Senior Grants and Contracts Manager (Post Award)

Overview

Position Title:        Senior Grants and Contracts Manager (Post Award)

Reports To:           Vice President of Research Administration

Supervisory Responsibilities:   None

FLSA Status:                             Exempt                                      

I.        Position Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President of Research Administration, the Senior Grants and Contracts Manager (SGCM) is responsible for the daily operations of the  post award administration and financial management for the institutes extramural funded research grants and contracts portfolio.  The SGCM will provide the financial oversight, administration, compliance, and fiscal management of all awards including federal, non-federal, state, and private sponsors.

The incumbent administers a complex and diverse  portfolio of research awards in accordance with federal, state, and institute policies.

Partnering with our faculty, principal investigators and research administration, this position will establish, manage, and monitor all fiscal related post award activities including regulatory and contractual compliance, completion of accounting and analytical tasks, financial reporting, cost recovery and award closeouts. 

The SGCM serves as the post award liaison between the institute and all external funding agencies.

II.       Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Interpret award terms and conditions identifying key and specific rules, regulations, restrictions and reporting requirements for research and administrative compliance.  Disseminate information to key stakeholders (Principal Investigators, Research Administration, Finance and others) using a high level of administrative expertise.  Document and assign all technical and administrative reporting deliverables and deadlines.
• Create, activate, and assign new awards with project/fund account codes and tasks in the institute financial system.  Identify and input key calculation codes required for the set-up of burden ceilings (pooled fringe and indirect cost rates), billing formulas and revenue recognition.  Communicate and liaise with Research Administration, Finance and other stakeholders and colleagues to ensure seamless workflow of the project activation for all other applicable institute systems and applications.
• In partnership with the Vice President of Research Administration and the Controller, review and analyze the award documents to assist in the classification of awards to determine the revenue recognition in accordance with ASU 2018-08, FASB ASC 958 (contributions) and FASB ASC 606 (exchange transactions).
• Assist principal investigators (PIs) with monitoring of expense transactions, usage of funds and tracking of funded activities. Provide frequent (monthly) budget and actual expense analysis to assist PIs with their fund management for individual awards and their full portfolio.  Provide summary and transaction detail to support activity.  Ensure that key personnel effort is assigned and recorded in accordance with the approved levels awarded for the project.  
• Advise principal investigators (PIs) of prior approval requirements for award management.  Provide full transparency of the award rules and regulations as it pertains to budget revisions, no cost extensions, budget carry overs, changes in key personnel and all other key and applicable requirements.  Assist PIs with ensuring that projects comply with institute policies and procedures as well as those stipulated by the sponsoring agencies.
• Prepare and complete all federal drawdown requests for internal review and approval.  Analyze expense activity including fringe and indirect cost rate calculations and where applicable, any salary rate restrictions.  Reconcile billing and revenue calculations for completing accurate drawdown requests on a monthly basis.  Upload and submit all monthly draws to the pertinent federal systems in accordance with internal deadlines and sponsoring agency requirements. 
• Prepare and complete all financial reports (monthly, interim, Federal Financial Reports (FFR), SF270) in accordance with reporting requirements of sponsoring agencies.  Analyze expense activity including fringe and indirect cost rate calculations and where applicable, any salary rate restrictions.  Reconcile billing and revenue calculations for completing accurate financial reports. Upload and submit to the applicable systems and mailboxes in accordance with sponsoring agency requirements.
• Prepare and complete all invoices including cost reimbursement, fixed price, and milestone/deliverable schedules in accordance with the payment terms stipulated in the award documentation.  Analyze expense activity including fringe and indirect cost rate calculations and where applicable, any salary rate restrictions.  Reconcile billing and revenue calculations for completing accurate invoices prior to review and submission.
• In collaboration with the Senior Staff Accountant and Accounting Manager, provide insightful knowledge and expertise for Accounts/Grants Receivable reconciliation including review of cash receipt allocations.  Review Customer Aging Report and follow up with sponsors and collaborators for collections of any outstanding payments owing. 
• Initiate Research Cost Transfers (RCT) and labor effort allocation adjustments.  In collaboration with Principal Investigators, Research Administration, Accounting and/or the Payroll office, identify where charged costs are required to be reallocated.  In accordance with sponsoring agency and institute policies provide valid and compliant justifications in addition to collating all necessary supporting documentation to support RCT.  Prepare RCT for internal review and approval(s).
• Monitor and manage cost sharing requirements (where applicable).  Prepare cost sharing adjustments to reflect appropriate expense distributions or cost sharing obligations.
• As part of the Sponsored Projects Office, participate and support  established sub-recipient monitoring policies and procedures.  Provide frequent reviews of monthly invoices received.  Seek approval from Principal Investigator’s for invoice payment.  Ensure accuracy with invoice positing to applicable project/task codes.  Coordinate with Procurement and Accounts Payable teams to update sub-award purchase orders for incremental funding and changes to performance period.
• Closeout all grants and contracts in accordance with the sponsoring agency requirements and consistent with the institutes own procedures. Reconcile all expenses to budgets and complete final review of all calculated pools (fringe and indirect cost rates).  Reconcile final Accounts/Grants Receivable and prepare all final administrative and fiscal reporting requirements.  Identify all technical reporting (Research Progress Performance Report (RPPR), Outcomes Report, Scientific Reports, Invention Statements, Repot of Inventions) and administrative reporting (Final Invoice, Federal Financial Report (FFR), Public Voucher for Purchases and Services (SF1034), Contractor’s Release of Claims, Contractor’s Assignment of Refunds, Rebates, Credits, and Other Amounts, Tangible Personal Property Report (SF-428-B) requirements and coordinate with Principal Investigators and other stakeholders for completion within stipulated deadlines.
• Monitor compliance with sponsoring agency and institute regulations.  Maintains all award related documents and financial records/reports in accordance with sponsoring agencies and institutes required retention policy. 
• Provides documentation and supporting material for all sample requests related to Financial Statements and Single Audit (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F – Audit Requirements) in addition to any sponsoring agency site visit and/or field audit. 
• Acts as the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) point of contact and performs as the SPO’s primary end user of the institutes financial system.  In partnership with the Accounting Manager and Senior Staff Accountant manages and shares oversight of the project ledger.  Provides insight and feedback of system issues, collaborating with finance system owners to problem solve and identify solutions to project related matters.  Acts as a secondary point of contact for requesting vendor helpdesk support and service.
• Joint primary point of contact for all external grant/contract related systems.  Responsibility and ownership of institute access shared with Vice President of Research Administration.  Maintains access to and knowledge of use and function of all external systems including but not limited to federal systems such as Payment Management System (PMS), electronic Research Administration (eRA),  The System of Award Management (SAM.gov), Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy (EERE) Exchange and Fastlane (National Science Foundation).
• Create and activate all internal project codes in the project ledger including institute funded research projects, faculty start-up commitments and other administrative codes where applicable.
• Maintains expertise and knowledge with all federal, non-federal, state, and private sponsor regulations.  Proactively seeks information and stays informed of new and changing guidelines and policies through networks, list servs, newsletters, webinars, online access to applicable media tools and links.  Disseminates information to applicable stakeholders across the institute.

