RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Occupational Summary:

The Duke Department of Chemistry is looking for a Research Administration Specialist (RAS) to support departmental and post-award research activities. This role will involve working with a team of six grant administrators and reporting to the Sr. Grant & Contract Manager.

The RAS will be responsible for overseeing three support areas, purchasing/procurement, travel and expense reporting, and administrative support. They will collaborate closely with the grant team and research labs on all aspects of procurement, from introducing new lab members to purchasing processes to reconciling procurement issues. Additionally, they will be the department's primary point of contact for processing reimbursements, expense reports, and accounts payable.

The ideal candidate for this position is someone who is interested in supporting faculty research, has strong problem-solving skills, enjoys working with others, and solid attention to detail. They should feel comfortable working in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment. Effective communication skills with a customer service focus, adaptable thinking, and excellent problem-solving skills are essential to being successful in this role.

All grant positions in the Department of Chemistry follow a hybrid work schedule, which is determined in conjunction with the employee's supervisor based on the needs of the department and the employee.

Work Performed

Procurement Compliance Management (60%)

• Manage departmental purchasing access, roles, and responsibilities for departmental faculty, staff, graduate students, and post-docs. Work with A&S finance to manage access, permissions, terminations, and funding sources for Buy@Duke department users.
• Provide initial training and onboarding for new shoppers and submitters related to general lab supplies. Provided ongoing customer support to graduate students and postdocs completing orders in Buy@Duke, emphasizing grants compliance principles of reasonable, allocable, and allowable.
• Management of all procurement clearing and follow-up to ensure expenses are posted to sponsored and non-sponsored codes in a timely manner as required by grants compliance rules. This includes but is not limited to gathering receipts, working with lab personnel to complete goods receipts, and following up with procurement services, vendors, and lab personnel to resolve discrepancies, blocked invoices, etc.
• Set up and maintain departmental and lab purchase orders, standing orders, and capital equipment purchases. Advising labs and vendors on procurement documentation, including capital equipment screening forms, quotes, and sole source justifications.
• Assist with new faculty lab purchasing and lab set-up.
• Work closely with grant administrators on sponsored close-out reporting and resolving any outstanding purchasing issues to ensure a clean close-out process.
• Serve as the main liaison with the purchasing and accounts payable departments.
• Maintain departmental SOPs and documentation on procurement/purchasing internal departmental processes and procedures.

Travel/Reimbursements (30%):

• Serve as a single point of contact and Concur delegate for Chemistry primary faculty/PI. Collect and review expense documentation and create monthly and travel expense reports.
• Oversee monthly reporting of unassigned expense transactions and communicate with PI, lab members, and grant administrators to obtain the required documentation, receipts, and proper funding codes.
• Provide general training and onboarding to new faculty/PI and staff on Concur expense and travel processing, including allowable expenses, funding sources, G/L assignments, itemizations, and allocations.

Miscellaneous Grant Administration Support (10%):

• Work with the Grants Manager to assist with sponsored research audits. Research discrepancy inquiries from the Grants Manager found during the approval of monthly reconciliations.
• Provide management for Emeritus faculty funds and provide regular financial reporting.
• Meet with graduate students and other lab personnel to review grant and financial offboarding and ensure completion of outstanding good receipts, invoices, Concur reports, and effort certification prior to leaving Duke.
• Complete monthly JVs associated with departmental services and graduate student travel funding for research labs.
• Assist with quarterly reporting and annual effort certification process.
• Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.

The Duke Chemistry Department aspires to create a community built on excellence, collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. As scientists, educators, collaborators, and co-workers, we are committed to promoting a culture of mutual respect that inspires creativity, relishes scientific inquiry, fosters intellectual curiosity, and rewards collaborative engagement. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas – an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes.

Preferred Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training

Work requires communication, analytical, and organizational skills, which are generally acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program or relevant experience.

Experience:

Previous experience working in academia, or administrative support roles.

Experience with SPS, SAP, and other grant and research-related tools.

Knowledge of Duke University policies and procedures relating to procurement/purchasing, travel, and reimbursement OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Skills:

General interest in supporting the academic and research functions of the university.

Excellent organizational, people, and communication skills are desired.

Flexible thinker and problem solver.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of the organization.

Ability to analyze data and formulate conclusions.

Ability to learn and adapt to changing technologies

Proficient use of computers; requires a solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams). — Ability to independently manage and prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of an Associate's degree program. Training: May be required to take FasTracks in areas of specific assigned duties

Experience

Work generally requires two years of relevant experience to obtain OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE office organization, communications, and administrative skills. A bachelor's degree in a field of study directly related to the specific position may be substituted for the education and experience requirement.

Job Code: 00000705 RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST
Job Level: 80

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certainjobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.