[Remote] Clerk III (Research Support Services Clerical Administrator)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking a Clerk III to support its Research Administration department. The role coordinates contractual award processes, monitors time-sensitive communications, performs award data entry, maintains documentation, and liaises with faculty, department staff, sponsors, and university offices.


Responsibilities

  • Coordinates administrative award procedures for negotiation and award acceptance by the University. Collects documents and information for electronic files to be reviewed by the Award Administrators or Director/Assistant Director, ensuring the inclusion of applicable items and identifying any outstanding needed items. Creates tasks to follow for missing file items. Performs initial data entry of award data into OPAM’s award management system, entering detailed award information, and ensuring that the budget summary for data entry matches the awarded amount
  • Actively monitors the central email account which receives time sensitive award documents and mission critical communications. Assesses whether the inquiry can be resolved directly and processes it accordingly as appropriate, which may include providing routine information pertaining to OPAM services, procedures, and fact sheet data, or other clerical support. Routes emails to appropriate contacts which might include OPAM Administrator, OPAS, Research Accounting, Controller’s Office, etc. Saves emails in appropriate folders for document retrieval management and official records retention
  • Acts as a liaison with faculty, academic department staff, and sponsors, ensuring proper assignments, assurances, and approvals are received. Serves as a conduit of information, requesting, receiving, and distributing various items, including materials from the Principal Investigator (PI). Coordinates the submission of first-execution award documents to sponsors for review/signature before award completion, as well as fully executed award documents to both the sponsor and the Controller's Office for account establishment in the University's financial system
  • Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

  • Two (2) years of full-time or equivalent part-time experience in office work. An Associate's degree or higher may be substituted for the required office work experience
  • Interpersonal communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
  • Experience With Diverse Clerical Skills And Organizational Skills
  • Knowledge of and the ability to work with computers (e.g., Microsoft Office, email, and other software systems)
  • Ability to work under pressure and time constraints and to coordinate several tasks simultaneously, adjusting priorities as the situation requires
  • Makes appropriate job decisions following standard office policies and past precedents
  • Ability to work cooperatively as part of a team
  • Ability to understand and implement written and verbal instructions
  • Attention to detail and ability to perform work independently, accurately, and efficiently
  • Two (2) years experience in research administration

Benefits

  • This position has the opportunity for a remote work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where the employee’s work location is to work from a site other than the UMass Amherst campus.

Company Overview

  • The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research university offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. It was founded in 1863, and is headquartered in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is

  • Company H1B Sponsorship

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 53 in 2026, 63 in 2025, 75 in 2024, 55 in 2023, 79 in 2022, 19 in 2021, 31 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.

  • Back to blog

    Common Interview Questions And Answers

    1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

    This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

    2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

    When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

    3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

    Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

    4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

    With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

    5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

    Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

    6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

    Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

    7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

    Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

    8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

    The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

    9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

    Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

    10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

    This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...