Research Administrator 4-Payroll System Lead - TP138914

UC San Diego is hiring a temporary Research Administrator-4 Payroll Certification System Implementation Lead supporting sponsored project compliance.

Duration: This role is anticipated to last 9 months

Compensation: $42.15 to $58.43 / hour DOE. Eligible for paid holidays and vacation/sick leave. Full-medical insurance also available.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm or flexible

Location: If local to San Diego - role is hybrid Monday and Wednesday with the team on site. Department could be open to Remote options if not local in San Diego.

UC San Diego's Business & Financial Services (BFS) is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and compliance-savvy professional to lead the implementation of a new campuswide Payroll Certification System supporting a $1.7B+ research enterprise.

This role serves as the functional business lead responsible for implementing and operationalizing a campuswide payroll certification solution that ensures compliance with federal sponsored project requirements. The position requires advanced expertise in federal regulations governing payroll charges, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).

Working with a high degree of independence, the incumbent will partner across IT, central administrative offices, and academic departments to design compliant processes, support system implementation, and drive campus adoption.

• Lead business process design, requirements gathering, and testing activities

• Ensure system alignment with federal regulations, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) compensation standards

• Partner with IT teams, central offices, and academic units to support implementation

• Translate complex federal regulations into clear, practical business workflows

• Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT) and support system validation efforts

• Drive campus readiness, training, and user adoption strategies

• Provide expert guidance on payroll certification, effort reporting, and compliance practices

• Recommend and implement internal controls and process improvements

• Uses skills as a seasoned, experienced research administrator to independently develop and/or oversee research proposals, awards and/or transactions related to contract and grant management and maintains contract and grant records in compliance with institutional research sponsor policies.

• Works on proposals and awards of diverse scope where analysis of data requires thorough understanding of complex regulations.

• Completes and approves transactions for signature by manager or other authorized institutional official. Works on complex proposals and awards that may involve multiple investigators and/or multiple sub awards.

• Guides less experienced staff. Incumbent provides analytical and financial support in proposal processing, contract and grant administration, and budget development, including pre-award proposal initiatives, management of funds post-award, and closeout activities for federal, state, local, and private sponsors.

• Involves activities associated with forecasting, planning, and managing of research portfolios by performing some or all of the following: coordinating and identifying and developing and/or presenting proposals, contracts and other agreements, reviewing proposals to ensure institutional compliance, negotiating, administering and monitoring contract and grant awards, including compliance with regulations, terms and conditions, financial management and reporting, and sub award/subcontract issuance and administration.

• Complexity is defined as follows: Type of Proposals - Complex proposals involving one or more of the following: multiple departments; multiple institutions (subawards); significant institutional cost-sharing; institutional commitment proposals; responsive to award agency proposal requirements (RFP, RFA, PA); numerous integrated projects; Program Project or Center applications; training grant applications; and Contracts; extensive variety of agencies and extensive number of awarding entities; significant and unique reporting requirements; significant equipment acquisition or fabrication; performance milestones.

• Advanced knowledge of federal sponsored research regulations, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)

• Expertise in payroll distribution, effort reporting, or payroll certification within a research administration environment

• Strong business process analysis and requirements gathering skills

• Experience supporting system implementations and user acceptance testing (UAT)

• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into operational procedures

• Strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including development of training materials and guidance

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in complex compliance environments

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience/training

• Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace