Associate Research Administrator

The Viterbi School of Engineering Office of Research is seeking an Associate Research Administrator to join its research administration team.  Under the direction of the Department Chair, Department Business Manager and faculty, this position will support departmental research activity, contracts & grants, and other department financial needs. This is leadership role and will have training responsibilities for other level RAs.

The core job duties are:

JOB DUTIES:

Research Proposals:

• Assists assigned faculty, research associates/assistants, and post-docs with the preparations of complex proposals to assure all necessary university and agency requirements are met.
• Develops budgets, budget justifications and other financial data necessary to submit proposals in accordance with agency and university guidelines. Disseminates information to Viterbi Research Administration, faculty home academic departments, the Department of Contracts and Grants (DCG), the Department of Sponsored Project Accounting, Principal Investigators, and Agencies.
• Manages the notifications of awards are received by updating original account budgets proposed. Notify faculty of the receipt of awards and communicate necessary expenditures.
• Supports other level Research Administrators on proposal submission.
• Assists with the communication of university and government proposal policies to other level Research Administrators and faculty.

Account Management:

• Develops and communicates reports supporting project status.
• Monitors account activity and reconcile accounts to assure that all account activity is related to the project and is charged appropriately.  When discrepancies are found, inform faculty and take necessary steps to correct the transactions. Reference agency guidelines to make sure that budget changes are in compliance with the specified requirements from individual agencies.
• Assist SPA and DCG with the preparation of financial and/or progress, expiring award reports requested by agencies for award continuation and/or final reports.
• Processes, tracks, and posts expenditures for travel reimbursements, settlements of advances, and invoices on the assigned accounts.  Expedite procurement orders and reimbursements, requisitions, and foreign drafts. Keep in compliance with USC/School/Departmental expenditure policies and procedures to advise faculty and research related-staff to assure these policies are followed when handling their requests for all purchases and reimbursements.
• Reconciles and reviews monthly account statements and provides faculty with account summaries reports on a monthly basis, and projections on a quarterly basis.
• Conduct forecasts/projections for awards received to assure that original scope of work will be satisfied.  Communicate with faculty, review original proposal submission, and verify applicable fringe and F&A rates to prepare forecasts, annual, and final agency reports. 
• Manages contract closeout process and audits inquiries.
• Advise faculty of remaining time of project periods and account balances in advance to assure that extensions on research projects are requested in a timely manner if research has to be extended beyond current project periods. Consult agency guidelines to provide faculty with options regarding extensions on research periods.
• Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• Expert in project management, including managing national and international collaborations and complex multi-sub award contracts.
• Identifies and implements process improvements.

Payroll:

• 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:

• Attend department meetings and central meetings (e.g. Viterbi Business Affairs, USC Research Administration Office, DCG etc.)
• Perform varied administrative and analytical duties for the department.

Required Applicant Documents

Resume/CV Cover Letter

These documents may be submitted as one PDF.  Applications will not be considered complete without these documents.

Additional Information:

This is a hybrid position. The Associate Research Administrator will be expected to work onsite for 2 days per week. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.

The hourly rate range for this position is $39.81 - $44.77. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and 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.

Preferred Experience:

Two to four years of account and budget experience including knowledge of government and fund accounting and knowledge of university financial systems.  Expert knowledge of governmental regulations.  Expert in project management.  Strong computer skills using MS Office Suite, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.  Excellent communication skills both written and verbal, ability to prioritize, organize, analyze and work independently in a fast paced and demanding work environment.

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 re-imagine 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+.

USC is a smoke-free environment

USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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