Senior Administrative Associate for Research, Texas Materials Institute

Job Posting Title:

Senior Administrative Associate for Research, Texas Materials Institute ----

Hiring Department:

Texas Materials Institute ----

Position Open To:

All Applicants ----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40 ----

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt from FLSA ----

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately ----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue ----

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS ----

Job Details:

General Notes

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

At UT Austin, we say “What starts here changes the world.” As a member of the university community, you will be part of an organization that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will have meaning and make a difference not only in the lives of our faculty, staff, and students, but also those who are impacted by our first class academic and research programs.

UT Austin provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• •Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• •Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• •Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• •Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds
• •Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• •Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• •Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• •Tuition assistance
• •Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• •Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• •Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

The Texas Materials Institute (TMI) seeks a highly organized and detail-oriented Senior Administrative Associate for Research to provide comprehensive research administration, financial, and business operations support for sponsored research activities.

This position supports faculty and research teams throughout the sponsored-project lifecycle, including proposal submission, award administration, financial monitoring and reporting, personnel and tuition planning, procurement, purchasing and payment processing, ProCard administration, travel management, compliance, and project closeout.

The Senior Administrative Associate for Research works collaboratively with principal investigators, research personnel, departmental administrators, the Office of Sponsored Projects, and other University offices to ensure research projects and related business activities are administered accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with University policies, sponsor requirements, and applicable regulations.

Responsibilities

Grant Proposal and Sponsored Research Administration

Work closely with TMI core faculty members to coordinate and support sponsored research proposal submissions. Assist with proposal preparation, administrative documentation, budgets and supporting materials; coordinate institutional routing and approvals; and communicate with faculty, departmental administrators, central research administration offices (OSP or DTI), sponsors, and collaborating institutions as necessary. Support grant extensions, amendments, grant agreements, and other award-related administrative actions while ensuring required documentation and deadlines are met.

Grant Lifecycle and Financial Management

Provide ongoing administrative management of sponsored research awards throughout the grant lifecycle. Monitor award periods, account activity, balances, expenditures, funding availability, and administrative deadlines. Identify account-management issues and work with faculty and OSP / DTI to facilitate timely resolution. Assist faculty with grant extensions, funding changes, account transitions, and award closeout activities.

Faculty Grant Financial Reporting and Analysis

Prepare and distribute monthly grant financial reports for TMI core faculty members via emails and Box folders. Review grant balances, expenditures, commitments, personnel (GRA/Postdoc/URA) and tuition costs, project periods, and other relevant financial information. Provide faculty with clear and timely information regarding the financial status of their research accounts and assist with follow-up actions or corrections when discrepancies or funding concerns are identified.

Purchasing, Vendor Payments, Reimbursements, and Tuition

Provide purchasing and payment support for TMI core faculty research groups. Process and coordinate purchase requests, vendor payments, invoices, reimbursements, and related documentation in accordance with university policies and funding requirements. Communicate with faculty, research personnel, vendors, procurement staff, and accounting offices to resolve purchasing and payment issues. Process GRA Tuition TRB at the beginning of each semester.

ProCard Administration

Manage ProCard transactions and supporting documentation for assigned research groups, including transaction review, receipt collection, reconciliation, and follow-up. Maintain organized administrative and financial records and provide additional research administration and operational support as needed to ensure timely and effective service to TMI faculty and research programs.

Travel Administration and other related duties as assigned

Coordinate research-related travel for TMI core faculty members and research-group personnel. Process travel authorizations, reservations, reimbursements, and supporting documentation; review requests for compliance with university and applicable funding requirements; and assist travelers with resolving travel-related administrative issues.

Required Qualifications

• •Bachelor’s degree with at least three years of experience in administrative support, business operations, financial administration, research administration, accounting, or a related area.
• •High School Diploma or GED with at least seven years of experience
• •Experience performing complex administrative and financial functions, including budget monitoring, financial transactions, purchasing, payments, reimbursements, or account reconciliation.
• •Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and detailed administrative processes with a high level of accuracy.
• •Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and follow-through skills.
• •Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with faculty, staff, students, vendors, and University offices.
• •Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, guidelines, and financial information.
• •Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Outlook, and Word.
• •Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and appropri