Subaward Coordinator - SACO
About The Position
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research (OSVPR) is seeking to fill a Subaward Coordinator position in the Subaward Administration and Compliance Office (SACO). The SACO has partnered with Penn State’s College of Engineering to design a new model of managing Penn State subawards and subcontracts. Penn State currently supports over $170M in subs at any given time. (This excludes subs issued by the Applied Research Lab and the College of Medicine, which are outside the scope of this position). The goals of the SACO are to support faster set-up of new subawards, a better tool for communicating subrecipient performance with principal investigators, higher quality documentation of subrecipient monitoring activities, more timely payment of invoices, and a more efficient closeout process. If this effort proves successful, other business areas will be given an opportunity to “opt in” to the model.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree
- 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
- Attention to detail and an ability to communicate clearly and accurately is essential.
Nice To Haves
- Experience and knowledge of SIMBA (SAP/S4HANA) and SIMS is preferred.
- Research administration and/or subaward experience is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Work closely with college research administrators, financial officers, and the Office of Budget and Finance to implement best practices across all business areas.
- Support SACO Specialists in managing and monitoring subawards, including invoice processing, initiating new subawards/amendments, SIMS/SIMBA reporting, and timely closeout.
- Support compliance oversight and quality control by conducting routine monitoring and review, generating tracking reports, and escalating discrepancies or potential risks.
- Manage the SACO mailbox and dashboard, log/assign tasks to SACO staff, and draft/distribute correspondence.
- Assist with tasks related to subaward set-up and partner with the Office of Sponsored Programs, PIs, and college research officers to ensure a timely set-up.
- Assist with tasks related to monitoring ongoing risk levels of subrecipients.
- Help coordinate with colleagues on the timely review, approval, and processing of invoices from subrecipients.
- Serve as a liaison between administrative units and sister OSVPR units and provide appropriate guidance to customers and constituents.
- Help prepare special reports and provide information to internal and external customers.
- Keep current on new and emerging federal and other sponsor requirements, university policies, and state and federal regulations regarding sponsored project administration.
Benefits
- Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
- In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
- One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
