Grants Manager/Administrator

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The NC Collaboratory disseminates the policy and research expertise of the University for practical use by state and local government.

Position Summary

The Grants Manager/Administrator provides financial oversight and support for recipients of NC Collaboratory research grant awards at institutions of higher education, both public and private, across North Carolina.

• Financial management of awards, including non-reverting State funds, throughout the pre-award and post-award phases.
• Pre-award duties include collaborating with Research Directors in the physical and social sciences to review and finalize funding applications and working with applicants to ensure fiscal compliance with State requirements and completion of required materials, such as scopes of work, budgets, budget justifications, recipient institution details, and subcontractor documentation.
• Post-award duties include independently reviewing and analyzing financial reports; reconciling and reporting on awards and programs; conducting random desk reviews and audits; providing spending projections; and serving as a liaison with award recipients, finance and budget offices, and research administrators.
• Examining budgets and expenditures to ensure compliance with applicable State and federal laws, policies, and guidelines and providing consultation, technical assistance, and coordination in the preparation and execution of initial, continuation, operating, and expansion budgets through both pre-award and post-award processes that may involve multiple funding sources.
• Developing or evaluating methodologies used to prepare proposal budgets and spending forecasts and providing guidance to improve projection accuracy.
• Evaluating program, policy, and regulatory changes to assess fiscal and programmatic impact; coordinating required State, federal, and agency reports; reviewing contract recommendations for compliance; and identifying financial or compliance risks, presenting findings and recommending corrective actions.
• Oversight of final grant close out requirements for research grants, including financial and accounting documentation and required final reports on research outcomes and milestones and developments.
• Supporting both internal and external audits, contributing to State required reports, and reviewing funding agreement terms to ensure consistency with required guidelines.
• Identifying risks and issues in award activities, communicating them to management, and recommending solutions to effectively support program and award goals.
• Supporting the department’s Executive Director and Leadership team by producing monthly grant funding reports, as well as additional reports and presentations as needed, to quantify and communicate the broad impact of the Collaboratory’s mission to academic leaders at UNC Chapel Hill and other funded campuses, members of Boards of Trustees, the Board of Governors, UNC System leadership staff, and Members of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Entry-level with Master’s; or Bachelor’s and 0-2 years experience.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Knowledge of and experience with pre-award and post-award financial management, including oversight of non-reverting State funds. Extensive experience with payroll calculations and forecasting.
• Comprehensive knowledge of interpreting and applying regulations and guidelines from state budget authorities, including those issued by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (NC OSBM), the UNC System, UNC Chapel Hill, and other State entities.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.), with a specialization in creating spreadsheets and developing complex formulas in Excel.
• Strong communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills, fostering positive relationships with stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational, time management, prioritization, and analytical skills. Ability to ensure efficient workflow and task completion. Ability to perform work with a high degree of autonomy, accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Experience with financial management of either sponsored research (pre- and post-award) or State funds. Experience with financial and pre/post-award management workflow tools.
• Previous experience with UNC-Chapel Hill business systems, including CAYUSE, RAMSeS, ConnectCarolina, and InfoPorte.
• Experience with funding sources such as federal, trust, Facilities and Administrative (F&A), and other fund types.
• Experience with managing funds and awards for multiple principal investigators across various units, shadow accounting, and electronic personnel salary source management. Demonstrated ability to manage or provide work direction to peers and clients/customers.
• Experience in reviewing preliminary budget proposals, forecast projections, and budget reallocation requests.
• Ability to communicate effectively to senior level stakeholders. Experience providing guidance and work direction to peers and clients/customers.
• Possession of a Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), and/or Certified Pre Award Research Administrator (CPRA) credential.

Application Instructions

Please apply online at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/320409

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.