Research Administrator

The Viterbi School of Engineering is seeking a Research Administrator to join departmental research administration teams in in multiple locations across the school.  Under the direction of a Department Chair, Department Business Manager and faculty, the position will support daily departmental contracts and grants research activity and other department financial needs as well as supervise the team of research administrators.

The core job duties are:

PRE-AWARD

Prepares proposal

Stays informed and reminds faculty about research funding opportunities Studies requirements of proposal solicitations Develops, prepares, and finalizes proposal budgets for submission and review by Viterbi Business Affairs. Obtains cost sharing and commitment support Fills out electronic-required USC and agency forms, and submits them for approval and signature Assists faculty in entering proposal information in Fastlane or Grants.gov. and others Checks for completeness of proposals Communicates with Contracts & Grants for proposal requirements and authorization for submittal to agency Maintains the current and pending file of faculty

POST-AWARD

Manages Research Grants as Account Manager

Oversees university accounting systems as related to expenditures in payroll, purchasing, check requests, and others (expense transfers and budget re-allocation). Initiates expenditure requests on research funds in agreement with university expenditure policies and AARC (allocable, allowable, reasonable, consistency) rule Checks budget and expenditures for compliance with funding agency restrictions Checks for funds availability before allocating expenses Prepares budget re-allocation requests in research grants and makes budget projections at the request of faculty and in agreement with agency regulations and USC policies  Audits expenses and encumbrances posted in university accounting system by maintaining a shadow report of transactions Reconciles expenses recorded on shadow report against university financial statements (Workday) Takes corrective actions in case of discrepancies noted during reconciliation process. Collaborates with Sponsored Projects Accounting and USC Business Services Follows up on purchases (billing and posting); payroll (set up and cost transfers); incremental funding; and other matters related to allocation & expenditures

CLOSE-OUT

Reviews/audits shadow reports of all research accounts

Plans closure of expiring grants (budgets and expenditures all posted and reconciled) Sends close-out notices 90/60/30 days before termination Communicates with Close-out Specialist from Dept of Contracts & Grants

PAYROLL and EFFORT CERTIFICATION

Processes student and research staff Payroll

Prepares offer letters for Research Assistants (Spring, Summer, Fall); authorizes set up of payroll.  Enters graduate assistantships into SIS, namely, tuition benefits, health insurance, health center fee, and dental for:

• Research assistants
• Teaching assistants
• Fellowships

Submits RA list to VBA Makes sure that RA and research staff payroll are verified before principal investigators certify the percent of effort Authorizes payroll for student workers on research and faculty restricted accounts Makes projections on research grants about RA payroll and tuition expenses in collaboration with Principal Investigators (P.I.) Prepares Data for Effort Certification

Collects and analyzes faculty, RA, and research staff payroll information

Prepares this data for effort certification

Supervision of other research staff

• Serves as the lead staff of CE and ENE research services unit
• Serves as subject matter expert to other CEE research administrators in agency guidelines and USC policies and procedures. Establishes professional contacts here and outside USC
• Collects, prepares and maintains database for audit purposes including data for faculty merit review
• Prepares reports as requested on number of proposals and grants; research personnel and other expenditure updates, including research equipment management
• Assesses staff development needs to respond to needs of research active faculty

The annual base salary range for these positions is $96,227 - $114,302. 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.

Minimum Education:
Bachelor's Degree
Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education 

Minimum Experience: 
5 Years

Minimum Field of Experience: 
Expert knowledge and fluency of governmental regulations (e.g. FAR, A-21, A-110, A-133, CAS). Knowledge and ability to understand, interpret, and communicate University policies and procedures. Excellent oral, written, and communication skills. Excellent analytical skills; demonstrated proficiency in Excel and web-based tools. Strong accounting skills; knowledge of accounting principles. Expert in project management, including managing international collaborations and complex multi-sub award contracts. Knowledge of personnel management, including proposing effort for and training and hiring of students,
post-doctorals, academic appointments, regular staff, bargaining unit staff, and consultants, along with the circumstances appropriate for each type of position.

A complete application should include a cover letter and resume/CV uploaded to the completed online application.  Failure to complete all the steps of our application process will negatively impact consideration of your candidacy.