Associate Director of Research Administration jobs in United States
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Howard University · 1 month ago

Associate Director of Research Administration

positionDC-Baltimore Area
timeFull-time
remoteHybrid
senioritySenior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
money$127K/yr - $140K/yr
date7+ years exp

Howard University is committed to the strategic success of its mission through effective talent acquisition. The Associate Director of Research Administration will oversee research administrators, ensuring compliance and efficiency in pre- and post-award processes while providing training and support.

EducationMarket ResearchUniversities
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Directly supervises CRAs and departmental research administrators, ensuring consistent and effective research administration support
Works closely with Deans, Associate Deans, and PIs to monitor and enhance grant support services
Develop standardized departmental processes for pre- and post-award administration to be implemented university-wide
Oversees the integration of existing departmental research administrators into the new centralized structure
Develops and implements an onboarding program for newly hired and transitioning research administrators
Ensures that all research administrators complete 12 hours of required training annually, covering: Proposal development & sponsor guidelines, Budgeting & financial management, Workday grants system workflows, Federal compliance & university policies
Leads monthly 3-hour research administration meetings, providing updates, training, and addressing concerns raised by administrators and faculty
Works with Associate Deans to evaluate CRA and departmental research administrator performance
Develops and implements performance metrics for tracking research administration effectiveness across colleges
Addresses faculty concerns regarding research administration support and identifies opportunities for process improvement
Serves as the primary liaison between CRAs, departmental administrators, Associate Deans, Sponsored Programs Office (SPO), and Research Operations
Identifies and resolves issues related to grant setup, payments, budgeting, and compliance
Works with HR and Procurement to streamline grant-related hiring and financial workflows
Ensures research administrators stay current with federal, state, and institutional policies affecting sponsored programs
Provides updates and guidance on changes in grant regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoE, 2 CFR 200)
Monitors research administration practices to ensure adherence to university and federal compliance requirements

Qualification

Research administrationFederal grant regulationsWorkday GrantsTraining developmentPerformance managementLeadership skillsSupervisory experienceCompliance knowledgeBudgeting skillsTraining skillsProcess improvementStakeholder engagementFederal funding familiarityR1 university experienceCollaborationProblem-solvingCommunication skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in business administration, research administration, public administration, finance, or a related field
Minimum of 7 years of research administration experience, with pre- and post-award management expertise
Familiarity with federal funding agency policies (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoE, DOD grants & contracts)
Experience in supervising and training research administrators
Strong knowledge of Workday Grants(or similar ERP), federal grant compliance, and university-sponsored programs administration
Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage process improvements
Strong leadership skills in managing teams across multiple colleges
Expertise in pre- and post-award research administration within a university setting
Advanced knowledge of federal grant regulations and institutional compliance policies
Effective problem-solving and the ability to streamline complex administrative workflows
Excellent communication and training skills to support administrators and faculty
Strong collaborative mindset with experience working across multiple stakeholders (faculty, deans, HR, finance, research operations)

Preferred

Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA) certification
Experience working in an R1 university or large research-intensive institution

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Company

Howard University

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Howard University is a federally chartered, private, coeducational, and nonsectarian university.
dateFounded in 1867
location
Washington, District of Columbia, USA
people-size5001-10000 employees
web-link
http://www.howard.edu

H1B Sponsorship

Howard University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (22)
2024 (34)
2023 (31)
2022 (29)
2021 (14)
2020 (12)

Funding

Current Stage
Late Stage
Total Funding
$29.9M
Key Investors
Gilead SciencesAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic SurgeonsNational Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
2024-02-27Grant
2023-12-01Grant· $0.02M
2023-01-10Grant· $0.15M

Leadership Team

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Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sterling Brown Endowed Chair, Department of English

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