Grants Manager

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Washington department of Bioengineering has an outstanding opportunity for a Grants Manager to join their team. This position exists to provide expert post-award grants and contracts management in support of the Department of Bioengineering's extensive sponsored research portfolio, which includes approximately $24 million in annual external funding. The Grants & Contracts Manager plays a critical role in ensuring sponsored projects are administered effectively and in compliance with university, sponsor, federal, state, and industry regulations. As a key member of the research administration team, this position supports faculty in managing award finances, meeting reporting requirements, and navigating complex compliance obligations, enabling researchers to focus on advancing the department's teaching, research, and innovation missions. The most demanding aspects of this position include managing a high-volume and complex portfolio of sponsored awards while ensuring compliance with evolving federal, state, sponsor, and University of Washington regulations. The Grants Manager must balance multiple competing deadlines, interpret and apply complex policies, resolve post-award financial and compliance issues, and respond to faculty needs on short timelines. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, independent judgment, and the ability to build effective working relationships with faculty, central offices, and external sponsors in a fast-paced research environment. This position supports the University of Washington's primary objectives of advancing research, education, and service by ensuring the effective stewardship of sponsored research funding. The Grants Manager provides post-award administration for a portfolio of Principal Investigators within the Department of Bioengineering, helping faculty successfully manage externally funded research projects and remain compliant with sponsor and university requirements. The department manages approximately $24 million in annual sponsored funding from federal, state, foundation, and industry sources. By supporting researchers and facilitating the responsible management of grant resources, this position contributes to the department's ability to conduct innovative research, support graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff, and advance discoveries that benefit society and improve human health.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Research Administration, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field
Three or more years of experience in research administration and financial planning in a sponsored research environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including the ability to develop and use complex Excel spreadsheets and workbooks for financial analysis and reporting.
Demonstrated experience developing, monitoring, and reconciling complex sponsored project budgets.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication style for diverse audiences including faculty, sponsors, and central university offices.
Ability to work both collaboratively and independently with a high degree of reliability, accuracy, and productivity.
Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment and resolve problems effectively.
Strong organizational skills and commitment to continuous process improvement.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines with attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Experience in grants management with substantial responsibility for financial reporting and subcontract administration.
Familiarity with NIH salary cap limitations and related payroll management.
Experience with Workday Financials, including costing allocations, expense transfers, and financial reporting modules.
Knowledge of UW systems including SAGE, Workday, BI Portal and the Enterprise Data Warehouse.
Strong problem-solving skills, administrative creativity, and demonstrated initiative in a complex research environment.
Experience working in a university or academic medical center setting.

Responsibilities

Independently manage a portfolio of sponsored projects, ensuring all transactions are allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with sponsor and UW policies.
Ensure compliance with applicable UW and sponsor policies and procedures, excluding IRB-related matters.
Authorize actions by central university offices and the department related to the establishment, continuation, and modification of grants, contracts, and research sub-awards.
Monitor the status of grant and sub-award agreements to ensure timely execution; maintain proactive communication with internal and external administrative offices.
Implement, monitor, and manage award budgets throughout the project period; identify and communicate variances and projected shortfalls.
Administer domestic and international research sub-awards, including setup, invoicing, and sub-recipient monitoring in compliance with 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance.
Facilitate sub-award setup in Workday to ensure timely invoicing; maintain adequate documentation of sub-recipient monitoring activities.
Collaborate with UW Grant and Contract Accounting on post-award management issues, including indirect cost application and budget adjustments.
Manage award closeout processes, including final financial reporting and documentation requirements.
Ensure accurate and timely cost-share processing where required by award terms.
Partner with Principal Investigators to prepare and submit required sponsor reports, including progress reports, interim reports, and final reports.
Provide financial reporting and analysis as required by sponsors; proactively communicate upcoming deadlines and reporting requirements to PIs.
Deliver regular monthly reports to PIs summarizing transactions, payroll charges, and budget status for review and confirmation.
Prepare monthly and quarterly spending analyses, including expenditure forecasts, personnel status, travel, equipment, sub-award activity, and other project costs; communicate findings clearly to PIs and department leadership.
Meet regularly with Principal Investigators to review project plans, spending projections, and award milestones.
Ensure timely and accurate completion of faculty effort certification reports in accordance with UW and sponsor requirements.
Manage subcontracts in Workday, including spend monitoring, invoice review and approval, and ongoing communication with subcontract administrative contacts.
Review and approve grant expenditures and purchases in Workday, verifying funding availability and compliance with award terms.
Establish and maintain costing allocations for PIs and supporting staff in alignment with award requirements; process expense and salary transfers as needed.
Serve as the departmental Grant & Contract Compliance Officer, ensuring adherence to UW, federal, and state policies and regulations.
Serve as Faculty Effort Coordinator for assigned PI portfolios.
Represent the department at monthly and quarterly university, college, and departmental meetings, including MRAM and research administration staff meetings.
Provide regular updates to department leadership on research activities, compliance matters, and emerging issues.