Assistant Director, Research Administration

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $125,000-$145,000

Position Summary

The Assistant Director, Research Administration oversees the combined pre-award and post-award research administration and financial management services supporting Principal Investigators (PIs) and their teams. The Assistant Director leads the full life cycle of sponsored project activity—from proposal development through award closeout—ensuring high-quality, responsive, and compliant service. In partnership with the Director, the Assistant Director coordinates the pre-award and post-award functions, serves as a subject-matter expert on sponsored research policy and compliance, and represents the department to central University offices.

Responsibilities

Pre-Award / Research Administration

• Assist faculty, postdocs, fellows, and students with the development, review, submission, and renewal of proposals and progress reports across all sponsor types, including federal and state grants and contracts, foundation grants, industry contracts, private organization awards, Columbia internal grant programs, and sub-agreements.
• Lead all activities leading to the Notice of Grant Award, and coordinate the handoff of project setup to post-award personnel once an award is issued.
• Develop budgets and budget justifications; engage outside collaborators and establish subcontracts; prepare grant and fellowship applications.
• Assist with administrative sections of applications (letters of support, biographical sketches, facilities and resources, etc.); route and secure institutional approvals, endorsements, and signatures via RASCAL.
• Provide post-submission support, including Just-in-Time (JIT) requests, rebudgeting as needed, and monitoring of proposal status.
• Support NIH RPPRs and other annual progress reports; track due dates and address questions before the Notice of Award is issued.
• Facilitate grant transfers (including carry-forward of balances from other institutions), training grant applications and tables, and fellowship applications and activations.
• Review sponsor funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) to confirm eligibility and requirements; provide guidance on regulatory and compliance issues and stay current on new grant-related rules and procedures.

Post-Award / Financial Management

• Prepare monthly PI portfolio reports covering portfolio summary, project funding status and projections, faculty and research-team salary allocations, and transaction detail; meet monthly with PIs and departmental personnel to review spending and projections and capture follow-up instructions.
• Manage labor scheduling for PIs and research staff, including salary distribution and salary cost-transfer transactions, and track effort commitments.
• Facilitate quarterly expense certification and the annual effort certification process; distribute reports, collect signed attestations, follow up with personnel, and advise the Department Administrator on completion status.
• Monitor balances of projects in each PI’s portfolio; initiate transactions to clear suspense and overruns and advise on status.
• Review procurement and other transactions involving sponsored funding (requisitions, vouchers, ITFs, pcard) to ensure allowability, compliance, and budget/funding availability.
• Set up new projects; finalize grant budgets upon receipt of the NOA (rebudgeting as necessary), submit budgets to SPA for setup in ARC, request advance accounts, and manage the financial aspects of project closeout.
• Provide the department and pre-award staff with financial figures (budgets, actual expenses, balances) needed for progress and final reports, and assist with Columbia budgeting for sponsored funding.

Compliance, Audit Oversight & Institutional Liaison

• Ensure compliance with financial, grants, and research administration requirements across the sponsored portfolio.
• Coordinate internal and external audits, monitor compliance activities, and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Identify organizational and financial risks and strengthen internal controls, policies, and business processes related to sponsored funding.
• Monitor research integrity, sponsor compliance, conflict-of-interest requirements, and audit readiness.
• Serve as the department’s liaison to central University administrative offices (e.g., SPA, SPF, and the VP&S Office for Research) and represent the department on institutional initiatives and committees as appropriate.

Leadership & Coordination

• In partnership with the Director, coordinate the pre-award and post-award functions and help prioritize workload across both areas.
• Serve as a resource for departmental and central staff, providing guidance, training, and knowledge-sharing on pre- and post-award tasks and responsibilities.
• Contribute to operational strategies—and, as the function grows, to staffing and organizational models—that support the department’s grants and research administration priorities.
• Improve workflows, service delivery, and reporting; lead standardization of processes and process improvement projects across the grants functions.
• Develop operational dashboards and performance metrics to support continuous improvement.
• Evaluate and implement technology solutions, automation, and AI-enabled tools that improve the efficiency and quality of grants reporting and sponsored-project administration.
• Coordinate and lead monthly meetings with PIs, departmental administrators, and pre-/post-award personnel to review pending and upcoming grant-related items.
• Performs related duties & responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus four years of related experience in research administration and/or sponsored-project financial management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of NIH, federal, state, and foundation grant regulations and the full sponsored-project life cycle (pre-award through closeout).
• Familiarity with Columbia systems and tools including RASCAL, PAC, ARC, the Budget Tool, and PeopleSoft financials.
• Proficient or advanced proficiency in MS Excel; highly skilled in MS Word.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to establish and maintain relationships within and across departments and with central offices.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.