Research Administrator (RFA/PRA)

Position Number: 41271007

Payroll Title: RSCH ADM 3 RP (005264)

Job Code: 005264

Job Open Date: 10/2/26

Application Review Begins: 10/19/26

Department Code (Name): ELEG (ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEER)

Percentage of Time: 100

Union Code (Name): RP - Research and Public Service Professionals

Employee Class (Appointment Type): Staff: Career

FLSA Status: Exempt

Classified Indicator Description (Personnel Program): PSS

Salary Grade: STEPS

Pay Rate/Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $75,180 to $104,475/year. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable, and consistent pay practices at the University. The full salary range for this position is $75,180 to $133,770/year.

Work Location: Harold Frank Hall - Room 4115

Working Days and Hours: M-F 8-5

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Type of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangement, if applicable: Hybrid (Both UC & Non-UC locations)

Special Instructions:

For full consideration, please include a resume and a cover letter as part of your application.

Department Marketing Statement:

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department was established in 1962 and is the largest of the five academic departments in the College of Engineering. Research in the Department is categorized into the following areas: Communications & Signal Processing, Computer Engineering, Control Systems, and Electronics & Photonics. The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department consists of 45 faculty, 50 staff, and over 350 graduate students and researchers. The department has a dual mission: Education: We will develop and produce excellent electrical and computer engineers who will support the high tech economy of California and the nation. This mission requires that we offer a balanced and timely education that includes not only strength in the fundamental principles but also experience with the practical skills that are need to contribute to the complex technological infrastructure in our society. Research: We will develop relevant and innovative science and technology through our research that addresses the needs of industry, government and the scientific community.

Benefits of Belonging

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health are just one of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC

Brief Summary of Job Duties:

Under the general direction of the Associate Business Officer, the Research Administrator provides comprehensive, independent pre-award and post-award administration for sponsored research awards in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Serving as one of two primary research administrators in the unit, this position shares responsibility for a total departmental portfolio of 40+ Principal Investigators (PIs) and over 100 active sponsored projects, independently managing an assigned share of the department's $90M+ in cumulative research funding and $20M+ in annual expenditures. In the pre-award phase, the administrator acts as a vital liaison between PIs, the Office of Research (OR), and various federal, state, private, and international sponsoring agencies. Provides expert guidance on proposal preparation, interprets complex agency guidelines, and collaborates with PIs to develop detailed, compliant budgets and submission packages under tight, concurrent deadlines. In the post-award phase, the administrator delivers high-level financial stewardship for their assigned portfolio. Responsibilities include independent budget setup, transaction review and approval across boundary systems, detailed burn-rate forecasting, cost-share tracking, subrecipient monitoring, and compliant award closeout. Throughout the entire award lifecycle, the administrator ensures absolute compliance with federal regulations, sponsor terms, UC policies, and accounting standards, protecting the university's research enterprise while offering strategic fiscal guidance to faculty.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in related areas and/or equivalent experience/training
• 1-3 years Knowledge and application of financial policies and procedures
• 1-3 years Experience with enterprise financial systems
• 1-3 years Research administration in a university setting
• Demonstrated competence in the use of spreadsheet and database software in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of effective grant funding processes, procedures and techniques.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, meet strict deadlines, and multi-task in a high volume environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Thorough understanding of research administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment.
• Current knowledge of compliance regulations in all areas of research administration.
• Experience administering research projects in the Projects and Grants Module (PGM) of Oracle Financials Cloud

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Satisfactory criminal history background check
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement:

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Job Functions and Percentages of Time:

