Research Administrator 4 (6207U) #73207 - Engineering Research Support Office (ERSO)

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

Engineering Research Support Organization (ERSO) supports 240+ faculty affiliated with 22 campuswide departments, schools and colleges, with over $182 million in research awards. The mission of ERSO is to partner with all the members of the ERSO community so they can pursue world class teaching, research and public service. Our priorities are to attract, develop, and retain staff who value professional excellence and embody a service mindset; Create an infrastructure that promotes
efficiency, provides transparency, and facilitates compliance; Always striving to improve through feedback from the ERSO community and campus partners. The ERSO team supports the College of Engineering, College of Environmental Design, The School of Information and various organized research units, centers and institutes.

ERSO works to provide customers with expert resources in Research Administration, Business, Financial, Human Resource and Payroll services. Our goal is to enable faculty and students to focus on their work in support of the campus mission. Our organization maintains a customer-oriented operation and supports a culture of continuous improvement. We strive to improve our offerings, processes, systems, and work to apply novel approaches to complex problems. Our enterprise is structured with inherent flexibility to meet quickly-changing demands.

The Research Adminstrator 4 position uses advanced contracts and grants concepts to manage high volume and high complexity transactions. The position may review and guide others in the review of financial and administrative management requirements of research contract and grant proposals, awards and transactions to ensure compliance with institutional and sponsor policies. This role works independently to assess complex grant, contract and subcontract transactions where analysis requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors and may be eligible for delegated signature authority. The RA 4 may serve as a technical specialist in a particular area, such as federal contracts, state contracts, subcontracts or information systems. Typically works highly complex proposals such as grants/contracts which require task budgets, option years, multiple investigators and multiple sub awards and at the central level, may be eligible for delegated authority.

The First Review Date for this job is: 10/7/24 - Open Until Filled

***This job is currently 100% remote***

25% Manages post-award financial administration for complex research funds in accordance with campus policy and agency requirements. Comprehensive post award sub-recipient monitoring and administration. Conducts highly complex analysis, develops sophisticated projections, and determines courses of action and recommendations.

20% Serves as the primary faculty liaison, assists Principal Investigators (PI) with the development of contract and grant proposals including proposal budgets. Prepares comprehensive support documents as required by solicitations and proposal guidelines and coordinates proposal submissions with Sponsored Projects Office. The RSO oversees the process from submission through negotiation of the final award. RSO will work with the most complex proposals (i.e. center grants/contracts) which require task budgets, option years, multiple investigators and multiple sub-awardees at multiple locations.

15% Leads portfolio planning, establishment and monitoring of fiscal budget control of contracts and grants administration, submissions budgets, support documents, gifts, endowments and privately funded projects for faculty research programs.

15% Monitors and ensures allowability of financial transactions, expenditures, reconciles funds, identifies and resolves discrepancies and retains all necessary back up documentation. Processes non-competing continuations, supplements, sub-award requests and other award/agreement amendments. Tracks and ensures compliance with cost sharing commitments.

10% Prepares the close-out activities including, final projection, reviews subcontracts, personnel, and recurring expenses. In conjunction with faculty submits NCE request via SPO as necessary and initiates fund changes or expense transfers. Finally, completes EFA closeout report and monitors BAIRS until all chart strings are invalidated.

5% Provides guidance and counsel on research administration matters to principal investigators, departmental administrators and less experienced department staff.

5% Applies professional concepts to provide monthly financial reports, projections, analyze spending and recommend adjustments.

5% Seeks information to maintain current knowledge on compliance regulations in all areas of research administration and provides updates to team and/or less experienced staff. Prepares requisite complex ad hoc non-technical statistical reports. Serves as the liaison to faculty for the campus Reporting Systems (i.e. ERS). Assists in support of audit as directed by senior staff.

• Requires advanced knowledge in OMB Uniform Guidance, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and principles of cost accounting standards, including allowability, allocability, and reasonableness, state, local, sponsor and institutional regulations, policies, and guidelines.
• Ability to manage high volume and complex transactions and to work in a fast paced environment with overlapping deadlines and short lead times while maintaining a high level of attention to detail, and ability to work with a high degree of accuracy.
• Knowledgeable of generally accepted accounting, fiscal and reporting principles.
• Demonstrated expertise working with computer and information management systems.
• Demonstrated expertise with all types of award mechanisms, including grants, contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements.
• Thoroughly knowledgeable in applicable compliance requirements related to use of human or animal subjects in research, financial conflict of interest, biosafety, etc.
• Ability to perform the most complex financial analysis and customized reporting.
• Ability to interpret policy for others.
• Expertise in utilizing Cal Answers reports, Excel and pivots or similar experience using other financial reporting tools.
• Demonstrated expertise in the use of spreadsheet and database software in financial analysis, fiscal management including projections and budgeting and financial reports.
• Stays current on compliance regulations in all areas of research administration.
• Bachelors degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training
• 5 years of demonstrated experience in research contract and grant management.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit:

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

*The salary range designated for this position: $88,900 - $106,787; however, starting salary will be commensurate with experience.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant see:

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf
For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct