Grants and Contracts Manager

University of Maine•Farmington, ME

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) is seeking a Grants and Contracts Manager to provide financial leadership, compliance oversight, and stewardship for UMF’s sponsored programs portfolio. This position manages the financial lifecycle of approximately $14 million in externally funded grants and contracts, from proposal development and award setup through ongoing administration, reporting, audit, and final closeout. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who combines strong financial and analytical skills with a collaborative approach and enjoys helping faculty, staff, and project leaders successfully navigate the world of sponsored funding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, or a closely related field.
Minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience in grants administration, sponsored programs, accounting, finance, or a related financial field.
Experience administering grants or contracts, including post-award financial management and compliance with sponsor requirements.
Working knowledge of budgeting, accounting, internal controls, and financial reporting within a complex organization.
Proficiency with spreadsheets and financial reporting tools, including formulas, queries, pivot tables, data validation, reconciliations, and financial modeling.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or other relevant professional credentials.
Experience in higher education, governmental accounting, or public sector financial management.
Experience with PeopleSoft Financials, Concur, grants management systems, or comparable enterprise financial systems.

Responsibilities

Direct the financial administration of UMF’s grants and contracts throughout the full award lifecycle, including proposal budgets, award setup, amendments, invoicing, reporting, audits, and closeout.
Partner with principal investigators, project leaders, department budget managers, sponsors, auditors, and University System offices to provide guidance and support successful project outcomes.
Provide guidance on Uniform Guidance, allowable costs, sponsor requirements, University policies, procurement, payroll, subawards, record retention, and related compliance matters.
Analyze proposals and risk indicators and develop actionable recommendations for University leadership, principal investigators, and budget managers.
Evaluate grants management processes and financial systems and lead improvements that strengthen controls, improve data quality, reduce manual work, and increase efficiency.
Develop training, tools, and guidance to strengthen grants management practices and help faculty and staff successfully administer sponsored funding.