Post-Award Grants and Contracts Specialist or Senior Specialist (Open Rank)

JOB SUMMARY

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is competitively recruiting talented grants and contracts/sponsored project professionals to join our growing research administration team. Sponsored Program Services (SPS) is responsible for administering a portfolio of $375M in annually awarded funding across all UConn campuses and UConn Health. We are a top-ranked public research university and land grant institution, rurally situated in the “Quiet Corner” of Northeast Connecticut.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Post Award, this position will be responsible for providing day-to-day management and oversight over a high volume of post-award activity. This position will be hired as either a Post-Award Grants and Contracts Specialist or a Senior Post-Award Grants and Contracts Specialist, based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. 

 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides technical assistance, guidance, and advice to faculty, administrators, and other professional staff for sponsored project administration. 
• Reviews financial and administrative transactions to ensure compliance with federal and state statutes, University policy, and sponsor guidelines and requirements.
• Recommends solutions, assists with re-budgets, and assists with other changes when conflicts arise with contract provisions or grant requirements. 
• Following University policies, sponsor requirements, and state and federal requirements, identifies and assists with resolving grant and contract issues pertaining to budget, cost sharing, fiscal, administrative, and procedural constraints, and other similar matters.
• Maintains records in accordance with University, state, federal, and sponsor requirements. Provides records as requested, and collaborates with SPS leadership in response to audits.
• Actively assists in the management of awards including budgets, billing, payroll calculations, adjustments, project reporting, and other post-award activities while verifying compliance with University and sponsor requirements.
• May perform award closeouts by working with the investigator and other University offices for timely sponsor reports.
• May participate in policy and procedure discussions and recommend policy or procedural changes as appropriate to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• May participate in the development and delivery of sponsored program training.
• Performs related duties as required. 

Additional duties as the Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist

• Serves as the University’s liaison for negotiation of terms, changes in scope, effort commitments, no-cost extensions, and other related matters.
• Serves as the University official to prepare, approve, and submit financial and compliance reporting to sponsors. 
• Resolves complex issues independently.
• Performs related duties as required. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

Grants and Contracts Specialist

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and six years of related experience, with at least two of those years working at an advanced/senior level or serving as project lead. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted for the degree and years requirement.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

For Both Levels 

1. Knowledge of Uniform Guidance and/or the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
2. Ability to interpret technical solicitation or contract language applicable to sponsored research and understand its implications.
3. Experience with electronic research administration systems (such as grants.gov, research.gov, NSPIRES, eRA Commons).
4. Experience working in an institution of higher education.
5. Experience working in a high-volume, high-production, and/or sponsored-research-intensive environment.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, permanent position with an excellent benefits package including medical and retirement, as well as employee and dependent tuition waivers at the University of Connecticu