Subaward Specialist / Senior Specialist - SACO

Penn State University • Benner Township, PA

1d • $59,580 - $94,980 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research (OSVPR) is seeking to fill a Subaward Specialist/Senior Specialist position in the newly created Subaward Administration and Compliance Office (SACO). This position will be filled as a Proposal and Award Generalist - Advanced Professional OR Senior Professional level, based on the successful candidate's qualifications. SACO has partnered with Penn State’s College of Engineering to design a new model of managing Penn State subawards and subcontracts ("subs"). 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 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted (if filled as Senior Professional)
• Bachelor's Degree 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted (if filled as Advanced Professional)
• Attention to detail and an ability to communicate clearly and accurately is essential.
• Applicants must submit a cover letter expressing their interest and qualifications in the position, as well as a resume describing their education and work experience.
• Individuals working fully remotely may be asked to travel to Penn State to participate in certain on-campus activities. Such travel costs will be covered by Penn State.
• Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Experience and knowledge of SIMBA (Penn State's System for Integrated Management, Budgeting and Accounting) or SAP/S4HANA is preferred.
• Research administration and/or subaward experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Working closely with college research administrators, financial officers, and the Office of Budget and Finance to implement best practices across all business areas.
• Spearheading training efforts to ensure research administrators are aware of new, emerging, and ongoing subaward contractual compliance obligations.
• Monitoring key indicators of the subaward health of the sponsored portfolio, including subaward request processing times, subaward amendment processing times, review and payment of subrecipients’ invoices, and timelines for subaward closeout.
• Perform tasks related to subaward set-up and partner with the Office of Sponsored Programs, principal investigators, and college research officers to ensure a timely set-up.
• Perform tasks related to monitoring ongoing risk levels of subrecipients, which may include reviewing Single Audit reports.
• 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.
• Develop and provide outreach and education about policy interpretation for policies related to subawards.
• Recommend and implement procedures to ensure uniform and efficient management, tracking, internal controls, and compliance with regulations and University policy related to subawards.
• Prepare special reports and provide information to internal and external customers.
• Coordinate team workload and perform other tasks needed to ensure smooth and efficient office operations.
• Keep current on new and emerging federal and other sponsor requirements, university policies, and state and federal regulations regarding sponsored project administration.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
• 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level