Grants Manager

University of Washington • Seattle, WA

4d

About The Position

Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington is hiring a Grants Manager to oversee pre-award and post-award grant administration, contract administration, funds management, and program compliance. Reporting to the Administrator, this role exercises independent judgment and delegated decision-making authority. It involves problem-solving, prioritizing and managing multiple assignments and deadlines in a fast-paced environment that may require responding on short notice.

The position manages proposal preparation and submission, complex budgets, sponsor and university requirements, and research-award documentation. It also manages fiscal records, expenditures, forecasts, reporting, and compliance for research funds from federal, private foundation, state, gift, and subcontract sources. The Grants Manager advises faculty and project personnel, coordinates with university and external partners, and develops and improves financial-management systems and procedures.

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is part of the College of Engineering. It has an internationally recognized research program, six research areas, academic programs, and research and testing laboratories across five buildings. The department serves more than 800 students annually. As of January 2026, it has 35 faculty, 11 postdoctoral scholars, and 45 staff, and reports more than $30 million in annual expenditures. The position is regular and full-time (100% FTE), with first-shift hours. The annual pay range is $81,600–$86,400.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Program Management, or a related field, and four years of relevant experience in business or program management, financial planning, or reporting; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute, except where legal requirements apply.
• Demonstrated fiscal-management experience.
• Ability to work independently, solve problems, take initiative, set priorities, and manage multiple projects efficiently and effectively.
• Experience working in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills to interact effectively with diverse groups in a team environment.
• Proficiency with computers, including Excel, email, and Internet systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with University of Washington policies and procedures, particularly grants and contracts.
• Familiarity with a research, technical, or grant-funded environment.
• Experience with UW systems such as SAGE, Workday, and Award Portal.
• Experience managing grants from federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Transportation, WSDOT, and NIH.

Responsibilities

• Manage preparation and submission of competitive and non-competitive grant proposals, including complex, multi-million-dollar, multi-university, and multi-department proposals.
• Develop complex budgets and administrative proposal sections, and prepare non-engineering sections for incoming and outgoing research awards.
• Submit proposals and award documents through SAGE and guide faculty through internal University of Washington submission deadlines.
• Coordinate sponsor deadlines for proposals, progress reports, extensions, supplements, and revisions; communicate relevant requirements and deadlines to other teams.
• Interact with the UW Office of Sponsored Programs and academic offices, and prepare and route electronic and paper forms.
• Advise principal investigators and project personnel on funding-agency regulations and UW policies and procedures; ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and UW requirements.
• Facilitate review and processing of research-related nondisclosure and intellectual property agreements, and help guide industry gift funds through appropriate offices.
• Provide administrative support to faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students; interpret and implement state and federal administrative policies and procedures.
• Manage fiscal accounting records for research-group funds, including federal, foundation, state matching, gift, and subcontract funds; initiate, approve, process, and monitor expenditures.
• Develop long-range forecasts and spending plans, present financial status to faculty, assess budget implications, and advise researchers about expenditure compatibility or conflicts.
• Interface with funding agencies and prepare and submit fiscal reports and revised budgets.
• Coordinate timely technical progress reports by anticipating deadlines, notifying personnel, helping draft report sections, and coordinating data from research personnel.
• Monitor laws, directives, sponsor requirements, and university policies; develop compliance policies and procedures, inform investigators and management, and identify and assess compliance and risk issues.
• Ensure expenditures are allowable and allocable, project operational and deliverable requirements are met, and financial-management systems and controls comply with organizational policies, regulations, and donor requirements.
• Ensure compliance with human-subject and animal-research requirements, ECCs, and Payroll Account Adjustments; initiate cost transfers, journal vouchers, and expenditure reversals.
• Collaborate with principal investigators, grants managers, and department administrators on campus and worldwide, and meet reporting requirements.
• Lead, develop, and train staff on pre-award and post-award financial-management policies and procedures to safeguard compliance and reporting.
• Establish and improve systems and processes, including forms, budget-reporting templates, and complex tracking tools.
• Train and advise staff on sponsor compliance and expenditure policies, including significant and complex expenditures, travel, purchasing, and large equipment orders.

Benefits

• The posting refers applicants to the University of Washington staff benefits information but does not enumerate specific benefits.
• Opportunities for professional growth.

What This Job Offers

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