Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator

University of Chicago•Hyde Park, IL

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator independently administers pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. The role serves as a subject matter expert and provides mentoring and training to less experienced grant coordinators and administrators. The position supports the Physical Sciences Division Local Business Center, which provides grants and finance management support to faculty, researchers, and administrators in the division. It provides specialized support for the research enterprise, including sponsored activity administration, financial account oversight, compliance monitoring, and liaison services among principal investigators, University administrative offices, and external agencies.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a cohesive team.
Deep knowledge of sponsor agency guidelines, including federal and non-federal requirements, and policies related to proposals and awards.
Ability to interact confidently with corporate and industry sponsors while representing the needs of the University and its research faculty.
Comfort with deadline-driven work and the ability to achieve results through others.
Strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and negotiation skills.
Ability to translate complex work issues into understandable, actionable plans for resolution.
Ability to refine skills through continuous learning.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and work under limited guidance based on experience and knowledge of administrative processes.

Nice To Haves

Progressively responsible work experience in sponsored programs administration.
Senior-level skills in pre-award, post-award, and contract administration.
Experience in research-intensive environments supporting highly productive and motivated research faculty and staff, such as an academic research institution, research foundation, or industry/corporate research setting.

Responsibilities

Manage pre-award portfolios with principal investigators, faculty, and academics, including proposal preparation and budgeting, and route applications through AURA.
Work with University Research Administration to ensure awards are accepted or negotiated and established in the financial system.
Manage post-award portfolios, including account reconciliation, expenditure forecasting, and discussions with faculty about account expenses.
Assist with annual progress reports and effort reports, and process award closeouts.
Submit subcontract materials to University Research Administration to facilitate issuance of subagreements.
Assist with Material Transfer Agreement processing.
Obtain indirect cost and cost-share waivers when needed.
Coordinate with University Research Administration to ensure research compliance for IBC, IACUC, IRB, COI, export controls, and foreign influence.
Approve transactions charged to restricted and unrestricted accounts to ensure expenditures align with account budgets.
Approve and transfer payroll and expenditures, monitor invoicing and payments, and reconcile charges using monthly ledgers and FAS.
Along with the Grants and Contracts Manager, train and onboard junior grants and contracts staff, provide guidance, and serve as an informational resource for pre-award and post-award work.
Oversee gift and endowment accounts, departmental operating accounts, and faculty unrestricted research accounts.
Serve as a liaison among principal investigators, University administrative offices, and external agencies.
Ensure effective service and communication with principal investigators, provide standardized information, develop best practices, and communicate new grant policies and changes to faculty and research staff.
Analyze industry trends and stay current with agency and regulatory changes.
Monitor compliance with University, Divisional, and Department policies and procedures and implement corrective actions for identified issues.
Perform other related work as needed.