Grants and Contracts Administrator

Grants And Contract Administrator

The Grants and Contracts Administrator provides professional support for pre-award and / or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications, and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with moderate guidance and utilizes knowledge of University and business drivers.

Responsibilities include :

• Works with faculty and program staff, and other administrators to advise on, plan, and manage financial aspects of sponsored project proposal preparation and submission including budgeting and subcontracting.
• Performs compliance review of all proposals for adherence to university, agency, and federal requirements.
• Coordinates active grant management activities, including submission of progress reports, non-competing applications, amendments, technical reports, just-in time submissions, no-cost extensions, agency required re-budgeting, carry-over requests, Data Use Agreements, and Material Transfer Agreements.
• Communicates and collaborates with URA to facilitate smooth transition throughout the full grant life cycle.
• Advises faculty, program staff, procurement specialists, and other administrators on policies and procedures for fulfilling all aspects of the procurement process including purchasing, internal requisition, and personal and travel reimbursement.
• Performs financial accounting, including financial projections, account closing and account reconciliation.
• Provides professional support as a primary account administrator for account owners, primarily faculty, in an intensive customer service environment.
• Analyzes and prepares budgets, creates accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.
• Manages gift and endowment accounts, departmental operating accounts and faculty unrestricted research accounts.
• Handles straightforward post-award activities including account creations, regulatory and compliance monitoring, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, cost center charges, equipment inventory, invoice preparation, grant closing process, and account closing.
• Prepares summaries of grants and effort allocations for Principal Investigators, meets with them and responds to their questions. Coordinates with other departments / units / divisions regarding multi-investigator grants. Serves as department contact for annual audits and agency site visits.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum qualifications include a college or university degree in a related field and 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include previous experience with financial services or sponsored projects, knowledge of Federal Circulars applicable to universities, experience with systems used to manage grant submissions, and working knowledge of University systems such as AURA, Oracle, Orbit, and Workday.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule and the pay range is $72,000.00 - $85,000.00. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. The University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.