Grants Specialist, Office of Sponsored Projects

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

12d•$55,000

About The Position

The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) serves as the coordinating office for externally funded research and sponsored projects at The University of Texas at Austin. The mission of OSP is to assist faculty and professional research staff in their efforts to secure and ensure proper stewardship of external funding. We do that by assisting research faculty and staff with the following: proposal review, authorization, and submission; award negotiations and acceptance; account management; close-out, reports, audits, collection; professional development and education; export control, and research compliance. UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes: 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage Retirement contributions Paid vacation and sick time Paid holidays Eligible for telework Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered. Purpose Support the Research Community at the University of Texas at Austin in capacity of Grants Specialists for the Office of Sponsored Projects. Primary duties are to facilitate the account set up of awards that do not require negotiation, such as federal grants, foundation awards, and fellowships, as well as to assist departments with award maintenance issues during the life of the project.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree.
Three years’ experience in preparation, processing, and negotiation of research grant and contract proposals and/or awards.
Experience working with contract negotiation or research contract interpretation.
Knowledge of federal, state, local and university guidelines and regulations.
Excellent written and verbal communication, problem solving and organizational skills.
Extensive experience with the use of MS Word and MS Excel software.
Success working in a team setting and independently in a dynamic work environment.
Skillful interaction with a large population.
Demonstrated ability to multi-task and effectively manage concurrent projects with accuracy, communicating to stakeholders regularly.
Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Graduate or professional degree.
Certified Research Administrator.
More than 3 years’ experience in preparation, processing, and negotiation of research grant and contract proposals and/or awards.
University experience or experience in higher education setting.
Knowledge of University intellectual property policy.
Demonstrated knowledge in the development of research budgets.
Experience in any phase of new system implementation.
Experience with UT Austin Research Management System.

Responsibilities

ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION Enter and maintain data and notes related to award, award modifications, and contract agreements into UTRMS Grants Module comments section in a timely manner. Save pertinent compliance & award documents into the UTRMS Document upload section and in E-Share. Save electronic communications into E-Share.
AWARD ACCOUNT SET UP Facilitate document collection and award review to process new grants, cooperative agreements, contract agreements, and fellowships for account set up. Review proposal, budgetary, and compliance documentation and approvals for new awards and ensure adherence with University policy and award terms and conditions. Coordinate review for export control with Export Control Officer, as needed. Assess potential budgetary and compliance risks. Obtain Authorized Official’s signature when required by the sponsor. Communicate pertinent award information for award processing to the Post-Award Award Team, completes UTRMS data entry, and award transmittal to sponsor and PI, as applicable.
AWARD MAINTENANCE Oversight of award administration during the life of the project. Process additional funding, including review of applicable budget for financial compliance to grant obligations. Coordinate the receipt of prior approvals from the sponsor when requested from the department and necessary, based on the terms of the award conditions. Facilitate grant transfers from the university by obtaining final unobligated balance, PI effective date of transfer, and other forms of necessary approvals. Assess risk for credit requests, collect supporting documentation, and make a recommendation for moving forward a credit request for management approval.
COMMUNICATION Respond, or acknowledge, email or phone communication within 24-48 hours & communicate results of follow-up as appropriate. If volume does not permit timely follow up, communicate with the Senior Grants Manager or Assistant Director for assistance or guidance. Take action or forward correspondence as appropriate or in a timely manner. Follow up on status of outstanding actions in a timely manner. Send appropriate award information to the department or sponsor, as requested. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in written form.
Other related functions as assigned.