• Provide quality customer service to all principal investigators, faculty, and their support staff through fostering working relations and in supplying timely accurate information; timely responses to questions and in presenting strong fiscal recommendations for managing the grants and contracts portfolio.  Maintain a positive working relationship through regular dialogue and discussion, meeting frequently to review all plans, projections, and financial project reports.

• Performs other Sponsored Projects Office duties as assigned by the Vice President of Research Administration.  Provides direct support to Sponsored Projects Managers with completion of ad-hoc proposal development, closeout and other post-award tasks and projects, as and when requested.

• Strictly adheres to all documented JCVI policies and procedures to include carrying out all functions required of institute employees (i.e. completion of timesheets in an accurate and timely manner).

III.      Qualifications and Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting or a related field, and a minimum of five (5) years of experience in research and sponsored programs administration; or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• A demonstrated knowledge of and the ability to interpret  federal agency regulations policies and procedures, circulars, laws applicable to sponsored programs.  Experience in interpreting and working with NIH Grants Policy Statement, OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200), the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) is desirable.

• A demonstrated knowledge of accounting principles and procedures with preference to budgeting and planning.  Some experience providing analytical review, interpretation, and evaluation of project is preferred.  Demonstrated analytical and discovery skills with the ability to be able to identify and research complex issues, analyze data sources, and provide sound solutions and recommendations.

• Strong computer aptitude, including experience with computer applications (such as Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat).  Knowledge of JCVI ERP and research management tools such as Deltek Costpoint and Unanet Reporting is preferred.

• High level of discretion for confidential work and information; ability to appropriately handle critical information and sensitive situations.

• Excellent organization and time management skills.  Flexibility to handle a variety of tasks and shift priorities simultaneously.

• Strong interpersonal skills: ability to effectively interact with all levels of staff and external contacts; ability to work as an effective team member.  Ability to interact with faculty members and administrators.

• Cooperative and service-oriented attitude. Must be able to work under pressure and maintain a professional demeanor.

• Ability to use sound judgment to effectively solve problems within the scope of the position.  Ability to learn quickly, to work under time constraints, meeting deadlines and to research and resolve problems both independently and as a team.

• Maintains a high level of initiative and ability to work with minimum supervision.

• Superior verbal and written communications skills

J. Craig Venter Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.