Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist serves as the grant and contracts administrator for the Dana Center. The role prepares and submits proposals, agreements, and contracts through OSP and VPCFO to sponsoring agencies; manages payment vouchers, purchase orders, invoices, and deposits in DEFINE and related systems; serves as the point of contact for sponsors, Principal Investigators, vendors, and University offices; and supports the Finance Team with accounting policies, records, and administrative needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
At least five years of experience in the preparation, processing, and monitoring of grant and contract proposals and awards.
Demonstrated experience working with federal, state, foundation, or other funding agencies, and the ability to interpret and apply sponsor guidelines.
Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage multiple, competing deadlines in a high-volume office environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work independently as a self-starter, as well as collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AmeriCorps, national service programs, or other federally funded workforce/education initiatives.
Experience with UT Austin's DEFINE accounting system, UT Research Management Suite (UTRMS), or comparable enterprise financial/research administration systems.
Experience preparing or approving payment vouchers within an institutional accounting system.
Master's degree in public administration, nonprofit management, business, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Function as grant and contracts administrator for the Dana Center.
Work with Dana Center staff to prepare and submit proposals, agreements, and contracts for submission to prospective sponsoring agencies and organizations.
Review request for proposals (RFP) solicitations, Grant proposal guidelines (Federal, Foundations, and State agencies), and Service Agreements (Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Interagency, etc.).
Utilize internal university systems and external sponsor programs throughout the proposal and contracting process.
Serve as point of contact for sponsors, Principal Investigators, training sites, and service providers, and act as departmental liaison supporting the management of proposals, contracts, awards, and other agreements with: University Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), Vice President of Chief Financial Operations (VPCFO), UT Foundation, Office of Accounting and Purchasing offices, Financial & Payment Operations.
Initiate and finalize the Payee Information Form (PIF) process with new vendors/consultants to acquire a university EID and initiate the payment procedures.
Maintain clear communication with external vendors/service providers throughout the payment process.
Process Purchase Order encumbrance requests, amendments, and cancellations through the Point Plus System.
Complete invoice payment processing for service agreements, sub-awards, consultant, and other payment types using the DEFINE accounting system.
Manage various Smartsheet internal requests relating to payment vouchers and contracts and grants processing.
Audit and approve departmental travel vouchers in the DEFINE system as the 2nd of 2 initial approvers, checking for accuracy, compliance with Action Plan Budgets, and UT accounting policies.
Collaborate, develop, and/or create plans, manuals, and departmental policies for accounting and administration.
Provide support to the Finance Team, Operations, and Chief Operating Officer as needed.
Maintain electronic records of supporting documents for fully executed contractual agreements and grant awards on the Dana Center server.
Participate in processes and activities designed to establish an organizational culture that supports learning, collaboration, and collective responsibility.
Help enhance professional relationships, satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness.
Perform other related functions as assigned.