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Department Research Administrator

Department Research Administrator

  • JR10009317
  • Hybrid
  • Madison, Wisconsin
  • Sponsored Programs, Grants, and Contracts
  • Full time
  • Opening at: Mar 15 2026 - 11:00pm CDT
  • Closing at: Mar 30 2026 - 11:00pm CDT
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Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Multi-fun Res Admin Mgr

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Department Research Administrator to provide proposal and award management support to designated engineering units. Core duties of this role include proposal development, award setup, project management and closeout. Additionally, this position will work with Principal Investigators (PIs), Key Personnel and research staff to develop nontechnical and budgetary proposal documents, ensuring accuracy and compliance with sponsor, state and university requirements, administrative management of awards, and closeout/ reporting.

A successful candidate will be skilled in time management, attention to detail, and collaborative work, as well as have the ability to adapt to varied workflows and department cultures. This position is part of the College of Engineering Research Services Team and reports directly to the Research Administration Associate Director.

The College of Engineering has 8 academic departments and over 30 centers that annually submit over 600 proposals resulting in approximately $103 million in awards and close to $132 million in research expenditures.

Additional Information:

  • The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

  • This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. The anticipated hybrid work schedule will be up to 3 days remote, with 2 days onsite after an initial training period which will require working 5 days on site.

Key Job Responsibilities:

  • Executes activities related to financial compliance, audit, or reporting on behalf of a unit
  • Reviews and approves programmatic transactions spanning the life-cycle of sponsored projects to ensure compliance with institutional and/or sponsor policies and procedures
  • May supervise the day-to-day activities of research administration staff
  • Provides training to faculty, staff, and/or administrators within the unit regarding policy, procedure, and/or execution of sponsored project administration
  • Serves as a key resource to leadership and staff in the unit as well as a liaison to partners and stakeholders
  • May have authority to submit proposals, agreements, or invoices to a sponsor on behalf of the principal investigator or project director
  • Executes activities related to proposal submission, contract negotiation, and/or award setup on behalf of a unit
  • Executes research administration operational policies and procedures including financial, administrative, staffing, and compliance on behalf of a unit

Department:

College of Engineering, Research Administration

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is $72,000, but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.  

Required Qualifications:

  • 1 year required in grant management/research administration at a university or research organization

  • Experience in cloud-based grant administration or financial computer systems.

  • Proficiency using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, or Google Suite

Preferred Qualifications:

  • 2 years of experience in grant management/research administration at a university or research organization

  • Experience applying fiscal and administrative rules, regulations and procedures for administering sponsored projects.

  • Experience with Workday ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)

  • Demonstrated track record of working collaboratively with multiple groups/stakeholders.

  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with a demonstrated ability to simultaneously execute multiple tasks while responding to multiple demands.

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently to solve problems.

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Education:

Associate's degree required, Bachelor's degree preferred.

How to Apply:

Please go to the “Apply Now” area and select your current UW Employment Status. Applicants are required to upload a resume and a cover letter outlining relevant qualifications and experience as it pertains to the required and preferred qualifications outlined in this job posting.

The search committee will review all application materials after the posted deadline. We will notify selected applicants to participate further in the selection process directly. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified after the search is complete and a candidate has been selected.

Contact Information:

Erin Goeldner

1415 Engineering Dr

Madison, WI

egoeldner@wisc.edu

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

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