Certified Research Administrator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Description

Reporting to the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) Director of Finance and Administration, the Research Administrator/Senior Research Administrator will be responsible for advising and assisting BME faculty in the preparation and submission of agreements and proposals for funding and ensure compliance with university and sponsor policies, procedures and requirements. The Research Administrator/Senior Research Administrator will serve as a liaison between VT's Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and BME faculty and assist in resolving all agreement, proposal, and grant related matters to ensure timely submission of agreements and grant proposals and proper award management. In addition, the Research Administrator/Senior Research Administrator will assist BME faculty by:
- Preparing accurate program budgets in compliance with university guidelines and sponsor requirements
-Accurately completing VT and sponsor required documents and forms in support of funding proposals and agreements
- Initiating, submitting, and navigating agreements and proposals successfully through the VT OSP Summit system, Cayuse, and other designated internal and external submission portals by internally and externally established deadlines
- Serving as liaison between OSP, BME faculty, and sponsors when needing to address and resolve agreement, proposal, and grant related issues
-Serving as liaison to the sponsor when clarification on application materials, requirements, or policies is needed
-Applying extensive knowledge of government regulations, cost principles, and uniform administrative requirements to ensure accurate information is included and presented on agreement and proposal submissions
-Assisting with preparing post-submission information and Just-In-Time requests as required by the sponsor
-Providing guidance regarding federal and university policies and procedures and sponsor requirements
-Confirming credit assigned to BME personnel in proposals
-Developing reports on status of submitted and funded proposals and completed agreements
-Developing resource documentation (e.g., standardized checklists, timelines, boilerplate language, facilities, descriptions, and curated resource guides) for commonly submitted proposals
-Procuring and/or developing faculty-facing training and orientation materials (e.g., short recorded modules that address grant policies, submission requirements, or common compliance issues)
-As requested, the Research Administrator/Senior Research Administrator may also assist with certain post award responsibilities to ensure proper award management. This may include, but is not limited to, expiring funds surveys, letters of guarantees, current and pending reports, monitoring project burn rates, monitoring end of project expenditures and overages, assisting with award modifications, and verifying personnel salaries. When serving in this capacity, the Research Administrator/Senior Research Administrator will coordinate with BME staff and OSP to assist BME faculty with preparation of grant reports as required by the sponsor (e.g., NIH annual RPPRs, grant close out reporting, and other sponsor reporting requirements).
This is an on-site position. However, hybrid or fully remote appointments may be considered if aligned with the needs of the BME department.

Required Qualifications

-Masters degree in Public or Business Administration, Finance, or related field or Bachelor's degree in similar field with significant experience.
-Previous experience in the management and submission of research agreements and proposals
-Previous financial and/or administrative experience in support of research agreement and proposal submission, post award management, and project administration
-Experience interpreting and applying federal and non-federal regulations and guidelines, cost principles, uniform administrative requirements for grants, and audits of states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations in a university or an agency funding or conducting research
-Excellent computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft 365 apps and large financial databases
-Previous experience accessing, compiling, analyzing, and synthesizing large data sets pulled from multiple computer systems
-Prior experience developing complex budgets
-Prior experience with internal and external agreement and proposal submission portals
-Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with diverse constituencies both internally and externally

Preferred Qualifications

-Professional certification/designation as a Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM), or Virginia Tech Research Administrator Certificate (Level I and II)
-Prior experience working at a higher education research institution
-Prior experience working with specific accounting/fiscal, purchasing, and agreement/proposal submission systems such as Banner, Summit, OSP's Post Award Management System, OSP's PAN System, MicroStrategy, ES Legacy Web Reports, Cayuse, and Hokiemart.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$60,000 - $85,000 Commensurate with experience

Hours per week

40 

Review Date

07/27/2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.