Research Administration Manager

Career Guide

A Research Administration Manager oversees the business and compliance side of research programs. They help researchers secure funding, manage awards, stay compliant with sponsor rules, and run reliable processes from proposal to closeout.

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Key Responsibilities

Lead pre-award services such as proposal planning, budget development, and submission timelines
Lead post-award services such as award setup, spending review, reporting support, and closeout
Ensure compliance with sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and audit expectations
Coach and manage research administrators and coordinators
Partner with researchers to improve proposal quality and funding readiness
Build and improve processes for tracking proposals, awards, and deadlines
Coordinate with finance, legal, procurement, and compliance teams
Review and approve effort planning and cost allocation when required
Support training for researchers and staff on policies and best practices
Respond to sponsor and auditor questions with clear documentation

Top Skills for Success

Stakeholder Management

People Management

Written Communication

Process Improvement

Budgeting

Contract Review

Grant Proposal Development

Award Management

Research Compliance

Audit Readiness

Sponsor Reporting

Workload Prioritization

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Director of Research Administration

Director of Sponsored Programs

Research Operations Director

Office of Research Compliance Director

Research Finance Director

Transition Opportunities

Grants and Contracts Director

Research Program Director

Institutional Compliance Manager

Operations Manager Finance Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Effort ReportingSubrecipient MonitoringIndirect Cost PlanningRisk ManagementChange ManagementAdvanced Data Reporting

Development SuggestionsFocus on building strong documentation habits, learning sponsor rule interpretation, and improving reporting skills. Seek cross-training in finance and compliance, and lead a small process improvement project to demonstrate impact.

Market Intelligence Report

Research Administration Manager is part of the Business Operations category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$80,000 to $100,000

Mid Level$100,000 to $130,000

Senior Level$130,000 to $165,000

Growth Trend

Stable to growing demand, driven by increased compliance expectations, competitive grant funding, and expansion of research programs in health, higher education, and nonprofits.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Research universitiesAcademic medical centersHospital systems with research programsGovernment research agenciesNonprofit research institutesPharmaceutical companiesBiotechnology companiesContract research organizations

Industry Sectors

Higher educationHealthcareGovernmentNonprofitLife sciences

Recommended Next Steps

Inventory your current proposal and award volumes and quantify outcomes such as on-time submissions and audit findings

Build a simple dashboard for pipeline tracking and deadline management

Strengthen budgeting skills through hands-on work with complex proposals and multi-year awards

Create standardized templates for budgets, justifications, and internal checklists

Partner with compliance and finance leaders to learn common audit risks and controls

Develop a training plan for researchers and staff and deliver short sessions quarterly

Update your resume with measurable examples such as dollars managed, number of proposals, and team size