Introduction: Job satisfaction is the key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. Strategies for increasing employee job satisfaction are more important than ever for research administration leadership. Background: The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at Rocky Mountain University (pseudonym). This study evaluated the SPA team members' perceptions of job satisfaction. Methods: Utilizing a case study methodology, this study defined the nature of a research administrator's work and explored how the elements of their work affected job satisfaction. Self-determination theory, a broad framework for the study of human motivation, links the concerns of organizational performance and employee satisfaction and wellness by suggesting that both are impacted by the type of motivation that employees have for their job activities. Results: Evaluating the work environment for a research administration unit through the lens of self-determination theory provides a conceptual framework that may be used to guide the formation of processes and practices that positively impact both the organization and its employees. Several findings on the nature of the work and its effect on job satisfaction point to four recommendations as well as broader implications for practice. Conclusion: The four recommendations include increasing the frequency and clarity of communications with the SPA team; prioritizing employee retention across the institution; addressing the SPA team's workload; and implementing more effective training programs.