Grants Manager

About the role

The Grants Manager in the Department of Computer Science assists a cohort of faculty members in identifying and applying for grants and in managing their funding portfolios. The department is home to 75 faculty members working across 13 research areas.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and update faculty funding portfolios, including cost-sharing accounts, and prepare budget forecasts at least three times a year.
• Develop plans to meet funding challenges, reconcile project accounts, and review and submit all proposals in Electronic Research Administration (ERA).
• Assist Sponsored Research Accounting (SRA) with internal audits and maintain a detailed working knowledge of changes in systems, the grant application process, accounting processes, and compliance.
• Work directly and independently with the Department Managers, the Department Chair, Princeton University Grants Managers, other outside institutional financial administrators as well as government and non-government sponsor personnel.
• Serve as a resource for faculty, students, and staff on policy and procedural questions related to grants management and financial controls.
• Organize, submit, and update non-funded agreements and data-sharing agreements through the ERA system.
• Advise faculty and provide projections with actual updates to determine overall funding as well as appropriate spending of individual grants.
• Advises faculty on hiring post-docs and admitting graduate students and sustainability over the course of years based on current and pending funds.
• Prepare budgets and submit through ERA based on discussion with faculty and requirements of sponsor/program announcement.
• Assemble and review all required proposal documents and submit proposal documents through ERA and appropriate sponsor systems (Grants.gov, Fastlane and Workspace, Proposal Central) or directly to funding agency/foundation by deadline.
• Verify Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and E-verify is completed for those charged to sponsored research, which is required by Princeton and multiple federal agencies.
• Ensure Foreign Influence policy is followed.
• Communicate allocation plans to department administrators (as appropriate).
• Aid faculty with effort certification and ensure timely submission.
• Cook up and manage collaborative projects and sub-awards.
• Assist faculty as needed in collecting information and submitting reporting, as required by award.
• Prepare and submit cost transfer documentation when needed.
• Manage the closeout of awards.
• Process journal entries.
• Manage and maintain summer salary effort for faculty.
• Approve invoices, purchase orders, travel vouchers, reimbursements and credit card activities on all sponsored projects.
• Analyze and ensure spending and justifications are in compliance with regulations and policies.
• Work closely with the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) on no-cost extensions, new awards, prior approvals, non-funded agreements, subcontracts, and consultant agreements.
• Work with SRA on invoicing and monthly reporting to ensure university and sponsored research regulations are followed.
• Communicate changes to the faculty.
• Work solely and directly with SRA and both internal and external auditors regarding audits and providing adequate justifications for costs selected during the audit process.
• Work with the Department Chair, Managers, Graduate and Undergraduate Administrators as well as faculty in the department on a variety of topics and tasks.
• Communicate with outside institutional, industrial and governmental grants managers, administrators and faculty as a professional representative of Princeton, regarding proposal submissions, budgets, spend plans as well as incremental funding and reporting.
• Create and maintain Sponsored Project files, including record retention as required by Princeton and Federal and non-Federal sponsors.
• Assist students and post-docs with Concur reimbursements, and reconcile departmental credit cards.
• Attend training classes when available to maintain in-depth working knowledge of grants administration.
• Work closely with current Grants Managers, this Grants Manager will effectively provide departmental support during the other Grant Managers’ absences (and possibly under a heavy workload).
• Attend training on university policy, federal agency rules and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent 5+ years of grants management experience
• Knowledge of federal agency grant proposal submission guidelines and portals
• Competency with grant accounting
• Excellent analytical, communication and organizational skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Flexibility and ability to work in a team environment
• Able to multi-task and switch tasks seamlessly
• Able to work with a variety of people including faculty, administrators, staff, students as well as outside individuals with a high level of tact, professionalism and confidentiality as a representative of Princeton University.