Grants and Contracts Administrator

Duke University:

 

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

 

 

Be You.

 

The Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science is looking for an experienced Grants & Contracts Administrator to join our high-performing research administration team. In this role, you will partner closely with faculty and Principal Investigators (PIs) to develop, submit, and manage complex grants and contracts that power groundbreaking research. You’ll guide proposals from concept to submission, steward awards through their full lifecycle, and ensure financial and regulatory compliance—so investigators can focus on discovery while you keep the engine running.

 

Minimum Requirements

 

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent combination of education/experience) with strong communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Experience: No experience required for candidates who possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a field of study directly related to the specific position.
• Technical: Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) and cloud collaboration tools (e.g., Google, Box).
• Knowledge: Federal rules/regulations for research grants/contracts; ability to apply federal and University effort allocation and costing rules to sponsored projects; understanding of financial processes/controls, including reconciliation.
• Communication & Prioritization: Ability to write clearly, present financial information, and manage multiple priorities/deadlines.

 

Preferred Qualifications

 

• Minimum of 3 years of related experience in a university or higher education setting is preferred.
• RAA completed at Duke; additional research admin certifications (e.g., CRA) a plus.
• Hands-on experience with Duke systems: SPS, SAP, Grants, Duke@Work, SES (or comparable institutional systems).
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups), data analysis, and budget modeling.
• Experience preparing complex multi‑PI, multi‑site, or federal proposals (e.g., NIH/NSF/DoD) and managing portfolios with subawards and cost sharing.
• Demonstrated success interpreting sponsor terms & conditions and advising PIs on compliance strategies.

 

Other Requirements

 

• Commitment to maintaining accurate financial and administrative records per institutional retention standards and internal controls.
• Occasional peak-period overtime around major proposal deadlines and fiscal close may be required.
• This role partners with multiple stakeholders (PIs, ORA, ORS, department leadership) and requires strong customer service orientation.

 

Work Location: This position is 100% remote. The employee must reside in a Duke University–approved state (https://remotework.duke.edu/guidelines/outside-nc/). Will be required to attend on-site meetings a few times per year.

 

 

Be Bold.

 

Pre‑Award Administration – ~40%

 

• Advise PIs on administrative, financial, and institutional requirements for proposal development and submission.
• Develop and justify proposal budgets (personnel, subawards, F&A, participant support, cost share), ensuring accuracy, internal