Lead Grant and Contract Administrator - College of Nursing
About The Position
Wayne State University is seeking a Lead Grant and Contract Administrator for the College of Nursing at its Detroit campus. The role provides comprehensive pre- and post-award support for grants and contracts, partnering with faculty, principal investigators, research groups, and Sponsored Program Administration to develop, prepare, submit, and manage proposals and awards. The administrator ensures compliance with university, sponsor, and regulatory requirements while promoting efficient, strategic, and customer-focused research administration. The position manages the grant lifecycle, including award-term review, expenditure monitoring, financial management support, and closeout. It identifies funding opportunities, develops and reviews budgets and justifications, coordinates proposal routing and submission, and reconciles cost-sharing commitments. The role also develops and improves policies, procedures, and workflows; provides training and consultation to faculty and staff; and represents the division on university committees and cross-functional initiatives. Other related duties may be assigned.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
- Minimum of 3–5 years of experience related to grant and contract pre- and/or post-award activities and oversight.
- Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
- Strong financial analysis and budget development skills.
- Ability to interpret sponsor guidelines, including NIH and NSF requirements.
- Ability to independently manage projects, track work, maintain quality control, follow up, and meet multiple deadlines.
- Strong time-management skills.
- Clear, concise, and professional oral and written communication skills.
- Strong presentation and training skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to multitask, adapt to changing priorities, and work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to prioritize and plan work, adapt to changing conditions, and develop strategies to achieve organizational goals.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Demonstrated success training staff in methods and procedures.
- Strong mentoring and coaching skills.
- Ability to motivate people, foster collaboration, and inspire confidence in pursuit of common objectives.
- Ability to interpret and analyze financial or other quantitative reports and present data clearly for management decision-making.
- Experience with research-administration systems such as Cayuse, Banner, and iLab.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree.
- Experience in a Dean’s Office or large research department.
- Extensive knowledge of Banner FMS, COGNOS, Cayuse Research Suite, and the WSU Researcher Dashboard.
Responsibilities
- Provide comprehensive pre- and post-award support for grant and contract proposals and awards.
- Assist faculty and principal investigators with proposal development, preparation, submission, and award management.
- Work with faculty and research groups, in partnership with other Grant and Contract Administrators, to prepare and submit research proposals.
- Review and interpret grant and contract terms in collaboration with Sponsored Program Administration.
- Monitor expenditures for compliance with sponsor guidelines and university policies.
- Support faculty with financial management, including fund transfers, payroll allocations, and project extensions.
- Oversee timely and accurate award closeout and manage the grant lifecycle.
- Identify funding opportunities and collaborate with faculty on proposal preparation.
- Develop and review budgets and budget justifications for compliance with sponsor, university, and regulatory requirements.
- Submit proposals to Sponsored Program Administration for final approval.
- Ensure applications meet sponsor and university guidelines, timelines, and submission requirements.
- Coordinate proposal routing, approvals, and timely submission through institutional systems.
- Reconcile cost-sharing and matching funds to ensure accurate accounting and compliance with commitments.
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve pre- and post-award policies, procedures, and workflows.
- Train and guide faculty and staff on grant policies, systems, and best practices.
- Serve as a subject matter expert on grant administration and compliance requirements.
- Represent the division on university committees and contribute to cross-functional research-administration initiatives.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
