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Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator
University of ChicagoHyde Park Campus, United States, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 1 Oct 2025
💰 $110,000/yr($85,000/yr – $110,000/yr)
About the role
Department
PSD Local Business Center: EFI-JFI Plus
About the Department
The Physical Sciences Division Local Business Center (PSD-LBC) provides grants and finance management support to faculty, researchers, and administrators for many of the organizations (departments, research centers, and institutes) within the Physical Sciences Division. Our goal is to provide high levels of service in order to advance the PSD’s mission in research and education.
Job Summary
Responsibilities
- Working with Principal Investigators, faculty and academics, manages all aspects of their portfolios regarding Pre-Award administration, which includes proposal preparation, proposal budgeting, routing applications through AURA the University system of record for all grant/contract proposals and awards.Works with University Research Administration (URA) to ensure awards have been accepted/negotiated and set up in our financial system.
- Manages all aspects of Post-Award administration for portfolios, which includes account reconciliation, expenditure forecasting, and meeting with faculty to discuss account expenses.Assists with annual progress reports, annual effort reports and processes closeout.Submits subcontract materials when needed to URA to ensure sub agreements are issued. Assists with the processing or Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), when needed.
- Acquires IDC cost and cost share waivers when needed.Works with URA to ensure research compliance is in place for IBC, IACUC, IRB, COI, export controls, and foreign influence.
- Approves all transactions charged to restricted and unrestricted accounts so that expenditures are in agreement with account budgets.Composes payroll and expenditure transfers, monitors invoicing and payments on awards, approves GEMS charges and Purchase Order.
- Along with Grants and Contracts Manager, trains, onboards, provides guidance and serves as an informational resource to junior Grants & Contracts Coordinators and Administrators for both the pre-award and post-award.
- Oversees gift and endowment accounts, departmental operating accounts and faculty unrestricted research accounts.
- Provides specialized support for the research enterprise within a department or unit, including pre- and/ or post-award administration for all sponsored activity. Serves as liaison between PIs, University administrative offices, and external agencies.
- Ensures service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
- Analyzes industry trends and remains current with agency and regulatory changes. Monitors department/ unit compliance with University, Divisional and Department policies and procedures and implements corrective actions for issues identified.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Certifications:
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Preferred Qualifications
Experience:
- Progressively responsible work experience in sponsored programs administration.
- Senior-level skills in pre-award, post-award, and contract administration.
- Experiences within research-intensive environments and supporting highly productive and motivated research faculty and staff, on an academic research institution, research foundation, or industry / corporate research setting.
Preferred Competencies
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a cohesive team.
- Deep knowledge of sponsor agency guidelines (Federal, non-Federal, and other) along with policies related to proposals and awards.
- Ability to confidently inte
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