Award Management Specialist

Position Number: 003958

Department: Div of Research (Adm)

Employment Type: Permanent - Full-time

Months Per Year: 12

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Professional Knowledge, Investigator Support & Financial Analysis

• Provide comprehensive sponsored project oversight and serve as the primary point of contact for PIs seeking support for post-award management activities.

• Perform financial analysis of award spending, calculate burn rates, and provide highly accurate spending projections to guide research planning.

• Collect and analyze financial data in preparation for monthly spending reports to PIs, providing relevant expenditure projections and an ongoing review of post-award activity.

• In collaboration with department staff, complete thorough monthly reconciliations on grant awards and review results directly with Principal Investigators (PIs).

• Work with PIs and campus administrators to solve problems, answer questions, and give guidance on post-award activities and other grants management topics.

Project Administration & Lifecycle Management

• Assist and provide guidance to faculty and unit-level staff on the financial management and tracking of awards, including but not limited to purchasing, travel, hiring of project personnel, reporting, and sub-award interactions.

• Plan and execute award kickoff meetings and quarterly award meetings with PIs and department staff to review project status and financial health.

• Manage overall budgets and reporting timelines throughout the entire lifecycle of the award, ensuring no deadlines are missed.

• Collaboratively design, draft, and develop formal budget revisions and re-budgeting scenarios for active awards, aligning revised spending plans with project milestones.

• Provide active support and guidance to department staff on institutional procedures and systems required to process financial transactions on grant accounts successfully.

• Review award transactions, ensuring all charges are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.

Compliance, Information Analysis & Decision-Making

• Provide financial oversight, financial and administrative compliance guidance on awards, and award management support regarding sponsor and institutional policies, procedures, and guidelines.

• Track and monitor cost-share commitments to ensure the institution meets its documented obligations.

• Review, coordinate, and submit sponsor prior approval requests, Assumptions of Risk, and other administrative amendments.

• Work as the lead mediator when financial non-compliance is identified. Collaborate with department staff to investigate the root cause, and partner with the Research Accounting and Financial Compliance Team to implement corrective action plans.

• Oversee monthly expense reporting, projections, and formal closeouts. Assist faculty and unit-level staff with timely award closeouts, work to clear remaining encumbrances, and coordinate with the Research Accounting and Financial Compliance Team to submit final financial reports (FFRs).

Compliance, Information Analysis & Decision-Making

• Maintain strong, positive relationships with faculty and staff, all units within the Division of Research, and sponsor agencies to facilitate the work of research administration at the University.

• Promote and maintain close, effective working relationships between the teams within the Office of Sponsored Research Administration.

• Work with colleagues and team members to jointly solve questions and challenges in their daily work, responding to inquiries in a timely, professional manner and providing consistently excellent support.

• Monitor changes to sponsor policies and procedures and assist with communicating key changes to campus research administrators and investigators.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Experience / Education:

Bachelor’s degree and two+ (2+) years of experience in sponsored research administration and post-award grants management or equivalent combination of education and experience

Preferred Education Skills and Experience:

• Master’s Degree

• 5+ years of experience in post-award and research administration

• Experience supporting sponsored research activities within an institution of higher education

• Thorough knowledge of 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), cost principles, direct/indirect costing, and sponsor-specific rules regarding re-budgeting thresholds and prior approvals.

• Advanced Excel skills (formulas, pivot tables, data modeling for financial projections and budget scenarios) and experience with financial systems and electronic research administration systems.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders at all levels.

• Strong problem-solving, project management, and time management skills.