Grants and Contracts Specialist or Coordinator

Grants and Contracts Specialist or Coordinator

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for up to three Grants and Contracts Specialist or Coordinator positions.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. For more information, visit go.illinois.edu/EEO.

The Grants and Contracts Specialist supports the pre- and post-award functions for externally funded sponsored research programs by assuming a role in the development and submission of proposals, and in the financial management of awards funded by federal and non-federal sponsors. The Specialist is responsible for maintaining familiarity with federal solicitations, changing federal regulations and guidelines, and University policy associated with research administration to support the effective management of research programs.

The Grants and Contracts Coordinator is responsible for pre- and post-award functions for externally funded complex sponsored research projects by collaborating in the development and submission of proposals, and in the financial management of awards funded by federal and non-federal sponsors. The Coordinator is also responsible for maintaining familiarity with federal solicitations, changing federal regulations and guidelines, and University policy associated with research administration to support the effective management of research programs.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following but vary based on position level:

• Provide support to faculty and principal investigators in the preparation and submission of routing proposals to various federal and non-federal sponsors. This includes reviewing and interpreting sponsor guidelines and regulations, as well as University policies and procedures for proposal submission and ensuring that all are met.
• Assist faculty and principal investigators with the management of their funded research projects, programs, and account, including the preparation of financial forecasts as necessary. Advise faculty on the financial aspects of hiring personnel and major spending decisions, such as large equipment purchases, as necessary. Assist with the management of personnel budgets and expenditures through review and approval of proposed appointments in the appointment application and redistributing appointments of principal investigators and research staff in response to changes in research efforts.
• Serve as a liaison to SPA Award Management and assist with grant account set up, management, budgeting, billing and close out activities, as necessary. Ensure that completed projects are closed in a timely manner and in accordance with the terms of the award.
• Complete regular review of accounts to ensure integrity, accuracy and allowability of transactions in accordance with project budgets, agreement terms, and University, Federal and sponsor guidelines. Take appropriate action to move unallowable or questionable charges to an appropriate funding source.
• Serve as liaison to Sponsored Program Administration (SPA) and assist them with requests related to proposal submission and award negotiations, as necessary. Follow up on pending agreements and ensure that awards are finalized, and funded projects accounts are established in a timely manner in support of the research efforts.
• Request and monitor anticipation accounts, subaward agreements, no-cost and other contract extension modifications as necessary.
• Participate in campus research administration community through attendance at meetings and conferences offered by the Office of Business and Financial Services (OBFS), SPA and Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance (SPaRC), as well as those offered at the College level to enhance and improve research administration efforts.
• Assist with department human resource functions by the review and approval of faculty and student appointments.
• Assist with department purchasing and payable functions by the review and pre-approval of purchasing transactions with possible compliance issues, and the review and approval of Travel and Expense Management (TEM) system transactions and P-card transactions.
• Assist principal investigators with the semi-annual expenditure confirmation process to obtain certifications in a timely manner.
• Monitor principal investigator effort on sponsored projects for assigned faculty to ensure investigators meet their effort obligations on their respective awards. Assist with the maintenance of the Activity Reporting System (ARS) for assigned faculty. Update ARS as necessary and in accordance with the department's allocation policy and discussions with the faculty teaching, research, public service, and cost sharing obligations are properly reflected and meeting the designated obligations.

Qualifications - Grants and Contracts Specialist

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or a field related to the position.
• One year of professional work experience in business or finance in a private, public, or educational environment.

Preferred:

• Illinois Certified Research Administrator.

Qualifications - Grants and Contracts Coordinator

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a field related to the position.
• Two years of professional work experience in research administration.

Preferred:

• Illinois Certified Research Administrator.
• Work experience at an institution of higher education.
• Experience in administering awards while maintain the integrity and reputation of the University.

Highly Qualified Applicants Will Have the Following:

Specialist:

• Ability to organize and manage diverse activities in a time sensitive environment.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Strong background in accounting principles and business practices.
• Ability to thrive in a team environment and actively contribute to the team's success.

Coordinator:

• Strong background in sponsored research administration for pre and post award activities.
• Knowledge of University guidelines and procedures for general accounting, proposal processing, and grant administration.
• Comprehensive understanding of University, College and Department organization, objectives and goals.
• Familiarity with personnel administration policies and procedures.
• Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to colleagues and faculty members to enhance research administration efforts for all stakeholders.
• Ability to independently interpret policy and make informed decisions related to research administration.

SALARY AND APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

This is a full-time Civil Service Grants and Contracts Associate position appointed on a 12-month service basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the deadline. Salary and level are commensurate with experience. Employees hired into these positions will be expected to work onsite on a full-time basis.

To Apply:

Applications must be received by June 21, 2022. Apply for this position using the "Apply for Position" button below. If you have not applied before, you must create your candidate profile at jobs.illinois.edu. If you already have a profile, you will be redirected to that existing profile via email notification. To complete the application process:

Step 1) Submit the Staff Vacancy Application.
Step 2) Submit the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability forms.
Step 3) Upload your cover letter, resume (months and years of employment must be included), and academic credentials (unofficial transcripts or diploma may be acceptable) and names/contact information for three references.

To be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position using the "Apply for Position" button below. Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, contact Summer Redman at sredman@illinois.edu. For questions about the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Other pre-employment assessments may be required, depending on the classification of Civil Service employment.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants.

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