USC
Location
Los Angeles, CA | United States
Job description
The Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering seeks qualified candidates for a Research Administrator to support departmental research activity, contracts & grants, and other departmental financial needs. The USC Viterbi School of Engineering is committed to increasing the diversity of its staff and welcomes applications from women, underrepresented groups, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
The core job duties are:
PRE-AWARD
Prepares proposal.
Stays informed and reminds faculty about research funding opportunities requirements of proposal solicitations. Develops, prepares, and finalizes proposal budgets for submission and review by Viterbi Business Affairs. Obtains cost sharing and commitment support. Fills out electronic-required USC and agency forms and submits them for approval and signature. Assists faculty in entering proposal information in Fastlane or Grants.gov. and others. Checks for completeness of proposals. Communicates with Contracts & Grants for proposal requirements and authorization for submittal to agency. Maintains the current and pending file of faculty.
POST-AWARD
Manages Research Grants as Account Manager
Oversees university accounting systems as related to expenditures in payroll, purchasing, check requests, and others (expense transfers and budget re-allocation). Initiates expenditure requests on research funds in agreement with university expenditure policies and AARC (allocable,
allowable, reasonable, consistency) rule. Checks budget and expenditures for compliance with funding agency restrictions. Checks for funds availability before allocating expenses. Prepares budget re-allocation requests in research grants and makes budget projections at the request of faculty and in agreement with agency regulations and USC policies. Audits expenses and encumbrances posted in university accounting system by maintaining a shadow report of transactions. Reconciles expenses recorded on shadow report against university financial statements (Workday). Takes corrective actions in case of discrepancies noted during reconciliation process. Collaborates with Sponsored Projects Accounting and USC Business Services. Follows up on purchases (billing and posting); payroll (set up and cost transfers); incremental funding; and other matters related to allocation & expenditures.
PAYROLL and EFFORT CERTIFICATION
Prepare payroll for research staff, faculty, research assistants, student workers, visiting scholars. Prepares and processes hiring paperwork for research assistants and research staff.
Using the eCERT Effort Certification Online System, review & prepare quarterly and semester reports for all faculty that serve as Principal Investigator.
ADMINISTRATION
Serves as subject matter expert to other research administrators in agency guidelines and USC policies and procedures. Establishes professional contacts here and outside USC.
Prepares reports as requested on number of proposals and grants; research personnel and other expenditure updates, including research equipment management.
Assesses staff development needs to respond to needs of research active faculty.
Job duties may be added or modified as needed.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the mission of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Viterbi staff are expected to facilitate a culture of support and service, to model civility and respect across all facets of their work, and to maintain the highest ethical standards and to maintain strict confidentiality across all facets of their work.
The Research Administrator is expected to demonstrate impeccable ethics and collegiality, and to promote an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and upholds principles of the USC Code of Ethics.
Additional Information:
This is a hybrid position. The Research Administrator will be expected to work onsite for 3 days per week. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.
The annual base salary range for these positions is $98,186.70 - $115,036.01. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training,
key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.
Minimum Education:
Bachelor's Degree
Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
Minimum Experience:
5 Years
Minimum Field of Experience:
Expert knowledge and fluency of governmental regulations (e.g. FAR, A-21, A-110, A-133, CAS). Knowledge and ability to understand, interpret, and communicate University policies and procedures. Excellent oral, written, and communication skills. Excellent analytical skills; demonstrated proficiency in Excel and web-based tools. Strong accounting skills; knowledge of accounting principles. Expert in project management, including managing international collaborations and complex multi-sub award contracts. Knowledge of personnel management, including proposing effort for and training and hiring of students, post-doctorals, academic appointments, regular staff, bargaining unit staff, and consultants, along with the circumstances appropriate for each type of position.
Preferred Qualifications:
Required Applicant Documents:
A resume/CV and a cover letter are required. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document.
USC and the Viterbi School:
The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is. Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries. USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation. The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped reimagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.
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