What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Administrator position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
Posting Description
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR, Mechanical Engineering , is responsible for coordinating the research administration financial activities and works closely with the Director in the ME-Research Administration (ME-RAS) and the department’s ME-RAS team supporting sponsored research grants and contracts management and overall financial activities. Duties include providing financial and budgeting support and preparing and analyzing budgets and financial reports for a portfolio of sponsored research projects. This position offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in sponsored award administration from pre-award through post-award, including budgeting and proposal development, with the possibility of utilizing advanced concepts such as cost-sharing and under-recovery. Additionally, this position will expose the Research Administrator to a broad range of federal (NIH, NSF, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Energy, etc.), private non-profit (research or fellowship foundations), and industrial sponsors and consortia. There will be extensive interaction with faculty and staff in other central offices such as Research Administration Services (RAS), Sponsored Accounting, and VPF.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Bachelor’s degree in a related field; a minimum of three years of experience in finance or accounting; knowledge of federal research regulations; experience in academic programs and administration; excellent attention to detail; strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills; confidentiality with sensitive information; customer service orientation; excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint); ability to take initiative, meet short turn-around times, multitask, interact effectively with people at all levels and work in a fast-paced, challenging, and team-based work environment; and grants management experience and broad understanding of COGNOS. PREFERRED : Knowledge of and experience with MIT financial systems and sponsored accounting; and proficiency with SAP, Kuali, and electronic proposal submission software.
2/11/2026
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR, Mechanical Engineering , is responsible for coordinating the research administration financial activities and works closely with the Director in the ME-Research Administration (ME-RAS) and the department’s ME-RAS team supporting sponsored research grants and contracts management and overall financial activities. Duties include providing financial and budgeting support and preparing and analyzing budgets and financial reports for a portfolio of sponsored research projects. This position offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in sponsored award administration from pre-award through post-award, including budgeting and proposal development, with the possibility of utilizing advanced concepts such as cost-sharing and under-recovery. Additionally, this position will expose the Research Administrator to a broad range of federal (NIH, NSF, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Energy, etc.), private non-profit (research or fellowship foundations), and industrial sponsors and consortia. There will be extensive interaction with faculty and staff in other central offices such as Research Administration Services (RAS), Sponsored Accounting, and VPF.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Bachelor’s degree in a related field; a minimum of three years of experience in finance or accounting; knowledge of federal research regulations; experience in academic programs and administration; excellent attention to detail; strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills; confidentiality with sensitive information; customer service orientation; excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint); ability to take initiative, meet short turn-around times, multitask, interact effectively with people at all levels and work in a fast-paced, challenging, and team-based work environment; and grants management experience and broad understanding of COGNOS. PREFERRED : Knowledge of and experience with MIT financial systems and sponsored accounting; and proficiency with SAP, Kuali, and electronic proposal submission software.
2/11/2026