Grants and Contracts Specialist

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center is seeking a highly organized and collaborative Grants and Contracts Specialist to support the full lifecycle of sponsored research and other externally funded agreements. The role partners with faculty, Principal Investigators, research staff, Sponsored Programs Administration, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and other institutional partners. It supports pre-award and post-award activities, contracts, financial management, reporting, and closeout, helping researchers navigate institutional and sponsor requirements.

The Specialist coordinates proposal development and submission, develops and reviews grant budgets and justifications, interprets sponsor guidelines and award requirements, and supports award modifications, reporting, financial monitoring, and compliance. The position also supports the development, review, negotiation, and administration of research and other agreements, including subawards, sponsored research agreements, revenue-generating contracts, data use agreements, material transfer agreements, and educational agreements. The Specialist facilitates contract execution, monitors deliverables and payment obligations, maintains accurate records, and supports audit readiness.

The role is part of a growing academic research program focused on advancing primary care and improving health outcomes across diverse and underserved communities. Salary is commensurate with education, skills, and relevant experience. This is a security-sensitive position subject to criminal history record information checks.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, or a related field, or significant additional applicable professional experience in lieu of the degree.
• Two years of experience in business or public administration, with an emphasis on customer service in a financial or contracting position.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Good organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with federal grants, including NIH and HRSA.
• Experience with grant budget development and research administration.
• Knowledge of IRB requirements and other research regulations.
• Strong financial and budget management skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex sponsor and institutional requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines and provide responsive, solutions-oriented support.

Responsibilities

• Provide funding opportunity information to potential applicants by reviewing announcements and directories, identifying suitable sponsors for researchers, and distributing information.
• Guide researchers through proposal development and submission by interpreting sponsor and university guidelines, reviewing proposals for completeness and compliance, and submitting proposals in a timely manner.
• Coordinate grant proposal development and submission.
• Develop and review detailed and modular budgets and budget justifications.
• Interpret sponsor guidelines and award requirements.
• Coordinate with Sponsored Programs Administration on submissions and awards.
• Support award modifications, no-cost extensions, carryforward requests, and progress reporting.
• Provide grants management support by negotiating and processing awards, interpreting award conditions, obtaining approvals for award changes, and obtaining required reports.
• Monitor grant financial activity, invoices, payments, and compliance.
• Draft and negotiate contracts with government agencies, private organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology companies in accordance with applicable state laws and Board of Regents' guidelines.
• Guide and assist researchers with implementation and negotiation of research contracts, including sponsored research agreements and material transfer agreements.
• Support the development, review, negotiation, and administration of subawards, sponsored research agreements, revenue-generating contracts, data use agreements, material transfer agreements, and educational agreements.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate contract execution.
• Monitor contract deliverables, payment obligations, and completion status.
• Maintain accurate records and support audit readiness.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage.
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare with no copay.
• Paid Time Off, available day one.
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit.
• Wellness programs.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer.
• On-site childcare.
• Paid holidays.
• Merit increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level