Work in Washington Veterans Jobs

Req #: 238111

Department: APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY

Appointing Department Web Address: https://seeyourselfapl.uw.edu/

Posting Date: 08/26/2024

Closing Info: Open Until Filled

Salary: $7,500 - $9,500 per month

Shift: First Shift

Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230119_a11y.pdf)

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state, and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities, and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Team: The Polar Science Center (PSC) is a unit of the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington. Department investigators pursue research focused primarily on the ice, snow, oceanography, climate, and biology of high latitudes on Earth and other planets in our solar system. Investigators mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral research associates through instruction and research opportunities. PSC currently has 25 PIs and an annual research budget of about $12M spread over 65+ awards.

See Yourself at APL (https://seeyourselfapl.uw.edu/) as a member of the Polar Science Center department! We are seeking a full-time Research Administrator to join the team. This position has a salary range of $90,000 to $114,000 per year ($7,500-$9,500 monthly), along with great employment benefits and competitive total compensation incentives.

The Position: The Research Department Administrative team provides full life-cycle management of grants, contracts, sub-awards, and financial reporting in support of the research mission of investigators within the department. This position will function as a skilled professional in the implementation of complex administrative areas, including but not limited to budgeting, finance, pre- and post-award grant and contract management, procurement and sub-award administration, support of payroll processes, space planning, procurement, and various other departmental administrative functions.

This position will be one member of the 3-person Polar Science Center Administrative team, which includes the Department Chair, the existing Research Department Administrator, and the new Research Administrator. This position will take an active team-player role to provide research administration and day-to-day management of all departmental and/or research activities, assuring operational efficiency for the PIs, staff, and the department. The person in this position is in regular contact with sponsor agencies, investigators within the University of Washington as well as investigators at other research organizations (domestic and international).

This position responds to administrative inquiries and requests requiring a high level of research administration expertise and must be able to use discretion and independent judgment when representing their views. The Research Administrator is responsible for keeping informed of the activities of their assigned PIs’ projects. Knowledge of a project’s goals, direction, and results is critical to managing this program. Independent judgment is required to manage the day-to-day operations and oversee project financial management, including expenditures required for salaries, equipment, travel, etc.

Research Administrator Responsibilities: As a Research Administrator, your responsibilities will include:

Pre- and Post-Award Grant and Contract Administration: • Manage assigned departmental grants and contracts. Monitor, initiate, and advise on expenditures to grants and contracts and departmental administrative budgets. Develop critical systems to track department resources and expenditures. Prepare long-range departmental and individual investigator-customized financial planning to track expenditures against approved budgets, and recommend financial strategies for completing the work within funds available to meet contractual obligations. Consult and advise Principal Investigators on complex financial matters, particularly for research projects that involve multi-organization and international collaboration, fieldwork, or design and fabrication of unique research equipment. Recommend solutions for complex financial matters. • Advise and assist Principal Investigators to develop strategies for obtaining funding and make recommendations on the development of proposals. Develop grant and contract proposal budgets, budget justifications, and other administrative documents with attention to sponsor and UW requirements, current APL overhead rates, and other budgeting practices. Coordinate preparation and assembly of proposals, which may involve multiple UW departments, other U.S. agencies/organizations, and international collaborators over multiple years. • Advise the Department Chair and Principal Investigators of anticipated funding shortfalls and help plan for adjustment. Analyze and track financial data to minimize the risk of improperly charged salaries, purchases, and travel expenditures. • Initiate and maintain contacts with directors and program managers of research sponsoring agencies and with high-level scientists of other research organizations. Act on behalf of Principal Investigators regarding budget changes, requests for approval of deviations from the original budget, and requests for no-cost extensions. • Provide liaison for the department’s research scientists with program sponsors and program managers as well as UW Office of Sponsored Programs personnel. Participate in negotiating contractual arrangements such as federal contracts, small business subcontracting plans, subcontracts, and fabrication tasks. • Participate in the planning and administration of research projects, including resource allocation advice, preparation of project management schedules, and technical progress and final reports. Coordinate joint research activities with foreign research institutes, other U.S. universities and research agencies, and research affiliates on campus. • Work with Principal Investigators on coordination of field logistics for research programs including procurement, shipping/receiving, negotiating service contracts, and development/maintenance of operational and procedural documents. Provide liaison with APL Travel office, Shipping and Receiving, etc.

Administration and Financial Management: • Partner with the Department Chair and the existing Research Department Administrator in the development and implementation of departmental policies and procedures; implement solutions or recommend potential solutions for issues involving departmental operations; maintain all departmental records and documentation to ensure continuity of departmental operations. • Initiate and approve expenditures; develop critical systems to track department resources and expenditures. Prepare, monitor spending on, and advise on the use of annual departmental administration, development, gift, and cost-overrun budgets as applicable. • Provide training and orientation to researchers and staff concerning Workday Financials and pre-award and post-award policy and procedures. Maintain records in compliance with University policy for sponsored programs. • Provide administrative day-to-day departmental support; including maintenance of departmental email, website, and social media accounts, etc.

General Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related field, and at least 4 years of increasingly responsible administrative experience at a research University in managing federally funded research, scientific, or technology groups.

• 4 years of experience with grant and contract management experience, federal agency experience, proposal preparation, and post-award management required. • Maintain fluency in grant preparation guidelines. • Be versed in compliance with University and funding agency regulations. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with diverse people at many levels. • Extensive experience with PC operation, database software, and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel. • Experience using fiscal, accounting, finance, and/or similar systems to perform research administration activities. • Capacity to learn and document best practice administrative processes. • Interface with Workday. • Demonstrated ability to work independently, identify priorities, take initiative, and make critical, often time-sensitive decisions.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Although not required, top applicants will possess the following: • Extensive experience in managing multiple projects and budgets simultaneously. • Experience with Workday and SAGE. • Experience with the preparation and submission of grant proposals for the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Office of Naval Research. • Master’s degree in Business Administration. • Certificate in Research Administration.

About APL: The Applied Physics Laboratory is a research unit at the University of Washington. Our research expertise is in ocean physics and engineering, ocean and medical acoustics and imaging, polar science, environmental remote sensing, and signal processing. We conduct research and development that is sponsored by a variety of federal and state agencies and take great pride in our long-standing status as a US Navy-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Our work takes place not only on the University of Washington campus and medical centers, but in field locations around the world – at sea, in the air, and on polar ice caps. We apply rigorous scientific inquiry and engineering excellence in pursuit of solutions to important problems for the good of our region, nation, and world.

DEI: Diversity is a core value at the University of Washington and the Applied Physics Laboratory shares this commitment. We are focused on building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable research environment for all students, staff, and collaborators. We believe every member of our team enriches our community by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions.

Application Process: The application process may include the completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.