Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist, SPAR Research

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

50d

About The Position

The Department of Surgery Research (SPAR) Clinical Research Unit is looking for a highly motivated and experienced Sr. Grants & Contracts Specialist to support pre and post-award functions for a complex research portfolio, spanning seven departments: Surgery, Neurological Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

This role functions as a strategic liaison across multiple departments with varied administrative structures, serving as a trusted resource for investigators, departmental leadership, and cross-functional teams. The position also facilitates coordination with UT Southwestern's Sponsored Programs Administration and a diverse array of external sponsors.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a high-impact research enterprise within a nationally recognized academic medical center, supporting innovative investigators and working alongside a skilled grants administration team.

Team Structure:

The SPAR Clinical Research Unit within the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern is a collaborative and high-performing team that manages a complex, multi-departmental research portfolio. This position is part of the grants team within the SPAR Clinical Research Unit, which provides comprehensive grant support to seven departments-including Surgery, Neurological Surgery, Orthopaedics, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

The SPAR grants team is composed of a Manager of Research Programs and six experienced full-time Grants & Contracts Specialists, each with duties in both pre- and post-award grants administration. The SPAR grants team portfolio includes a wide range of research-from basic and translational science to large, multi-site clinical trials-supported by diverse funding sources. Our investigators secure grant funding from a range of sponsors, including the NIH, Department of Defense CDMRP, CPRIT, TRC4, NIDILRR, PCORI, and a wide array of foundations and professional societies. Managing these proposals and awards requires a deep understanding of diverse sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and financial models, as well as the ability to navigate complex administrative elements such as nonstandard budget structures, effort commitment management outside of institutional salary and wage confirmation, subaward management, and regulatory coordination.

Operating as strategic partners across multiple clinical departments at UTSW with varied administrative structures, the SPAR grants team members also navigate distinct departmental processes and systems to streamline research operations and provide consistent, high-quality grants support.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in business administration, public administration, or related field
• 4 years of experience in business or public administration with emphasis on customer service in financial or contracting position
• Applicants without the stated degree, but with significant additional professional applicable experience may be considered in lieu of education requirement.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA)

Responsibilities

• Gathers and provides information regarding funding opportunities and application procedures to applicants by reading newsletters and announcements, search directories, funding files, and other relevant resources.
• Provides guidance to researchers for proposal development and submission by interpreting and ensuring adherence to sponsor and university announcements and guidelines.
• Provides grants management support to researchers by negotiating and processing awards, interpreting award conditions, obtaining approvals for award modifications, and completing required reports.
• Negotiates contracts with various agencies (state and federal government, private organizations), pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnological companies to achieve agreements satisfactory to all parties.
• May draft entire contracts of various types following state laws and Board of Regents' guidelines.
• Provides working supervision to Grants and Contracts Specialist and administrative positions.
• Provide pre-award and post-award support to PIs and programs.
• Assist with large, multi-investigator, multi-site grant submissions
• Manage initiation of contracts with government agencies, private organizations, and industry partners to secure favorable agreements.
• Support grants management by facilitating awards, processing modifications, and completing required reports.
• Lead operational planning and coordination of grant applications across departments and consortiums, prioritizing deadlines using advanced scheduling and resource allocation.
• Collaborate with scientific leaders to develop compliant, realistic grant budgets aligned with sponsor and institutional requirements.
• Interpret agency, federal, and university guidelines to provide strategic, regulation-compliant guidance to faculty and staff.
• Train and mentor new investigators on grant submission processes, compliance, and use of submission software.
• Assist investigators in preparing, organizing, and optimizing project documents, while resolving technical challenges.
• Serve as a trusted resource, enhancing investigators' confidence and success in securing funding.
• Monitor and disseminate information on funding opportunities to PIs, sometimes preparing newsletters, directories, and announcements.
• Guide researchers in proposal development and ensure adherence to sponsor and university guidelines.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees