The Florida Center for Cybersecurity seeks a Senior Unit Research Administrator to support its expanding sponsored projects and research initiatives. This role ensures effective grant management through budget development, expenditure monitoring, financial reconciliation, and compliance oversight. Key responsibilities include grant financial management, subaward administration, preparation of grant proposals, guiding administrative processes, and training/mentorship of Unit Research Administrators on staff. As a grant-funded role, the Senior Unit Research Administrator plays a vital part in maintaining efficient research administration and compliance with institutional and sponsor regulations.
Hiring Salary $70,000 to $80,000 annually
Duties and Responsibilities:
Pre-Award Research Administration
Assists with funding opportunity identification & review, proposal development, application preparation, and proposal submission process. Advises the Principal Investigator on the most effective way to achieve a successful, quality proposal and coordinates a timely submission process, ensuring appropriate approvals. Collects the required documents as defined by the program solicitation for submission from team members, makes recommendations to budget, prepares budget, and aids in the project development process from an administrative standpoint. Reviews proposals for compliance with sponsor and University terms and rules, and review, negotiation and acceptance of resulting grant awards. Provides technical assistance to PI, research administrators and the associate director.
Post-Award Research Administration
Provides post-award financial administration and management for complex research funds. Interprets regulations and guidelines of program funding for complex grants and contracts and prepares renewals and periodic reports for grant agencies, determine budget, invoicing schedule, restrictions and other pertinent information. Analyzes expenses, develops cost projections, and provides financial tracking and fiscal control to fulfill reporting requirements. Adheres to sponsor, institutional, state, and local government policies and procedures. Maintains research compliance for project team members and internal/external collaborators. Works as a liaison with the Office of Research, Research Compliance, International Affairs, Human Resources, and other departments as needed. Facilitates communication between the project team and outside parties for purposes of submitting change requests, modifications, authorizations, or reporting of project status
Reporting
Reconciles project chartfields every month, prepares documents to correct expenditures in keeping with defined budget categories, reviews and facilitates effort reporting, and maintains supporting documentation for audit purposes. Assists team members with programmatic reporting to sponsoring agencies.
Project Management
This position applies project management principles to align research objectives with administrative and financial requirements, ensuring efficient execution of grant-funded initiatives. They help to oversee project timelines, monitor compliance with funding regulations, and optimize resource allocation. Key responsibilities include coordinating with Principal Investigators (PIs) and project teams, tracking deliverables, managing risks, and providing guidance on policies and best practices to keep projects on schedule and within scope.
Financial Administration
Aids with travel expenses and transactional expenses related to supply orders, contract implementation, invoice payments, pay allocations, funding distributions, and burn-rate projections, and makes recommendations on budget needs and recommendations to keep the project on schedule.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
This position requires a Bachelor's degree and four years of research or research administration experience; A Master's degree may substitute for two years of the required experience. There is no substitution of experience for the Bachelor's degree.
Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.
Preferred Qualification:
Master’s degree in business administration, Business Management, or other related fields. Computerized data management software, Smartsheet (or other project management software) and USF Business Enterprise applications (Oracle, FAST, Archivum, and Finance Mart 2.0) experience is highly desired.
Special Skills and Training
Effective communicator, both verbal and written. Detail-oriented, the ability to effectively manage time and tasks is imperative. Works well under stringent deadlines. Intermediate-level experience in Microsoft Office Suite.
Special Requirements
Employment with the Florida Center for Cybersecurity requires signing a nondisclosure agreement and completing a level one background check. Failure to complete the document or requirement will be considered a job offer refusal.
Working Conditions:
• Environment – Typical indoor environment/office setting.
• Physical Requirements – Climbing, standing, stooping, and/or typing; Ability to lift up to 20 lbs as needed.
Working at USF
With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.
About USF
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu
Compliance and Federal Notices
This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.
