Grants And Contracts Administrator (Homebased)
Actalent · Chapel Hill, NC · 1 wk ago
RemoteRemoteManufacturing$29.34–$47.52/hrContract
Responsibilities
- Prepare and assemble complete proposal packages for complex, multi-million-dollar NIH and other federal grant submissions, ensuring accuracy across budgets, salary data, biosketches, facilities statements, and all required administrative components.
- Create detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications, validating salary calculations, fringe benefit rates, escalation assumptions, and indirect cost applications across numerous fund codes when applicable.
- Cook up detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications, validating salary calculations, fringe benefit rates, escalation assumptions, and indirect cost applications across numerous fund codes when applicable.
- Cook up detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications, validating salary calculations, fringe benefit rates, escalation assumptions, and indirect cost applications across numerous fund codes when applicable.
- Coordinate with principal investigators and scientific teams to gather scientific aims, resource needs, and personnel effort commitments, ensuring alignment with sponsor guidelines and institutional policies.
- Manage 5–7 concurrent proposal submissions in a high-volume environment, meeting tight deadlines while maintaining data integrity and attention to detail.
- Route proposals through institutional systems (such as SPS/ORA/ORS), ensuring compliance with internal review processes, sponsor requirements, and federal regulations.
- Interpret and apply sponsor-specific requirements for agencies such as NIH, the Department of Defense, foundations, and subcontracting institutions to ensure compliant and competitive submissions.
- Monitor proposal progress and deadlines, advising principal investigators on required approvals, protocol submissions, and administrative dependencies.
- Oversee the full financial lifecycle of an assigned portfolio of grants and contracts, including large, multi-project NIH awards and complex subrecipient arrangements.
- Reconcile monthly financial statements across multiple fund codes, identifying variances, resolving discrepancies, and preparing cost adjustments or transfers as needed.
- Monitor spending patterns for personnel, equipment, travel, supplies, and service contracts to ensure expenditures align with sponsor-approved budgets and project timelines.
- Afford procurement activity, ensuring correct allocation of expenses and timely clearing of obligations and encumbrances.
- Prepare and submit rebudgeting requests, carryforward justifications, and other sponsor-required financial actions in accordance with institutional and sponsor policies.
- Manage subrecipient agreements by establishing reporting requirements, monitoring invoice accuracy, and ensuring compliance with institutional and federal standards.
- Advise principal investigators on fiscal performance by providing projections, burn rate analyses, and recommendations to maintain compliance and avoid overdrafts.
- Cook up project closeout activities, ensuring that all expenditures, subrecipient invoices, reports, and financial reconciliations meet sponsor and institutional deadlines.
- Manage a dynamic portfolio that may range from approximately 10 smaller studies to 1–3 larger, highly complex studies at any given time.
- Consistently meet pre-award deadlines without sacrificing data integrity and ensure efficient, accurate closeout of grant financials in the post-award phase.
Requirements
- At least 2 years of experience in research administration at an academic research institution, with exposure to pre-award and/or post-award responsibilities.
- Strong knowledge of federal regulations and sponsor stipulations related to research grants, particularly for agencies such as NIH and the Department of Defense.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite for document preparation, data analysis, and communication.
- Experience using SAP or similar budgeting and financial management systems.
- Familiarity with SPS or comparable sponsored projects systems for pre-award data tracking and proposal routing.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, concurrent deadlines in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical skills for budget development, financial reconciliation, and variance analysis.
- Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining data integrity across complex funding portfolios.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills for collaborating with faculty, scientists, and administrative stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply sponsor guidelines, institutional policies, and federal regulations to proposals and award management.
- Prominent ability to work independently while also contributing to a collaborative, team-oriented culture.
- A strong work ethic, willingness to learn, and enthusiasm for supporting scientific research.
- Bachelor’s degree (4-year degree) required.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Prior experience working within a large, research-intensive academic or research institute environment.
- Experience with high-complexity funding portfolios involving multi-million-dollar awards, multiple fund codes, and subcontracts with other institutions.
- Background or interest in research areas such as HIV or oncology is a plus.
- Interest in developing expertise in federal compliance, sponsored project management, and advanced research administration systems.
- Promised ability to pursue ongoing professional development, training, and certifications in research administration.