Grants & Contracts Admin II

University of Rochester•City of Rochester, NY

2d•$61,000 - $85,400•Onsite

About The Position

The Grants & Contracts Admin II coordinates the preparation and submission of grants for the department chair, Center director, and department faculty, working with minimal direction and exercising initiative and independent judgment. The position serves as administrator for complex grant mechanisms in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health (EMPH), and acts as a liaison with University and Medical Center administration, project sponsors, regulatory agencies, and affiliated institutions. The role interprets funding-agency policies and advises principal investigators and faculty on proposal preparation, submission, post-award reporting, and related requirements. It also keeps current on federal and University research-administration policies and regulations, and requires strong organizational and interpersonal skills and professional handling of confidential information. Working independently with principal investigators, the administrator manages pre- and post-award grants for the department chair, Center director, and assigned faculty. The role oversees submissions for approximately one-third of department faculty, coordinating timelines and proposal components, ensuring compliance with sponsor and University requirements, and submitting proposals through IORA and other sponsor systems. It coordinates renewals of large, complex grants and works with external institutions to establish subcontracts, consulting agreements, material/data use agreements, and other research contracts. The administrator monitors sponsor-policy compliance, including NIH Public Access Policy requirements, and works with IRBs and compliance offices to resolve regulatory issues. The position supports annual and final progress reports by gathering required materials, calculating faculty and staff effort information from MyURHR, and addressing budgetary matters. It assists faculty with final financial and project reports, serves as a department-wide point of contact for these processes, and promotes compliance with sponsor requirements. For complex grants housed in EMPH, the administrator coordinates financial and scientific reporting, progress-report submissions, and competing renewals with affiliated sites, ORACS, and ORPA, serving as the University of Rochester point of contact. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 2 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Continuous Learning for Administrators of Sponsored Programs (CLASP) certification within 1 year is required.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills and the ability to handle confidential information professionally.
Practical knowledge and prior experience managing the preparation, submission, post-award reporting, and administration of federal research grants, particularly NIH grants, is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of University policies and procedures and familiarity with personal computers and MS Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, are strongly preferred.
Knowledge of and experience with HRMS, IORA, and ASSIST are strongly preferred.
Strong interpersonal and written communication skills are strongly preferred.
Ability to be organized and detail-oriented, work in a team environment, anticipate needs, prioritize assignments, and proactively resolve issues and problems is strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience administering NIH grants or grants from other regulatory agencies, including pre- and post-award reporting and federal research-grant administration.
Experience and knowledge of IORA and federal grant application platforms such as ASSIST.
Knowledge of University policies and procedures and familiarity with MS Office applications.
Knowledge of and experience with HRMS, IORA, and ASSIST.
Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
Organizational and detail-oriented skills; ability to work in a team, anticipate needs, prioritize assignments, and proactively resolve issues.
Experience with database applications such as SmartSheets.

Responsibilities

Coordinate preparation and submission of grants for the department chair, Center director, and department faculty.
Serve as the pre- and post-award grant specialist for assigned faculty, working independently with principal investigators.
Manage grant submissions for approximately one-third of department faculty from start to finish, including developing timelines, coordinating proposal components, ensuring compliance, and submitting through IORA and sponsor systems.
Coordinate renewals of large, complex grants.
Work with external institutions to establish subcontracts, consulting agreements, material/data use agreements, and other research contracts.
Monitor compliance with funding-agency policies, including the NIH Public Access Policy, and work with IRBs and compliance offices to resolve regulatory issues.
Prepare annual and final progress reports with principal investigators, including gathering required components, calculating faculty and staff effort information from MyURHR, and addressing budgetary matters.
Assist faculty with final financial and project reports and serve as a point of contact for department faculty regarding these processes.
Administer complex grant mechanisms housed in EMPH, coordinating financial and scientific reporting, annual progress reports, and competing renewals with affiliated sites.
Serve as the University of Rochester point of contact for complex grants and coordinate with affiliated or subcontract sites, ORACS, and ORPA to ensure compliance and award accuracy.
Stay current on sponsor, federal, state, and University policies and procedures, including through seminars, professional meetings, and courses.
Perform other duties as assigned.