Administrator – Legal

Job Description

The Administrator, a confidential position within the Foundation's Office of Legal Affairs, provides proactive administrative and analytical support and directly assists the Executive Assistant to the Chief Counsel and the Deputy Chief Counsel and as needed, the Chief Counsel. The Administrator also serves as a back-up to the Executive Assistant in their absence. This position acts as a key liaison between the field and the Office of Legal Affairs, requiring exceptional judgment, resourcefulness, and customer service skills. The Administrator plays a pivotal role in document review, contract tracking, and maintaining the accessibility of legal resources and department data.

Reporting to the Executive Assistant to the Chief Counsel, the incumbent:

• Assists and backs up the Executive Assistant, who serves as a confidential assistant to the Chief Counsel for labor and employment, business, and litigation matters.
• Provides strategic and administrative support, including managing communications, assessing the nature of inquiries, and determining the appropriate course of action to ensure efficient resolution.
• Exercises critical thinking and discretion in responding to inquiries and addressing issues from Foundation personnel, principal investigators, grants officers, and sponsoring agencies.
• Assists with the management of the Legal Affairs mailbox intake, identifying priorities and providing thoughtful, informed responses where possible.
• Coordinates with the Deputy Chief Counsel to monitor and follow up on contracts, ensuring accurate data in RFCUNY systems and timely processing.
• Collect and interpret data to prepare reports and summaries under the direction of the Deputy Chief Counsel and Executive Assistant.
• Maintains and monitors Legal Affairs data using various Excel spreadsheets; conducts a preliminary review of documents submitted through the Contract Manager system, to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timelines. Applies analytical skills to identify issues and propose solutions.
• Assists in maintaining the records of the Boards of Directors of the Foundation and its related entities, as well as their committees.
• Performs additional responsibilities as assigned.

• Baccalaureate degree preferred
• Superior customer service, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills
• Two years' experience in a complex administrative or professional office environment
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and advanced knowledge of business application software
• Superior multi-tasking skills
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, plan, and execute work efficiently in a fast-paced setting
• Collaborative team player with initiative and sound professional judgment

RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY's research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY's services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society's most pressing challenges.

RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY's research and sponsored programs.

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.