Grants & Contracts Administrator

Overview

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 04/02/2026.

Position Summary:

The Grant and Contract Administrator position is responsible for pre- and post-award support for grants and contracts received by UNC. Pre-award support facilitates the preparation and submission of proposals for grants and contracts to external sponsors. Post-award support manages grants and contracts received by UNC. The Office Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) provides leadership and support to UNC stakeholders for externally funded (“sponsored”) research and scholarly activities that advance the teaching, research, and service missions of the university. 

Job Duties:

Pre-Award (40%)
-Budget development: Work with principal investigators/project directors (PIs/PDs) from assigned colleges/divisions to develop and vet grant proposal budgets for submission to external sponsors in accordance with sponsoring agency guidelines/regulations and in accordance with university policies and procedures. Review sub-awardee budgets and ensure compliance with sponsoring agency guidelines/regulations.
-Proposal development and submission: Review request for proposals (RFPs) from funding agencies, coordinate with  PIs/PDs from assigned colleges/units to ensure that proposal complies with all relevant RFP requirements. Ensure that proposals are submitted appropriately, following the RFP and university/ORSP policies and procedures, with university authorizing signatures by application deadline. For electronic proposal submissions, ensure that the university and authorized personnel are registered in online systems and that PIs/PDs and other key personnel have login access. Collect and vet sub-awardee compliance documentation.  Collect proposal data internally using Streamlyne and route proposals internally for review and signature prior to submission to the funding agencies.

Post-Award (40%)
-Grant setup: Meet with PIs/PDs to plan initial activities on new grants and contracts. Coordinate with Grant Accountant/General Accounting Office to set up awards accounts.
-Grant Monitoring: Monitor grant activity in cooperation with Grant Accountant/General Accounting Office to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Interface with campus offices (e.g. General Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing, etc.) to address grant questions or issues that may arise during the conduct of the project. Process journal entries, post award Subrecipient monitoring, export control/Foreign influence (checking for foreign students working on grants). Support PIs/PDs and related staff as they monitor and manage their awards. Interpret sponsor policies, university policies, U.S. government's "Uniform Guidance", 2 CFR 200 and federal and state regulations related to the terms and conditions of the award, the conduct of the project and the delivery and reporting of project results. Monitor match accounts to ensure compliance with cost sharing requirements of sponsor. Manage time & effort reporting for assigned colleges/divisions as required by federal regulations and in accordance with university policy. Assist department level staff involved with grants in executing grant requirements related to fiscal reporting, invoicing and other financial correspondence and actions with external sponsors and internal constituents. Work with ORSP and faculty to respond to questions and award adjustments communicated by sponsors.  Ensure award data is captured and maintained in Streamlyne.
-Grant closeout: Close out awards with sponsoring agencies according to university, state and federal regulations.

Training (5%)
As directed, the GCA position will provide training directly to ORSP stakeholders.

Other (15%)
Assist with other duties assigned by ORSP leadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization. Substitution: A combination of professional work experience and postsecondary education involving the development and administration of sponsored programs, preferably in a higher education setting or a similarly complex detail-oriented environment, may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor’s degree.

Experience

Minimum 3 years of experience with grant/contract budget development, proposal development and submission, or post-award research administration experience, preferably in higher education.

Ability

The incumbent must be knowledgeable about and able to apply regulations, policies and procedures related to externally funded grants and contracts, including but not limited to 2 CFR 200, sponsor regulations and guidelines, U.S. Education Department General Administrative Regulations, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Federal procurement and administration policies and university accounting standards, policies and procedures.

The incumbent must have great attention to detail and the ability to analyze complex information within a deadline-driven environment. The incumbent must be able to use computer software programs (e.g. Microsoft Office) and be able to navigate the University's legacy system (Banner) in order to perform work responsibilities.

Personal characteristics include: ability to learn a complex series of procedures and interpret guidelines and regulations as intended; problem solving ability; attention to detail and accuracy; ability to meet deadlines and multi-task; collegiality; ability to work tactfully and diplomatically with a wide variety of faculty and staff; excellent written and verbal communication skills.