Principal Administrative Officer

Posting Number

req27373

Department

Research Innovation & Impact

Department Website Link

https://csm.arizona.edu/

Location

Tucson Campus

Address

Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The Office of Research and Partnerships invites applicants to apply to join our team as a Principal Administrative Officer. The Principal Administrative Officer provides the administrative and business leadership that allows the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing to operate as a single enterprise across its research portfolio, international partnerships, workforce programs, and fabrication and training facilities.

Reporting to Centers & Institutes leadership within the Office of Research & Partnerships (ORP) and taking day-to-day direction from the CSM Director, the incumbent owns the center’s overall administration and working with the relevant team members in ORP around proposal development, budget, communications, industry partnership, facility business operations, and institutional reporting. The role is deliberately administrative rather than scientific: it creates the operating discipline that lets faculty leadership concentrate on research strategy and external engagement.

Work is performed without appreciable direction, with considerable latitude in determining objectives and approaches.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

Duties & Responsibilities

Research Program Administration and Partnerships

Coordinates development of center-scale and multi-investigator proposals: timelines, budget preparation, institutional commitments, letters of support, and compliance attachments, in partnership with Sponsored Projects, college research offices, and Research Development Services.

Administers active awards and consortium memberships, including reporting calendars, milestone tracking, deliverable submission, and close-out.

Develops and maintains project plans covering timelines, resource requirements, and budgets for center initiatives and their associated programs.

Tracks and coordinates execution of memoranda of understanding, master research agreements, membership agreements, and international partnership documents, working with Research Partnerships, Research Contracts, Research Security, Export Control, and the Office of General Counsel.

Serves as the operational point of contact for partner institutions, industry members, and government partners; prepares briefing materials and coordinates delegations, site visits, and signing events.

Financial and Budget Administration

Administers the center’s consolidated operating budget across state, industry, federal, philanthropic, and partner funding sources; monitors commitments, cost share, carry-forward, and recharge activity with the ORP Finance team.

Prepares monthly and quarterly financial reporting for the CSM Director and Centers & Institutes leadership, with variance explanation and reforecasting.

Administers subawards, purchase requisitions, service agreements, and participant support in accordance with university and sponsor requirements.

Facility and Program Business Operations

Supports business planning for the center’s fabrication and training facilities, including equipment acquisition packages, installation schedules, recharge rate development, and user access and billing processes alongside the facilities managers and ORP Core Facilities Team.

Coordinates space, safety, environmental health, and compliance requirements with facility leadership and technical staff.

Reporting, Analysis, and Communications

Compiles and analyzes program administration data; drafts sponsor, technical, and institutional reports and the center’s metrics package.

Coordinates communications, website content, events, and annual reporting with the appropriate university units.

Supervision and Other Duties

Supervises or provides day-to-day guidance to program or administrative support staff; represents the center on university committees; other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of university research administration: sponsored project lifecycle, uniform guidance and sponsor terms, cost principles, cost share, effort, subawards, and recharge center practice.

Demonstrated ability to build and manage complex teams and to present administrative activities clearly to faculty and administrative leadership.

Working knowledge of research security, export control, conflict of interest, and international engagement requirements as they apply to foreign partnerships and controlled research environments.

Ability to influence across colleges, divisions, and departments and to communicate effectively with management, leadership, faculty, industry members, and external stakeholders.

Strong project management discipline, advanced proficiency with university financial and research administration systems, and the analytical skill to turn program data into decision-ready reporting.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is required for this position. Applicants must possess the degree at the time of appointment.

Minimum of eight years of relevant work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in a relevant discipline is preferred.
• Research administration experience in a center, institute, or large multi-investigator program environment.
• Experience administering industry consortium or membership-funded programs, and experience with federal center-scale proposals.
• Experience supporting core facility or recharge center operations, including equipment acquisition and user billing.
• Experience with international partnership administration, including agreement execution and delegation coordination.
• Familiarity with the semiconductor, photonics, or advanced manufacturing sector.

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Fiscal

Job Category

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

$86,870 - $112,932

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade

11

Compensation Guidance

The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.

Career Stream and Level

PC4

Job Family

Research Program Admin

Job Function

Research

Type of criminal background check required

Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to title or department)

Number of Vacancies

1

Target Hire Date

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates

Krishna Muralidharan I [email protected]

Open Date

10/15/2026

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Resume and Cover Letter

Special Instructions to Applicant

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at [email protected].