Summary

Provide professional guidance and support to faculty and department leadership in a busy, fast-paced academic department seeking extramural funding through research and service grants, cooperative agreements, sub awards, and contracts. This senior level role must have strong command of finance and accounting principles and will perform a variety of complex analytical activities to ensure compliance with funder rules. Serves as the primary source of expertise for federal, state, industry, and private foundation applications, and ensures that each application is in compliance with sponsor guidelines, the budget complies with college and sponsor requirements, and that all required sections of applications are complete and submitted in a timely manner. Prepares subcontracts to consortium institutions. Interacts with various sponsors and federal agencies, as well as with College departmental offices, the Office of the General Counsel, the post-award Finance division, and with College Grants and Contracts office. Recommends improvement to and changes in operations to increase effectiveness and efficiency. Provides administrative leadership, financial oversight and guidance related to sponsored research to department leadership.

Potential for hybrid work schedule after initial training period.

Employees with CRA certification are eligible for certification pay.

Job Duties

Pre-Award

• Prepare grants and subcontracts submissions internally (BRAIN) and externally (Sponsor sites)
• Assure compliance with all guidelines
• Work closely with Principal Investigator’s to: develop proposal budgets, assemble, review and submit applications, and prepare Letters of Intent for subcontracts
• Route Financial Conflict of Interest to the Office of Research
• Review and approve grant applications and associated budgets, certifying summary data in the College's electronic Biomedical Research and Assurance Information Network (BRAIN) on behalf of department leadership

Post-Award

• Monitor sponsored award spending and prepare monthly financial projections
• Provide accounting/analysis and management of assigned Principal Investigator(s) financial data for budgeting and strategic financial planning
• Support PI in development and submission of progress reports, noncompeting continuations, no-cost extensions, and carryover requests
• Ensure proper review and any necessary reallocations for annual and closing financial reports
• May prepare financial documents and function as a representative of the Department during funding agency site visits
• Proactively oversees grant/contract budgets, providing budget projections as needed for PI decision making and avoidance of over- or under spending of grant funds
• Review expenditures against funding source guidelines, providing guidance as needed by PIs and their teams
• Prepare outgoing subcontracts and reviews incoming subcontracts
• Prepare financial reports and tracks research mission financials for department leadership review for financial performance of grants and contracts
• Ensure research division faculty and staff have their salaries and expenses appropriately sourced in the financial accounting system SAP
• Prepare budget for grant quarterly/biannual/annual reporting purposes 

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist in the development and continuous improvement of the pre- and post-award grants management process
• Review and analyze current protocols, faculty-staff communication, and quality of the submission process
• Make recommendations for process revisions and assist with implementation of changes as appropriate
• Participate in annual budget planning and appointment document process with department administrator other key members of the department finance team
• Responsible for the pre-certification process in the Effort Reporting System (ERS)
• Ensure the department is in compliance with the College’s Time and Effort Policy and reporting in the Effort Reporting System (ERS)
• Maintain knowledge base of research administration
• Act as liaison to sub-recipients, BCM Departments, Sponsored Research Office and granting agencies
• Serve as a resource for purchasing and travel on grants and it may include entering or approving
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.  Certified Research Administrator certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Four years of relevant experience.

Department Specific Criteria

• High attention to detail
• Proficient in MS Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel
• Working knowledge of research proposal and funding process

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification as a Research Administrator by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC)
• Thorough knowledge of NIH programs, working knowledge of SAP and BRAIN, excellent written and oral communication skills, highly analytical