Grants and Contracts Coordinator

Overview

Grants and Contracts 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 a Grants and Contracts Coordinator position. This position 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.

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 http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide professional support and expertise 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.

• Collaborate with faculty and principal investigators with the management of their funded research projects, programs, and accounts, 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. Consult on the management of personnel budgets and expenditures through review and approval of proposed appointments in the appointments 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.

• Support the 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.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics or a field related to the position.
• Two (2) years of professional work experience in research administration.

Preferred Qualifications

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

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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.

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 is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Employees hired into these positions will be expected to work onsite on a full-time basis.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by August 30, 2022. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Summer Redman at sredman@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.