(Hybrid) Grants Administrator - WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research

About the Role

The WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) is seeking a Grants Administrator to support the institute’s growing portfolio of interdisciplinary research in energy, sustainability, and environmental systems. This position provides comprehensive pre- and post-award grants administration, supporting faculty, research staff, and leadership across WISER-affiliated projects. The role is critical to advancing WISER’s mission by ensuring effective proposal development, financial stewardship, and regulatory compliance for externally funded research.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Award Administration:
  • Coordinate the full lifecycle of proposal development and submission for WISER-affiliated research initiatives, including complex, multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals.
  • Support the development of detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications, including personnel, subawards, equipment, and cost-share components, ensuring accuracy and compliance with sponsor and university guidelines.
  • Serve as primary financial liaison between WISER investigators and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and communicate with project sponsors throughout the submission process.
• Post-Award Administration:
  • Manage sponsored projects from award setup through closeout, ensuring compliance with project sponsor and university requirements.
  • Provide financial and administrative oversight for a portfolio of sponsored research projects, including monitoring expenditures, burn rates, and projections.
  • Prepare, review, and analyze financial reports to support accurate forecasting and decision-making.
  • Advise PIs on budget management, allowable costs, and financial planning for sponsored projects.
  • Identify and resolve complex financial or administrative issues (e.g., cost overruns, cost share tracking, and compliance concerns), ensuring timely resolution and appropriate documentation.
  • Coordinate project modifications such as no-cost extensions, rebudgeting, and scope changes.
  • Support timely completion of financial and programmatic reporting requirements.
  • Assist with administration of internal and external seed funding programs, including award setup, monitoring, modifications, and closeout activities.
  • Coordinate with university procurement and contracting offices to support non-subaward funding mechanisms, including vendor agreements, pilot project contracts, and service agreements.
  • Support administration of complex multi-partner awards and subawards, including coordination with partner universities, nonprofit organizations, and external collaborators.
• Research & Program Support:
  • Support WISER’s interdisciplinary research initiatives by coordinating administrative processes across departments and colleges.
  • Facilitate communication between PIs, leadership, and internal/external stakeholders to support successful project execution.
  • Collaborate with Project Managers/Program Coordinators to align award budgets with project work plans and reporting timelines; support integrated tracking of financial status, deliverables deadlines, and documentation needs for assigned projects.
  • Maintain a strong working knowledge of WVU financial and research administration systems to support accurate budgeting, reporting, and compliance.
  • Develop and utilize reporting tools to analyze financial and project data, supporting strategic planning and decision-making.
  • Interpret and apply federal, state, and university policies and regulations related to sponsored research.
  • Assist with internal and external audits by preparing documentation and ensuring compliance with applicable requirements.
• Administrative & Strategic Support:
  • Serve as a resource to WISER faculty and staff on grants administration best practices.
  • Develop and deliver training and guidance on budgeting, grants management, and compliance requirements.
  • Build and maintain strong working relationships across WVU units and external partners.
  • Proactively communicate with PIs regarding budget status, expenditures, deliverables, and potential issues, ensuring timely resolution.
  • Assist WISER leadership with strategic initiatives, reporting, and operational planning.
  • Participate in process improvement efforts to enhance efficiency and scalability of research administration.
  • Stay current on evolving federal, state, and sponsor regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, public administration, finance, or related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in grants administration, research administration, or financial management.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Skills

• Strong understanding of university pre- and post-award grants administration processes.
• Ability to manage complex budgets and perform financial analysis.
• Knowledge of federal regulations (e.g., Uniform Guidance) and sponsor requirements.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced research environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and research administration systems.
• Ability to collaborate across interdisciplinary teams and institutional units.
• Capable of developing and administering training to PIs and external collaborators on changes or updates to federal, state, and sponsor regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting sponsored research in a university or research institute setting.

Benefits

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks
• Wellness programs

WVU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.