Sponsored Award Specialist

American University•Spring Valley, DC

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides the full range of technical and consultative services to faculty and administrators seeking and receiving external funding for research, education, service, training, and other programs from government agencies, corporations, private foundations, and other external funders for a designated portfolio of primarily standard and moderately complex proposals and awards. The incumbent in this position will (1) provide technical, budgetary and consultative service to faculty and administrators seeking external funds from government agencies, corporations and private foundations to further the research initiatives of the organization; (2) represent the university before external sponsoring agencies (federal, state and private) in negotiating and administering contractual and grant instruments within defined authority thresholds; and (3) assist administrators and faculty in administering external funding in accordance with relevant sponsor policy, federal regulations, and AU policies. The Sponsored Award Specialist reports directly to the Director for Sponsored Awards, in ORSA and under the functional guidance of a designated Sr. Manager Grants & Contracts to ensure that both pre-award and post-award actions meet sponsor requirements, regulatory standards, and institutional policies. The Sponsored Award Specialist works alongside a team of other Specialists and serves as a primary institutional administrator for an assigned portfolio of work. Specialists provide essential assistance to faculty and administrators in securing and administering grants and contracts, and is responsible for ensuring that programs adhere to the terms and conditions specified in externally funded agreements.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
2 - 4 years of relevant experience in sponsored research administration, grants and budget management, contract administration, or a closely related field, with responsibility for supporting pre-award and/or post-award activities in a higher education or research environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting the preparation, review, or administration of grant and contract proposals and/or awards, including familiarity with institutional and sponsor requirements.
Knowledge of governing regulations related to grants and contracts, including OMB Uniform Guidance (UG) and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
Evidence of excellent demonstrated time management skills including the ability to meet strict deadlines while maintaining high quality work and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks, including follow-through and tracking.
Strong technical skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with faculty, administrators, and central offices.
Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively within a team and across campus units.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
3 - 5 years of relevant experience in sponsored research administration, grants and budget management, contract administration, or a closely related field, with responsibility for supporting pre-award and/or post-award activities in a higher education or research environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting the preparation, review, or administration of grant and contract proposals and/or awards, including familiarity with institutional and sponsor requirements.
Working knowledge of governing regulations related to sponsored projects, including OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and, as applicable, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
Experience using enterprise systems or databases related to sponsored research, finance, or administration (e.g., Workday, Cayuse, or comparable platforms), with the ability to navigate and maintain accurate records across systems.

Responsibilities

Serves as the primary grants administrator for assigned department(s) or unit(s), under the guidance of the Director of Sponsored Awards, working closely with the Senior Manager of Grants & Contracts, and in accordance with institutional and sponsor policies ensuring they meet agency and university guidelines, published timetables, and deadlines with Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) approval.
Coordinating proposal documents with unit administrators including budgets, budget justifications, effort (labor) allocations, etc. to ensure completeness and institutional readiness for AOR authorization
Confirming proposal budgets are accurate, allowable, and aligned with sponsor and institutional requirements
Compiling centralized reports for federal and sponsoring agencies,
Coordinating subrecipient documentation, and ensuring required representations, certifications, and compliance elements are complete
Ensuring timely and accurate electronic submission of proposals via Cayuse 424, Grants.gov, Research.gov, ASSIST, (or other submission platforms), Serving as a central institutional resource to unit-based pre-award teams regarding administrative requirements, timelines, and system routing
Administering standard and moderately complex grants and contracts to ensure adherence to terms and conditions.
Establishing and maintaining accounts in the appropriate AU system of record,
Processing amendments and modifications, and prior approval actions in accordance with sponsor requirements
Coordinating the approval and timely submission of interim and final reports, sponsor renewals, progress reports, just-in-time documentation, no-cost extensions, and re-budgeting requests following sponsor award reporting terms and deliverables for reporting,
Retrieving actions through the University systems (Cayuse SP, Cayuse 424, Workday, Business Intelligence), ensuring alignment with grant budgets and timelines. when necessary.
Participates in research administration training programs for the University community. This includes attending quarterly grant roundtable meetings and department meetings and participating in the University Research Administrator Certification Training program.
Remains up-to-date with all University, federal and funder financial and budgetary guidelines related to externally funded grants and contracts.
Additional responsibilities as assigned or requested by the Director of Sponsored Awards, Associate Director of Spnosred Awards, or Vice Provost for Research & Innovation.