Contracts & Grants Specialist II

University of Central Florida • Orlando, FL

6d • $48,722 • Remote

About The Position

College of Engineering and Computer Science: As Florida's premier engineering and technology university, UCF is among the nation's largest producers of engineering and technology talent. The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science offers students a world-class education and research opportunities alongside unrivaled partnerships with industry leaders such as L3Harris Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Duke Energy, Siemens, Walt Disney World and NASA. Focused on addressing society's biggest challenges, faculty and alumni are national leaders in energy, aerospace, computer vision, cybersecurity, transportation, health care and the environment, areas of focus that will drive the college's future growth. UCF is the nation's No. 1 provider of talent to the aerospace and defense industries, and the college is home to the national champion student cyber defense team and one of the nation's top computer programming teams. The Opportunity: UCF's College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) seeks applications for a Contracts and Grants Specialist II to join their team. This position works as a liaison with the Office of Research and College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty in the Institute of Artificial Intelligence (IAI) and the Advanced Processing Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC) for both proposal submission and research project assistance and proposal preparation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree and 2+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6) .
• Applicant must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer, as sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

• 4+ years of experience in pre-award administration, proposal submission, and budget development within a higher education or research-intensive environment.
• Experience submitting proposals to federal sponsors such as NSF, NIH, NASA, or similar agencies.
• Experience with Huron Research Suite for proposal development and tracking.
• Familiarity with electronic research administration platforms, including Research.gov, NSPIRES, and ProposalCentral.
• Advanced Excel skills for developing and managing complex budgets and financial reports for sponsored projects.
• Proven ability to collaborate with external entities (e.g., subcontractors, consultants, vendors) to ensure compliance, commitment, and accuracy of financial documentation.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to interpret and apply complex sponsor guidelines and instructions.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and able to manage multiple deadlines in a high-volume office setting.

Responsibilities

• Advise and interact with the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), IAI faculty, and their departmental administrators on interpretation of sponsor guidelines, forms, regulations & policies related to proposals & budgetary requirements.
• Prepare sponsor forms, including budgetary, application forms, and ancillary submission documents for inclusion with the proposal submission, as well as internal administrative forms, as appropriate.
• Reviews and ensures accuracy of approved cost share requirements, including the source, amount, and authorized signatures of committed cost share, wherever necessary.
• Ensure that research proposals, related documents routed through the University routing system, special considerations (i.e., budget, cost share, release time, indirect reduction, space and renovation needs, etc.) are reviewed and approved by appropriate University officials (Chairs, Dean/Director, VP, etc.).
• Act as a liaison between the Office of Research (OR), departments, faculty members of CECS/IAI/AMPAC, collaborators, and sponsors with all aspects of sponsored research proposal /administration, and negotiation of sponsored research agreements, including but not limited to grants, contracts, NDAs, and MOUs.
• Prepare multi-institutional proposals; communicate with sponsored research departments at other institutions in multi-university proposals; pay specific attention to the appropriate sponsor format of the proposals and budget.
• Facilitate follow-through of proposals and award just-in-time requests to make changes/corrections to award documents, as appropriate.
• Facilitate follow-through of proposals and award just-in-time requests to make changes/corrections to award documents, as appropriate.
• Responsible for approving proposals on behalf of CECS in Huron, approving credit split forms and budget set-ups on new and modified awards, and all other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
• Retirement savings options
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
• Education assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees