Director, Grants Administration

University of St. Thomas•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Director of Grants Administration leads the University of St. Thomas's sponsored research and restricted grants portfolio, balancing institutional compliance with support for faculty. The position reports to the Provost's Office and works closely with the Chief Financial Officer's office to align fiscal matters, budget forecasting, drawdowns, and audit compliance. The Director oversees the full grant lifecycle, supporting faculty with pre-award proposal development and budget construction while ensuring post-award financial accuracy, audit readiness, and timely closeout. The role partners with academic departments to facilitate external funding while protecting the university's regulatory and financial standing. Occasional evening or weekend work is necessary to meet external grant submission deadlines. Practicing Catholics who will advance the school's mission are preferred, as permitted by law; all qualified applicants are invited to apply.

Requirements

Extensive professional experience in grants administration, sponsored research, or public-sector compliance within a higher education setting.
Comprehensive knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and federal and state grant regulations.
Proven track record of pre-award budgeting and post-award financial reconciliation in partnership with centralized finance teams.
Demonstrated commitment to service, partnership, and collaboration with academic faculty.
Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, multifaceted environment and manage competing grant deadlines under pressure.
Proficiency with computer-based higher education ERP systems, grant routing software, and standard office suites.
Bachelor's degree required.

Nice To Haves

Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) or Certified Research Administrator (CRA) designation.
Master's degree or advanced professional certification in a related field.
Practicing Catholic who will advance the mission of the school.

Responsibilities

Monitor federal, state, and private foundation grant opportunities and match them with faculty research profiles and STEM initiatives.
Assist faculty and Principal Investigators through the pre-award phase, including interpreting RFP guidelines.
Build compliant proposal budgets and manage internal institutional routing for external funding requests.
Design and deliver training sessions, toolkits, and workshops to explain the grant lifecycle to early-career faculty.
Streamline internal workflows to reduce administrative burdens on teaching and research professors.
Ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), federal cost principles, state regulations, and donor restrictions.
Work with general accounting, finance, and the CFO's office to monitor restricted fund expenditures, track matching funds, and review budget-to-actual reports.
Execute federal drawdowns and oversee post-award effort certification workflows.
Serve as the primary contact for internal and external grant audits.
Author, update, and implement standard operating procedures for institutional research compliance, time-and-effort reporting, and conflict-of-interest disclosures.