Senior Research Administrator

Department: MED-Cancer Center
Salary/Grade: EXS/9

Target hiring range for this position will be between be Salary range is as be $78,842- $86,700 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

The Northwestern Cancer Prevention Consortium (NCPC) of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center works with institutions across the country and in Canada to conduct clinical trials in high priority areas in cancer prevention. The Senior Research Administrator will serve as the chief contracting and financial officer for the NCPC. This position performs all research administrative duties in support of an NIH/NCI UG1, an NIH federal contract and allied awards. In addition to the maintenance of Northwestern's awards (pre- and post-award), this position is responsible for maintaining the complex framework of affiliate sites that participate in the NCPC Cancer Prevention Clinical Trial Network.

Specific Responsibilities:

Complexity

Typically administers multiple research projects such as:

• Complex multi-component grants and/or contracts
  • NIH U-approximately $750K+/yr. over multiple yrs.
  • NIH P-approximately $750K+/yr. over multiple yrs.
  • Allied awards from professional societies
  • Fixed-price federal contracts
  • Extensive network of subawards/subcontractors

Pre-Award

• Manages pre-award administration of complex/multi core grant applications and and/or contracts
• Coordinates proposal submission
• Completes budget and justification preparation
• Completes sponsor and university proposal forms
• Coordinates sub-recipients, facilities, administrative costs, space, and co-investigator agreements
• Creatively and proactively evaluates and resolves problems and makes decisions

Post-Award

• Coordinates post-award activities including monthly reconciliation of accounts within their portfolio
• Monitors execution of all financial transactions in research portfolio
• Forecasts and provides information for reports on financial status of projects
• Initiates necessary financial transactions such as corrections and purchase orders
• Manages day-to-day financial functions
• Verifies that protocols are linked to NUFS chartstrings; labor distribution assignments
• Completes expenditure reviews
• Identifies program income issues
• Proposes resolutions to overdrafts
• Prepares interim and final financial reports
• Facilitates account close out activities
• Participates in efforts to improve research administration including serving on university committees related to research administration

Financial

• Oversees sponsored project portfolio associated with their area of oversight
• Reviews transactions and resolve issues that requires a more complex level of financial understanding such as cost-sharing and/or effort reporting knowledge
• Provides information to senior management that is used for department budgeting purposes
• Participates in center-wide financial activities such as annual fiscal year budget planning

Network Specific

• Participates in weekly internal coordination meetings
• Serves as the point of contact and point of resolution for subcontracting issues with the consortium's affiliate network
• Attends sponsor-mandated meetings (e.g., ISCORE) as needed or requested by the sponsor
• Attends and participates in annual sponsor site visit

Compliance

• Ensures compliance with all appropriate NU policies and practices; local, state, federal, agency and sponsor rules, regulations and requirements regarding grant and/or contract administration.
• Recommends changes to improve programs, policy and/or practice
• Resolves compliance problems and issues working in conjunction with faculty

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 3 years research administration experience or relevant combination of experience in administration and fundamental research.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Organization, time management, detail oriented
• Multi-tasking, communication
• Self-starter, diplomatic,
• Customer service focused
• Provide leadership by cooperatively anticipating, coordinating, strategizing

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• 3+ years experience in pre- and post-award with large/complex grant mechanisms (i.e., NIH research Centers [P20, P30, P50] or cooperative agreements [U54]
• Experience with clinical trials, preferably federally sponsored clinical trials

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Excellent written and oral communication
• Grant budget preparation
• Clinical trial budget preparation
• Experience reading and translating clinical trial protocols

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.