Grants & Contracts Admin II

University of Rochester•City of Rochester, NY

5d•$61,000 - $85,400•Onsite

About The Position

As a community, the University of Rochester is defined by a deep commitment to Meliora - Ever Better. Embedded in that ideal are the values we share: equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability. Together, we will set the highest standards for how we treat each other to ensure our community is welcoming to all and is a place where all can thrive. The Grants and Contracts Administrator serves as the administrator and primary contact for all sponsored projects and contracts proposed by and awarded to faculty in the Warner School of Education and Human Development. Develops and supports the research infrastructure at Warner; implements processes, and coordinates workshops and mentoring activities. Partners with faculty, primary investigators, the Office for Research and Project Administration (ORPA), and funding organizations on pre/post award sponsored research activities required for the submission, acceptance, management and closing of sponsored activities. Collaborates with the Associate Dean for Research to manage the preparation and submission of projects and proposals, including budgets, for review by ORPA and external funders/partners. Assists with locating sources of outside funding. Supports pre-and post-award logistics including coordination of the Warner Research Subjects Review Board (RSRB) team and processes. Supports PI with award management, overseeing financial activity and ensuring compliance with sponsor terms, University policies/procedures and federal regulations. Maintains collaborative relationships with Office of the Dean, Warner Finance, ORPA, Office of Research and Accounting Cost Standards (ORACS), Purchasing Services and other administrative areas within the University.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required and training in an administrative area (e.g., Management, Accounting, Finance, Law, or Public Policy) or related field.
2 years of related research administration experience required
Or equivalent combination of education and experience
Firm understanding of grant finances, including budgeting.
Strong facility and aptitude with Excel and knowledge of post-award grants budgeting.
Problem-solving, communication and organizational skills, ability to prioritize workload, hard drive and software computer skills, budgeting knowledge
Excellent knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Outlook, Word).
Professionalism demonstrated by excellent interpersonal relationship-building and high degree of organization.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and effectively manage own workload.
Outstanding communication skills, including written communication.

Nice To Haves

Grants management certification desirable
4 years of progressive responsibility with pre and post award grants management experience preferred
Continuous Learning for Administrators of Sponsored Programs (CLASP) within 1 year required

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Associate Dean for Research to support faculty in the development, submission, and renewal of various types of government, foundation, private or industry-sponsored projects.
Manage all applications for sponsored funding at Warner: Consult with and assist principal investigators with proposal preparation, budget development, subcontracts and cost sharing, proposal sign-off, and other required documentation.
Develop and manage the grant submission timeline, ensuring all participants are meeting key deliverables.
Manages the development of all other grant pieces among relevant team members, such as budget, sign-off, facilities, resources, biosketches, etc. Completes the submission package, ensuring all required and optional pieces are included.
Develop proposal budgets based on programmatic needs identified by faculty, University policy and sponsoring agency requirements. Lend expertise to refine budget justifications and various components of an application. Collaborate with primary award organizations, both nationally and internationally, to develop scope of work requirements and allowable costs.
Work with faculty in updating biographical sketches and other required supporting documentation.
Review and format proposal documents to ensure compliance with sponsor guidelines and to maximize the proposal’s impact. Advise and ensure adherence to all federal and university guidelines, policies, and procedures.
Submit proposals for internal (ORPA) review and approval. Navigate internal and external proposal application processes & electronic proposal systems to ensure successful proposal submission.
Serve as the liaison with other departments/schools or universities to obtain required application documents for collaborative proposals/sub-awards.
Serve as the primary contact for sponsored research at Warner.
Independently identify grant/funding opportunities from a variety of sponsors including government, private foundations, and industry. Collaborate with other University offices to identify revenue-generating opportunities aligned with the Warner School’s strengths and faculty research interests.
Support faculty and Associate Dean for Research in determining feasibility of application process and likelihood of award.
Develop and support research infrastructure to ensure that systems and supports promote research activities at Warner.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures required for submission, acceptance, management and closing of sponsored research activities.
In conjunction with the Assoc. Dean for Research, implement processes, identify gaps in knowledge and coordinate training opportunities for faculty related to proposal and research development.
Create templates and establish standards for supporting documentation that meet funding agency guidelines.
Maintain and regularly update online resources; identify when communication of changes in processes or policies is necessary.
Monitor, and keep PI apprised of, post-award activity including expenditures, budgets, and effort, to ensure compliance with UR and sponsor policies and agreements. Oversees project account management, sub-contract management, and project closeout activities of Staff Accountant.
Confirm new awards and sub-projects, with correct budgets and documentation. Ensure project account set up, including sub-awards.
Review & approve expenditures on sponsored project accounts in accordance with sponsor guidelines and University policy. Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of grant related invoicing, expenditures, payments, requisitions, purchase orders, etc.
Review project account and projections monthly. Ensure errors are identified and resolved on accounts in a timely manner. Verify that costs are allowable and allocable and sponsor’s requirements for financial reporting are met.
In conjunction with grant accountant, meet with Principal Investigators (PIs) on a regular basis to review award status and projections, current and planned effort of the grant team, anticipated expenditures and to ask and/or address questions.
Confirm graduate assistantship assignments with PIs and communicate assignment and cost allocation information to finance team.
Work with the Principal investigator to seek approval for no-cost extension, re-budgeting, carryover, and effort reduction approval to sponsoring agency.
Develop financial models for programs consisting of multiple sponsored project award and make recommendations regarding resource allocation, program no-cost extension requests and planned use for carry-forward funding when available.
Develop procedures to document mandatory and non-mandatory cost-sharing. Prepare report on collective project costs as needed.
Develop and maintain effort monitoring and certification systems in compliance with UR and sponsor guidelines. Collaborate to monitor grant-related effort, confirming that faculty and staff effort reported to funding agency is consistent with effort expended on the project and amounts paid from the project account. Review, and approve salary allocations in a timely fashion and in accordance with proposed effort and program timeline. Ensure timely certification of effort is completed.
Initiate, or approve appointment, change of distribution, summer compensation and other payroll forms.
Serve as a resource for Warner researchers to support implementation of sponsored research studies and activities.
Ensure clarity of policies and procedures for key research functions (e.g., participant payments).
Support Warner researchers in data management practices and resources.
Coordinate internal funding mechanisms for faculty.
Verify all project-end reporting and activity is complete, including final reports, inventions statement, certification of deliverables completed by sub-contract etc.
Keep abreast of sponsors’ policies and procedures, as well as trends in the field. Participate in professional meeting sessions or workshops as resources and time permit.
Assist with the annual research space & equipment survey.
Other duties as assigned