Sponsored Programs Director jobs in the United States

Posting Title

Overview

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services (OSP) acts as the point of academic coordination for the submission of proposals for research support, acceptance of awards, administration of internal funding of research, coordination of university research and technology development and more. The position will include responsibilities as the primary administrator of research grants and sponsored programs. The position provides administrative support for the university’s external research programs. This role will ensure the timely and accurate administration of sponsored research grants, including the coordination of internal and external research partnerships during the pre-award application and post-award process. The Associate Director will manage a staff that includes proposal and grant administrators, and acts as the main pre- and non-financial post-award coordinator. Incumbent will be responsible for drafting and negotiating award and subaward agreements.

Responsibilities

• Grant Administration: Supporting the needs of faculty and other internal and external stakeholders, who are proposing for, and/or have been awarded grants. 
• Pre-Award Coordination: This function can entail a range of activities that include working closely with principal investigators to prepare grant proposals for submission, completing tasks such as statements of work, bio-sketches etc./scheduling, budget preparation and review, preparation of supporting materials and checks against agency/funder guidelines, sub-recipient budgets and proposals, letters of support/memorandums of understanding and support on the internal routing process to obtain required school and institutional approvals. Incumbent will be responsible for maintaining university accounts on the appropriate online proposal submission portals where needed, and ensuring compliance with funders’ proposal requirements
• Post-Award Coordination: Interfaces the Office of Sponsored Accounting, and the Accounts Payable, Procurement, Human Resources, and other relevant departments in managing post-award administration to maintain timely and efficient processing of paperwork. Incumbent will process all non-financial aspects of grant administration such as funding increments, grant period extensions, and other requirements for award administration. Also, incumbent will track expenditures against budgets, all within the guidance of University policies and procedures. 
• Compliance with Federal Regulations: Incumbent will be the main source of federal compliance information for 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) with respect to faculty and other university grant proposal submissions.
• Sponsored Programs Office Personnel Management: The incumbent will be responsible for the personnel management and training of other employees, to ensure consistent and compliant grants management work.

Qualifications

A Master's Degree within one year of taking the position, along with a Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of managing or administering grants and/or sponsored projects in collaboration with faculty/subject-matter experts in a higher education setting. Other applicable skills and competencies can contribute to the experience requirement. Strong productivity software experience and analytical skills and attention to detail. Strong ability to manage up and across an organization. Staff management experience preferred. Demonstrated experience with sponsored program research administrative functions, and the ability to coordinate among diverse constituents within the University, at multiple levels including C-suite Vice Presidents. Experience with legal documents, negotiations, and regulatory compliance is highly desired. 

Knowledge of governmental regulations pertaining to sponsored research (i.e. Uniformed Guidance (2 CFR 200)). Working knowledge of government grants submission software (i.e. Research.gov, Grants.gov, NSPIRES, Fastlane, eRA Commons) and management tools. Excellent analytical skills; proficiency in Word, Excel and web-based tools (Google forms, etc.). Demonstrated experience in proposal preparation, budget development and submission; Experience with all types of award mechanisms (grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements); Ability to interpret and apply sponsor, institutional, and departmental policies; Demonstrated ability to research, investigate, analyze, and interpret proposal, award, fiscal and compliance requirements; Demonstrated experience in a collaborative work environment; Must possess strong organizational skills and be an effective communicator both verbally and in writing.