Grants Specialist

University of California San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

Please note: duration for six months; will include optional medical benefits, holiday pay and sick leave accrual. Flexible schedule with one day on site per week on Mission Bay campus. The Research Services Coordinator (RSC) serves as UCSF’s sponsored projects institutional representative for faculty and is the primary point of contact for external sponsors, RMS Award Specialists/Associates, and internal stakeholders. Reporting to a Team Manager and partnering with faculty and departmental staff, the RSC directs and manages the full proposal process to ensure timely, compliant, and accurate submissions. The RSC provides subject matter expertise in grants and contracts, budget development, sponsor requirement interpretation, institutional review and signature coordination, and strategic guidance to support successful submissions that meet sponsor and UCSF pre-award policies and regulatory requirements. The RSC also serves as the institutional representative throughout the life of the award, promoting stewardship, collaboration, and a responsive research administration process. This role applies seasoned research administration expertise to independently develop and/or oversee complex proposals, awards, and transactions related to contract and grant management, ensuring complete and compliant records. The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy. Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Requirements

Experience in sponsored research administration (grants and contracts) supporting proposal and/or award activity.
Knowledge of sponsor guidelines and compliance requirements; ability to interpret and apply institutional policies.
Ability to develop and analyze complex proposal budgets (multi-year, multi-PI, subawards).
Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
Excellent communication and customer service skills with faculty and departmental partners.
High attention to detail with strong documentation/recordkeeping practices.
Proficiency with common office and administrative systems (e.g., Excel) and ability to learn new tools quickly.

Nice To Haves

Experience with UCSF research administration processes and systems (e.g., RMS/RA tools, submission platforms).
Advanced budgeting experience (cost share, IDC/F&A calculations, salary/fringe projections, carryforward).
Familiarity with a broad range of sponsors (NIH, NSF, DoD, foundations, industry) and award types (grants, contracts, cooperative agreements).
Experience drafting/reviewing sponsor terms and conditions and identifying compliance/risk issues.
Subaward experience (issuance, monitoring, modifications, closeout coordination).
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, complex formulas) and comfort working with large/complex datasets.
Demonstrated ability to train/mentor others and contribute to process improvement.
Certification or progress toward certification in research administration (e.g., CRA/CPRA) or equivalent coursework/training.

Responsibilities

Serve as the institutional representative and primary point of contact for sponsored project proposals and awards.
Direct and manage proposal development from intake through submission to ensure accuracy, compliance, and on-time delivery.
Develop and/or review complex proposal budgets (including task budgets, option years, and multi-investigator submissions).
Interpret sponsor guidelines and requirements; advise faculty and departments on proposal strategy and compliance.
Ensure proposals meet sponsor requirements, UCSF pre-award guidelines, and applicable regulations and policies.
Coordinate institutional review, approvals, and signature routing; complete and approve transactions for authorized institutional signature.
Manage complex proposals and awards that may include multiple investigators and multiple subawards.
Maintain contract and grant records in accordance with institutional and sponsor policies.
Provide guidance and support to less experienced staff and contribute to a collaborative service model.
Act as institutional representative through the lifecycle of the award and support effective stewardship practices.