• 60% Sponsored Projects Post Award Administration - This position plays a critical role in managing sponsored research funding after it is awarded, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, sponsor terms, UC policies, and accounting standards while helping faculty navigate their fiscal portfolios. Independently manages the financial lifecycle of complex awards, including budget setup, fund allocation, expenditure monitoring, and award reconciliation and closeout. Confirms that spending aligns with approved budgets and funding periods, baselines project budgets prior to expenditures, and ensures all project roles and configurations are accurately maintained in UCSB's financial systems. Coordinates the setup of sponsored awards by verifying project configurations, chart fields, and award attributes for alignment with sponsor agreements. Ensures baseline budgets are established prior to the commencement of spending and that funding allocations are properly distributed across projects, including fabrication and cost-sharing components. Reviews financial transactions in boundary systems (Gateway, Concur, Transfer of Expense (TOE), Flexcard, UCPath)) for allowability, allocability, and availability of funds. Verifies General Ledger and project expenditures to ensure that they are allowable and reported accurately and timely, including monitoring pending transactions and resolving errors as necessary. Initiates compliant cost transfers as needed. Ensures salary cost transfers align with certified effort reporting and monitors for necessary recertifications. Oversees accurate tracking and fulfillment of cost-sharing obligations, including both payroll and non-payroll components. Prepares financial reports for PIs, including burn rate analysis, spending projections, and supports scenario modeling and spend planning. Maintains detailed documentation to support audit readiness. Monitors subrecipient invoicing to ensure compliance with sponsor terms, federal regulations, and UC policy by reviewing each invoice against the subaward agreement, budget, and period of performance to verify that expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and within the approved budget, and flags any discrepancies or unallowable charges for resolution. Confirms that cumulative billing does not exceed authorized funding and ensures timely PI review and approval. For final invoices, coordinates with the campus Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) to complete additional reviews, initiates subaward closeout procedures, and ensures commitments are released in UCSB's financial systems. Initiates award closeout procedures by monitoring end dates and ensuring timely action. Verifies the allowability of expenditures, reconciles payroll and non-payroll charges, and confirms submission of final invoices. Coordinates with central offices to finalize sponsor invoicing, prepares or supports required financial reporting, closes out commitments and subawards, and submits all necessary documentation in compliance with university and agency requirements. Provides guidance and training to departmental staff on current research administration policies and procedures. Requires access to sensitive business and confidential information, and requires obtaining and maintaining campus delegation for the role. Requires strong financial acumen, meticulous attention to detail, and proactive communication to ensure sound financial stewardship in support of UCSB's research enterprise.
• 40% Sponsored Projects Pre Award Administration - This position plays a critical role in pre-award research administration, serving as the primary liaison between the campus Sponsored Projects Office (SPO), approximately 40+ departmental Principal Investigators (PIs), other UC campuses, and diverse federal, state, and private granting agencies. Proactively identifies potential extramural funding opportunities for faculty and graduate students based on established research interests. Provides PIs with essential guidance on sponsor guidelines, eligibility criteria, and submission deadlines. Collaborates directly with PIs to develop detailed, compliant proposal budgets, translating complex sponsor policies into accurate financial plans. Advises PIs on critical budget components, including appropriate staffing levels, salaries, fringe benefits, equipment, travel, supplies, indirect cost (F&A) rates, cost-sharing commitments, and other specialized fiscal requirements to ensure alignment with both UC policies and agency regulations. Independently manages multiple, concurrent proposal submissions under tight, non-negotiable deadlines. Determines appropriate proposal formats, submission logistics, and administrative procedures for complex, multi-investigator, multi-institutional, international, or subcontracted proposals. Conducts comprehensive, final reviews of all proposal packages to resolve budget discrepancies, perform necessary corrections, and ensure complete compliance prior to official submission. Revises budget proposals as necessary during award negotiations and coordinates with sponsors to resolve non-technical issues. Prepares and processes critical, time-sensitive Request for Advance Spending (RAS) documentation, verifying that the university has all necessary sponsor communications to support pre-award spending decisions. Requires strong project management skills, exceptional organization, and the ability to maintain collaborative, diplomatic communication across diverse university and external stakeholders.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy:

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs.

As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit University of California Policy on Vaccinations - https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy

*Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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