Lead, Research Administration

About the role

Manages the review and approval process of new and non‑competing federal, state, and private foundation research grant awards on behalf of the Department of Pediatrics through the College's electronic Biomedical Research Assurance Information Network (BRAIN). Ensures compliance with all federal, sponsor, and institutional policies and guidelines and serves as a liaison between faculty, Baylor College of Medicine, and sponsors. Participates in pre‑ and/or post‑award grant management activities in a high‑volume, deadline‑driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the approver for all department extramural and intramural grant applications, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines, federal regulations, and institutional requirements.
• Review and certify submission data in BRAIN, including budget, financial, compliance, and administrative components for approximately 1,700 proposals annually (~$250 M in funding).
• Ensure grant proposals meet federal guidelines such as research conflict of interest, responsible conduct of research, and CITI trainings.
• Develop and implement department processes and SOPs related to grant/contract/extramural funding submissions.
• Provide pre‑award oversight for the administrative and financial operations of grant accounts from submission to funding.
• Train division administrators and research associates in pre‑award processes.
• Participate in pre‑ and post‑award grant management activities to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Analyze and integrate data from BRAIN, CTMS, and departmental databases to prepare reports and metrics for institutional leadership.
• Serve as a liaison between sponsors, principal investigators, research staff, and institutional offices.
• Act as backup reviewer for the effort reporting system to ensure faculty and staff compliance.
• Develop and maintain research administration databases.
• Lead special projects.
• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or Certified Research Administrator certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council may substitute for the degree requirement).
• Six years of relevant experience.

Department Specific Criteria

• Mastery and broad depth of understanding of the pre‑award grant and budget process.
• Experience with a variety of grant mechanisms (e.g., R01, F31/F32, U01, Career Development Awards) and sponsors (e.g., American Cancer Society, NIH, CDC, Dept. of Defense, industry).
• Working knowledge of sponsor application submission systems such as ASSIST, Workspace, and Proposal Central.
• Expertise on federal and state regulations (NIH, NSF, DSHS, CDC) and ability to serve as a resource for faculty investigators.
• Strong reading, writing, and organizational skills; ability to analyze, problem‑solve, and adapt to a fast‑paced environment.
• Critical thinking, independent operation with minimal supervision, and effective communication with senior leadership, division administrators, and principal investigators.
• Ability to manage up to 50 grant application reviews simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.

Benefits

• Hybrid work schedule eligibility after the initial training period.
• Certification pay for employees with CRA certification.

Work Authorization Requirement: This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.