Pre-Award Administrator, Viterbi Office of Research, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

The Viterbi School of Engineering’s Office of Research (VOR) seeks to recruit a PreAward Administrator to play a critical role as a senior proposal development expert. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted research administration professional within VOR and the Viterbi community, demonstrating capacity for working with diverse sponsor and proposal types and providing the highest level of service to faculty in preparing grant proposals for timely submission. As an integral part of the research administration community and in support of the School's overall research mission, this position requires an unwavering commitment to service and excellence in a demanding, deadline-driven environment.

This is a new position. It requires working closely and serving as a liaison for faculty and staff within the School and across campus to meet proposal objectives and submission deadlines. Excellent communication skills, adaptability and flexibility to accommodate ongoing changes to internal and external policies and regulations; composure and diplomacy in facilitating short lead times on proposal or project deliverables; balancing conflicting priorities; and contributing and adjusting to a continuously evolving environment are vital.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Provide a supportive environment for faculty, staff, and students throughout proposal development; 

• Manage project proposals and applications for sponsored funding, organizing proposal plans or checklists and monitoring progress to keep development and required actions on track; 

• Develop administrative components of proposals for a wide variety of funding agencies, including federal sponsors, corporate entities, philanthropic funders, and local governmental agencies; 

• Develop project budgets, draft budget justifications, secure internal approvals, liaise with sub-recipients; 

• Check proposal documents for compliance, prepare sponsor application packages, and work closely with the Department of Contracts and Grants for institutional review and submission; 

• Assist with post submission action items requested by the sponsor such as revised budgets, completion of sponsor forms, etc. Manage award set-up and ensure a smooth transition to the PostAward team;

• Utilize and liaise with Viterbi and USC resources and offices to resolve issues related to cost- sharing, exceptional approval, subcontracting, etc.; 

• Interpret sponsor guidelines and serve as an expert resource to ensure ongoing compliance with all applicable regulatory and financial requirements imposed on institutions of higher education; 

• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders across campus incuding but not limited to faculty, researchers, unit personnel, Department of Contracts and Grants representatives, and members of the USC Research Community; 

• Perform other responsibilities as assigned. 

Job duties may be added or modified as needed. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the mission of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Viterbi staff are expected to facilitate a culture of support and service, to model civility and respectful engagement at all times, and to maintain the highest ethical standards and to maintain strict confidentiality across all facets of their work. 

Additional Information: 

This is a hybrid position with possibility of fully remote. All remote staff are expected to attend occasional meetings and activities as required by their supervisor and/or department.

 The hourly rate range for this position is $39.81-$44.77. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Thorough understanding of research administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment.

• Experience administering research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense and Department of Energy.

• Outstanding customer support, poise, tact and diplomacy

• Meticulously detail-oriented and highly organized

• Capable of working independently and a commitment to being part of a team

• Flexible and adaptable in a continuously evolving operational environment

• Leadership and training skills

• Eager to continue growing, learning and developing professionally

To be a successful member of our team, we will measure performance in the following areas:

• Customer satisfaction and collaboration – you embrace a philosophy that everyone is a customer, including peers and teammates

• Initiative and ownership – you are a self-starter and are responsible for the quality and accuracy of your work, including acting as a resource to others in your department

• Problem-solving and resourcefulness – you demonstrate creative critical thinking and exercise good judgment and intuition

• Timeliness – you thrive in a deadline-driven environment

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education​

• Minimum Experience:3 years

• Minimum Field of Expertise:Basic knowledge of governmental regulations. Strong accounting skills. Competency in project management. A Bachelor’s Degree with broad knowledge of relevant research computer software, e.g.: Microsoft Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Outlook, SPSS, Visio, and SunGard. Experience in creating and analyzing statistical reports. Must be able to utilize computer technology to access data, maintain records and generate reports. Proven oral and written communication skills to interact with other employees

Required Applicant Documents:

A resume/CV and a cover letter are required. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document. 

USC and the Viterbi School:

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is.

Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries.

USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation.

The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped re-imagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.