Remote Research Operations Director Jobs in Wellesley, MA

About the Opportunity

Northeastern University's Research Enterprise Services (NU-RES) Hub seeks to hire talented, experienced, agile research administrators dedicated to supporting investigators secure and manage their extramurally funded sponsored activities. NU-RES provides leadership and expertise to faculty, investigators, and administrators, supporting the research and sponsored programs portfolios of the University and its affiliated research institutes.

The Hub, a shared administrative and business service unit operating within Northeastern's central sponsored programs office (NU-RES), assists faculty and research investigators across the University's global research network by providing department-level administrative support. The Hub serves as a critical researcher-NU-RES interface and directly supports faculty throughout the proposal-award life cycle. Team members of the Hub provide direct assistance to faculty and research investigators; cross-function support to Hub and NU-RES team members; and work closely with all units reporting to the Senior Vice Provost for Research.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Research Finance, the Research Administrator position is a unique, central-level position providing college- and department-level research administration services to Principal Investigators while collaborating with the central research finance office. As such, the Research Administrator serves as a subject-matter expert, pivoting between multiple college and departmental units and liaising across multiple departments to maximize efficiencies and ensure holistic support to Principal Investigators. This position collaborates significantly with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including faculty, college administrators, internal and external research administrators, and finance personnel. Exceptional service-mindedness and the ability to perform with tact, diplomacy, and discretion are essential.

Northeastern University, a dynamic, innovative, and entrepreneurial university with a diverse, complex, and growing award portfolio, is hiring and developing personnel who enjoy working in a high-performing culture that rewards excellence. In addition, Northeastern is a global university, and NU-RES supports its team working remotely. Remote locations and work schedules are determined based on operational needs and consultation with NU-RES team members, consistent with University policies and guidelines.

Responsibilities include scheduling and attending routine meetings with Principal Investigators (PIs) to review account activities and projections; assisting with proposal and budget preparations; reviewing proposals for completeness and compliance with sponsor specifications; processing non-financial, financial, and effort-related transactions; reviewing expenditures for compliance; monitoring account balances; providing monthly or ad hoc financial reports to PIs and departments; coordinating cost-share; requesting award extensions; supporting financial reporting and award closeout activities; and participating in and providing training to faculty, staff, or others on best practices related to post-award financial research administration.

To learn more about Northeastern's unique academic environment and generous benefits, please see http://www.northeastern.edu/hrm/.

Pre-Award Administration (20%)

• Identify proposal opportunities and work with faculty to develop proposal budgets.
• Coordinate subaward proposals and prepare applications.
• Review proposals to federal, state, and local government agencies, private foundations, and industry/corporate organizations to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, University policies, and program solicitations, including specific terms and conditions related to cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based contracts.

Award Management (30%)

• Provide overall financial management of a complex and growing portfolio comprised of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements from a variety of federal and non-federal sponsor types.
• Monitor account balances, term dates, and activities.
• Collaborate with central NU-RES offices to prepare and submit requests for prior approvals, scope-of-work or PI/key personnel changes, award extensions, post-award budget revisions, and child/related funds.
• Schedule and attend quarterly, or more frequent as needed, meetings with PIs to review accounts, including balances, activity, projections, and terminations/closeouts.
• Coordinate with the subaward team on subrecipient setup, monitoring, and invoicing.
• Assist with submission of progress reports.
• Coordinate with Research Finance, Research Administration, or other units to address issues or questions relating to account setup, activity, reporting, closeout, and audit activities.
• Perform college- and department-level reconciliations of accounts.

Transactional (30%)

• Monitor and approve transactions, including reviewing for appropriate backup and business purpose documentation in Concur, Workday, email, or other platforms.
• Review and approve subrecipient invoices within the Workday financial system.
• Prepare and submit cost transfer forms or other required documentation to support transactional activities.
• Collaborate with PIs and colleges to identify extra compensation availability and planning needs.
• Prepare, submit, and track extra compensation requests.

Reporting & Analysis (10%)

• Run and distribute monthly account activity reports to PIs.
• Perform financial analysis on accounts, identify burn rates and projections, and communicate burn rates and projections to PIs and departments.
• Coordinate with department administrators and Research Finance on effort allocations, changes, and reporting.

Training & Support (5%)

• Seek and attend training and meetings focused on federal regulations, research administration, and other relevant areas to maintain fluency in areas specific to the role.
• Provide training and presentations, attend meetings and workshops, and communicate new policies and regulations relevant to research administration.
• Participate in cross-training initiatives or workgroups as a subject matter expert or end-user to promote well-rounded perspectives, seamless transitions, processes, and adequate internal controls of research administration.

Other (5%)

• Routinely participate in ongoing professional development activities with a focus on continuous professional growth.
• Complete ad hoc or miscellaneous projects as needed or assigned.

Required

• Bachelor's degree or 4-6 years of relevant work experience.
• Research administration experience.
• Financial analysis experience, with familiarity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Uniform Guidance, or other regulations.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Service-mindedness with proven customer service skills.
• Ability to independently learn and utilize a variety of systems, applications, and resources.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with tact and diplomacy with constituents at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to create and deliver presentations and training for diverse audiences through virtual or in-person platforms, public speaking engagements, or recorded sessions.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team-oriented environment.
• Flexibility and agility to pivot between central and non-central roles, projects, and tasks to meet deadlines.
• Resourcefulness and willingness to support organizational and operational changes as part of ongoing process improvement initiatives.
• Ability to work effectively with varying levels of ambiguity.
• Ability to create and maintain a culture of service, accountability, and timeliness.
• Ability and willingness to keep abreast of federal and sponsor regulations and train others on applying those regulations.
• Commitment to compliance, stewardship, and continuous improvement.

Preferred

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA).
• Currently holds, or is eligible to obtain, a security clearance.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.