Senior Research Administration Specialist

About the job

Be a Tar Heel!

This is a senior-level role that will appeal to experienced research administrators looking to lead complex, high-impact proposals while serving as a trusted advisor and mentor. Senior Research Administration Specialist (Pre-Award Focus) Join the UNC-Chapel Hill College of Arts & Sciences as a Senior Research Administration Specialist and play a key role in advancing innovative research across one of the nation’s leading public universities. This position leads the development and submission of complex sponsored research proposals, partnering closely with faculty, research teams, and institutional leaders to transform ideas into competitive funding opportunities. Ideal candidates bring deep pre-award research administration expertise, strong project management skills, and the ability to manage large, multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals. In addition to serving as a subject matter expert in proposal development, budgeting, and sponsor compliance, this role provides mentorship to research administration staff and helps drive process improvements across the College’s research enterprise. The position offers a hybrid work arrangement and the opportunity to contribute to a growing and dynamic research portfolio.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest academic unit within the University and consists of about 71 units, including centers, programs, institutional support and 42 academic departments and interdisciplinary curricula, which offer both undergraduate bachelor’s degrees and graduate-level masters and PhD degrees. The College is divided into four academic divisions: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education oversees all academic student support units, including but not limited to Academic Advising, Honors, and the Academic Success Center. The Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation drives strategic planning and provides guidance across the academic divisions and research programs, fostering new models of innovation, new initiatives and new collaborations. The Office of the Dean is responsible for all of the academic, academic student support, financial and administrative operations in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The College of Arts & Sciences Business Operations Office is housed in the Office of the Dean and supports the fiscal and human resources operations of the departments, curricula, and programs by consolidating their business operations into one center. The Business Operations Office enables transparency of operations and information, creating a more responsive organization that utilizes online systems and automation to streamline processes. It consistently applies policies, ensuring compliance to UNC, State, and Federal regulations and laws.

Within the Business Operations’ Accounting Department, grant and research administration support is provided for the non- Big 5 Departments (Biology, Chemistry, Math, English and Psychology). The Big 5 Departments have their own grant and research administration units, which are given autonomy from the Business Operations Office due to the specificity of field, the number and value amounts of grants and other third-party funding handled by their faculty.

For the smaller departments and centers, each may or may not have their own grant and research staff based upon the complexity and loss impact of the grants. These departments with their own field representatives will be handling their own research administration, however unlike the Big 5 Departments, any system financial transactions must be approved by Business Operations.

The Business Operations’ Accounting Division is ultimately accountable for any consequence of error with process and monies with the smaller departments and centers. Also, the group is recognized as the College’s principal grant and research administration experts, thereby providing a wide breadth of general and specific research funding information, UNC computer system, process, and policy counsel to ALL grant and research administrators (even Big 5 staff if they need assistance) throughout the College. At this time, the Accounting Division primarily provides post-award administration support. These services include faculty/staff consulting, sponsors/OSR coordination, purchasing, account reconciliation, and reporting.

Recently, trends reflect that more grant and research administration work is being transferred to the Accounting Division from the smaller departments and centers in order to keep operational costs down and retain a more efficient process and controls with less compliance liability. Overall grant and research administration work is expected to have exponential growth as a result of the Chancellor’s Research initiative.

Position Summary

INTERNAL ONLY: Internal posting for permanent, time-limited and layoff priority employees of UNC-Chapel Hill only.

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location, consistent with System Office policy. UNC Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

The Senior Research Administration Specialist serves as an advanced-level research administration professional responsible for leading complex pre-award activities while incorporating project management principles to support faculty and research teams across assigned units. This role functions as a subject matter expert in proposal development, sponsor guidelines, and research administration processes, with a strong emphasis on strategic planning, coordination, and execution of sponsored research proposals.

The position will independently manage a portfolio of highly complex proposals and collaborates closely with principal investigators (PIs), departmental leadership, and central offices to ensure timely, compliant, and competitive submissions. In addition to pre-award responsibilities, this role applies project management practices to coordinate timelines, track deliverables, facilitate communication across stakeholders, and support multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals.

This position also serves as a team resource and mentor, providing guidance, training, and problem-solving support to research administration staff. While not a formal supervisor, the role is expected to function as a lead by promoting best practices, streamlining processes, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

Limited post-award responsibilities (approximately 10%) include award setup support, interpretation of award terms, and advising on financial and administrative compliance.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Mid- to late-career with Masters and 2- 4 yrs experience; Bachelors and 3-5 yrs experience

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

It is necessary for the candidate to demonstrate the following:

Research Administration Expertise

• Advanced knowledge of pre-award research administration, including proposal development, budgeting, and sponsor compliance requirements
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and private sponsor guidelines
• Experience developing complex proposal budgets, including personnel forecasting, cost-sharing, and multi-year projections Project Management & Coordination
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, including tracking deadlines, deliverables, and stakeholder engagement
• Experience coordinating multi-investigator and/or multi-institutional proposals
• Ability to develop and implement project plans, timelines, and tracking tools Communication & Collaboration
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to compile and edit proposal materials
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, and external partners
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate discussions and resolve issues across diverse stakeholder groups Leadership & Mentorship
• Experience providing guidance, training, or mentorship to peers or junior staff
• Ability to serve as a resource for best practices and problem-solving within research administration Technical Skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel
• Experience with research administration systems (e.g., RAMSeS, Cayuse, PeopleSoft, Infoporte) or similar platforms
• Familiarity with project management tools and tracking systems Other
• High level of organization, accuracy, and ability to manage competing priorities
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of autonomy

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in research administration, particularly in pre-award
• Experience with complex, multi-site, or interdisciplinary proposals
• Experience applying project management methodologies in an academic or research setting
• Professional certification (e.g., CRA, CPRA, PMP)
• Experience leading process improvements or developing standard operating procedures

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.