Administrative Assistant, Research and Grants

Administrative Assistant

Research and Grants Management

Full-time position with benefits to begin as soon as possible. Salary commensurate with experience.

The National Bureau of Economic Research is the nation’s leading non-profit economic research organization. Since 1920 the NBER has developed and disseminated impartial information on a wide range of issues that are important for public and private decision makers. The NBER coordinates research by more than 1,600 economics professors at leading colleges, universities and business schools throughout the United States.

Please note: This position is based in the NBER’s Cambridge, MA office and may be eligible for a combination of in person and remote work. Work arrangement options will be discussed during the hiring process.

The NBER is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join its Research Administration team.  The team manages an annual research volume of approximately $30 million, supporting the NBER research affiliates from proposal submission through close-out. The NBER receives research support from a variety of funding sources, including federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, and private foundations such as the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our very collaborative work environment requires the ability to coordinate with the Research Administration team while also taking initiative and monitoring one’s own work.

Responsibilities include:

•    Post-award administrative support such as 

o    Communicating effectively with team, researchers, administrators, and sponsors to facilitate the research,

o    Tracking progress of individual projects, subprojects and their deliverables, as assigned,

o    Assisting with development and submission of monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports and final reports,

o    Following compliance regulations established by funding agencies and by the NBER, and communicating requirements to researchers and grant-supported personnel,

o    Scheduling and helping organize meetings as assigned, including communicating with presenters and participants, managing invitation lists, and preparing agendas,

o    Assisting in the development of content for NBER web pages highlighting NBER’s grant funded research and the research outcomes,

o    Ensuring provision of customer service assistance to outside agencies in the ongoing administration of grants and contracts,

o    Processing and monitoring hiring paperwork for Researchers and Research Assistants,

o    Soliciting and documenting vendor bids,

o    Monitoring and arranging contract and reimbursement payments, 

o    Preparing and processing payment requests for research expenses.

•    Pre-award duties such as 

o    Assisting Research and Grant Administrators and Principal Investigators in the development of grant proposals, including budget development, drafting administrative sections including biosketches and other support pages, and collecting materials,

o    Obtaining institutional review/approval and submitting proposals through external submission portals within given deadlines.

•    Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, including follow-through and tracking of long-term projects and daily tasks; will be detail-oriented, flexible and precise; and will be very comfortable working with office software (Word, Excel, Acrobat, and data entry). The ideal candidate will be willing to take on new responsibilities, with opportunities for career development and advancement. 

Required qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and experience in grant administration; research, academic, or student services administration; or other relevant experience. 

Must be comfortable working independently and as part of a team and able to meet deadlines and balance competing priorities.

<