordinate budget allocations, review financial statements, FSR?s, and other compliance reports before being submitted to sponsors; assist in closing out projects
  • Submit Award Change Requests (ACRs) to coordinate with ORSP on the processing of externally sponsored project award notices/amendments and request other project changes
  • Initiate and process journal entries as needed, complying with 120-day federal guidelines
  • Assist in the preparation grant proposal and renewal budgets as requested
  • Analyze, compare and evaluate various courses of action with authority to make independent decisions within the scope of responsibilities, with little oversight or direction from Financial Intermediate Manager
  • Coordinate accounting matters and collaborate with other departments, divisions, and campus
  • Work with Research Administration Manager and Department Administrator as needed for department reports
  • Utilize M-Reports, M-Pathways, Business Objects to initiate and process financial activities
  • Act as a mentor to lower-level research administrators in the department, providing guidance, leadership and workflow expertise

Supervision:

Supervision is received from the Research Administration Manager and/or Division Administrator(s). Staff members in this classification are expected to work independently and regularly exercise judgement in setting priorities, resolving operational problems, and the application of policies, procedures, and methods, while maintaining the strictest of confidentiality at all times.

Supervision Exercised:

Functional supervision may be exercised over project grant administrative assistants and/or clerical assistants.

Required Qualifications*

Senior Level:
  • Bachelor?s degree in business, accounting, finance or equivalent work experience
  • 5+ years of post-award research administration experience is required, with proven high performance and a thorough understanding of the job responsibilities
  • Retain a high sense of ownership and accountability for workload; be flexible and resilient in the face of change
  • Provide excellent customer service; exercise outstanding independent judgement with the ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities and deadlines
  • Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills
  • Must possess excellent written and oral communication skills, with high attention to detail

Intermediate Level:
  • Bachelor?s degree in business, accounting, finance or equivalent work experience
  • 3+ years of post-award research administration experience is required, with proven high performance and a thorough understanding of the job responsibilities

Desired Qualifications*

Desired Qualifications:
  • Master?s degree in business, accounting, finance
  • Advanced Excel skills, Business Objects, M-Reports, and M-Pathways skills
  • Experience managing projects from a wide variety of sponsors including National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, industry contracts, and clinical trials.
  • Experience tracking effort and requesting effort changes on research projects, initiating journal entries, processing re-budget requests
  • Possess a strong understanding of University procurement policies, including business travel and hosting expense guidelines
  • Advanced understanding of post-award research administration and policies, including Uniform Guidance restrictions and experience ensuring compliance with expenditures on research projects

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?
  • Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
  • 2:1 Match on retirement savings

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 .

Underfill Statement

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

Job Detail

Job Opening ID

279631

Working Title

Research Administrator Sr

Job Title

Research Administrator Sr

Work Location

Ann Arbor Campus

Ann Arbor, MI

Modes of Work

Mobile/Remote

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

FLSA Status

Exempt

Organizational Group

Medical School

Department

MM Pediatrics-Administration

Posting Begin/End Date

7/06/2026 - 7/20/2026

Career Interest

Finance
Research

About University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan system. The University of Michigan was founded in 1817 in Detroit, as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, 20 years before the territory became a state. The school moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha) of what is now known as Central Campus. Since its establishment in Ann Arbor, the university campus has expanded to include more than 584 major buildings with a combined area of more than 34 million gross square feet (781 acres or 3.16 km²), and has two satellite campuses located in Flint and Dearborn. The University of Michigan is a founding member of the Association of American Universities.
Learn more about University of Michigan
Size
50,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1817

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