[Hiring] Director of Post-Award Research Administration @University of Texas at Austin

Role Description

The Director of Post-Award Research Administration, based in the Moody College Research Office (MRO), manages the post-award administration of sponsored research awards across Moody College, from account setup through closeout. Serving as a central resource, this role partners with the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), principal investigators, and departmental and center administrative staff to administer subawards, process financial transactions, prepare sponsor reports, and ensure compliance with federal regulations and sponsor requirements. The position provides expert guidance on post-award policies, procedures, and financial management throughout the award lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Post-Award Operations
  • Provide leadership and oversight for post-award operations, ensuring compliant and efficient management of sponsored projects across the award lifecycle.
  • Supervise the Grants and Finance Coordinator, sharing responsibility for day-to-day award and account actions while providing guidance on complex or escalated issues.
  • Partner with the Grants and Finance Coordinator on account transactions, rebudgets and budget transfers, purchase orders, contracts, subawards, award modifications, and closeout activities; lead actions requiring sponsor or institutional approval.
  • Serve as the primary post-award liaison for investigators, sponsors, the Office of Sponsored Projects, and campus partners.
  • Key partner to departmental and center administrative staff on research personnel activities, including appointments, costings, tuition support, faculty buyouts, summer salary, and other grant-funded personnel matters.
  • Partner with and advise departmental and center administrative staff on grant expenditures.
  • Develop and maintain shared tracking tools that provide units with information for managing post-award administration.
• Financial Oversight & Reporting
  • Collaborate on financial management of sponsored projects, including monitoring expenditures, projections, and account activity.
  • Lead the preparation and submission of major sponsor reports, including NIH RPPRs; oversee the Indirect Cost Return process and annual post-award report for the Associate Dean for Research; and provide ad hoc reporting and analysis as requested by ADR.
  • Oversee key financial tracking systems and reporting of institutional research metrics.
  • Collaborate with the Grants and Finance Coordinator to manage the post-award reporting calendar and financial reporting activities, ensuring compliance with sponsor and institutional deadlines.
  • Lead effort certification on sponsored projects.
• Operational Support & Compliance
  • Monitor changes in sponsor, federal, and institutional policies impacting research administration; disseminate relevant updates to investigators and administrative partners.
  • Collaborate across Moody College to support consistent and effective post-award research administration practices, providing training, guidance, and direct post-award support to units, as needed.
  • Represent the Moody Research Office on committees, working groups, and initiatives related to post-award research administration.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• At least five years of experience in post-award research administration, sponsored programs/grants and contracts management, or related financial administration.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and sponsor-specific post-award regulations and reporting requirements (e.g., 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance).
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including budget monitoring and reconciliation.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple accounts, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for coordinating with faculty, departmental staff, and OSP.
• Proficiency with spreadsheet and financial reporting tools (e.g., Excel).
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Requirements

• Experience with NIH and NSF post-award reporting requirements, including RPPR submissions.
• Experience with university financial systems such as UTRMS, Cognos, and Workday.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or equivalent certification.
• Experience in a higher education or large research university setting.

Benefits

• Salary Range: $95,000 + depending on qualifications.
• Flexible work hours are between 7 am and 6 pm CST, regular work schedule must be approved by direct supervisor and may be dependent on current need for team coverage.