University of Florida · 1 day ago
Assistant Director, Research Administration
Gainesville, FL
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$95K/yr - $130K/yr
2+ years expThe University of Florida is seeking an Assistant Director for Research Administration to provide operational leadership for sponsored research activities. The role involves managing workflow, ensuring compliance, and developing staff while serving as a liaison with central offices and stakeholders.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Provide leadership for day-to-day sponsored research operations (pre- and post-award), including standardized workflows, intake/triage, quality review, and service expectations
Establish and maintain internal review standards/checklists; identify issues and direct corrective actions prior to proposal submission and/or award processing
Partner with the Associate Dean for Research and anticipated Director to develop, implement, and maintain college policies and procedures for proposal preparation, award management, and compliance
Develop guidance and training resources that support consistent practices and strong customer service
Ensure timely resolution of escalated issues requiring coordination with Principal Investigators, departments, colleges, and central offices
Lead and coordinate routine monitoring of awards and internal controls to support fiscal compliance and assurance of allowability/allocability, effort/salary appropriateness, and sponsor terms
Define the review cadence and documentation expectations for periodic reconciliations
Track exceptions and ensure timely follow-up with responsible parties
Provide technical assistance for complex or high-risk situations; coordinate with principal investigators, departments, and central offices to remediate issues
Support audit readiness through organized records, consistent practices, and issue trend analysis
Provide direct or functional supervision for CLAS Research Office staff as assigned
Assist with recruiting, onboarding, training, workload balancing, and performance support
Set and monitor team goals and workflow metrics
Conduct regular work reviews for accuracy and consistency
Ensure continuity of operations during peak cycles and staff transitions
Build and maintain a structured training environment and mentoring approach that strengthens best practices and customer service across the team
Serve as a key liaison with central research administration offices (e.g., DSP and Division of Contracts & Grants) and, as appropriate, sponsor contacts
Determine escalation pathways and coordinate issue resolution across investigators, departments, and core offices
Support proposal submission, award set-up, amendments, reporting, and closeout needs
Communicate expectations and timelines to stakeholders to maintain momentum and compliance
Support development of office reporting related to proposals, awards, and expenditures
Track service delivery measures and compliance calendars
Contribute to communications (e.g., reference materials, web content, and process guidance) that help units understand requirements, deadlines, and office expectations
Qualification
Required
Master's degree in appropriate area of specialization and two years of appropriate experience or a bachelor's degree in appropriate areas of specialization and four years of experience
Preferred
Demonstrated knowledge of sponsored research administration, including university/state/federal requirements and sponsor guidelines
Experience with research administration systems/tools (e.g., UFIRST and sponsor portals)
Strong analytical/problem-solving skills; ability to manage competing deadlines; excellent customer service and communication skills
Knowledge of contract and grant management, accounting principles, databases/accounting systems, payroll/personnel procedures, and MS Office tools
Benefits
Paid leave
Retirement plans
Health insurance
Company
University of Florida
University of Florida is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
University of Florida 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 (388)
2024 (307)
2023 (278)
2022 (282)
2021 (169)
2020 (162)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$6.83MKey Investors
Align TechnologyUS Department of EnergyNFWF
2025-06-02Grant
2024-09-17Grant· $2M
2024-09-10Grant· $0.18M
Leadership Team
Sri Kalyanaraman
Co-founder, VR for the Social Good Initiative
Chris Cowen
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2026-01-17
2026-01-13
2025-12-07
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