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Job Description
Notes:
As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.
As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
The Department of Epidemiology is a large academic and research department housed in the School of Public Health. Faculty in the Department are fully engaged in research grant acquisition, instruction and mentoring, and service-based activities. Faculty in the Department submitted ~110 grant proposals and had over $20M in grant awards in FY2021. The Grants and Finance Director is responsible for leading the team that manages pre- and post-award activities for sponsored research projects in the Department. Under the general supervision of the Department Administrator, this individual is responsible for all aspects of proposal development for grants and contracts submitted to diverse funders and supporting department faculty in managing complex portfolios of finances.
The Grants and Finance Director is the primary liaison between Epidemiology faculty and UW departments including the Office of Sponsored Programs, Grant and Contract Accounting and other campus offices relevant to sponsored research. The Grants and Finance Director is a strategic partner in the programmatic components of the faculty they support, ensuring that all funding sources are managed in a manner that conforms with sponsor, institutional, and departmental policies. The role is critical to the long-term success of the Department’s sponsored research efforts, as well as associated compliance with School and University policies.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Pre-award Administration
Obtain proposal planning information from Principal Investigators; conduct planning meetings regarding new proposals, direct and manage deadlines and timelines.
Develop complex budgets and prepare other administrative sections of grant and contract proposals.
Review, integrate, and implement complex federal, state, foundation, and University regulations and policies into Epidemiology grant and contract proposals to ensure compliance.
Manage the proposal submission process to include the preparation and routing of eGC1 and sponsor forms; work with staff of the University’s Office of Sponsored Programs as well as academic offices to resolve related issues. Approximately 120 proposals are submitted annually.
Review and approve proposals for the department where Epidemiology faculty, staff or resources are involved or when Epidemiology is the organization receiving the funding.
Post-award Administration
Serve as resource to faculty, staff, fellows, and students for University award processing procedures and funding agency award guidelines.
Monitor the initiation, execution and maintenance of sponsor awards through regular communication with appropriate internal and external administrative offices. This includes initial award set-up as well as modifications or extensions to the award.
Authorize actions by central University offices in matters concerning the establishment and continuation of sponsor-funded grant, subcontract and contract awards.
Maintain electronic “faculty dashboard” financial summaries and other complex reports related to faculty activity; this involves complex analysis of grant and fiscal data, projections across multiple projects, and trends analysis related to extramural support. Meet regularly with faculty, as needed, to review projections for coverage of FTE for both them and their research support staff. Keep Chair, Administrator, and Program Operations Specialist aware of potential FTE issues.
Monitor compliance with funding agency regulations through regular review of award budgets as part of the reconciliation process, in addition to ensuring that monthly budget reconciliation processes are completed using UW systems such as MyFinancialDesktop. Assist Principal Investigators with researching costs and obtain required documentation as needed.
Monitor deadlines and assist Principal Investigators with deliverables for awards such as progress and financial reports; develop budgetary and administrative documents as required.
Direct the award close-out process by creating financial and other administrative documents, track programmatic deliverables by Principal Investigator, and coordinate and communicate with relevant UW and sponsor resources to ensure timely close-out.
General Research Administration
Serve as compliance officer and content expert responsible for monitoring compliance and researching various issues regarding UW and funding agency policies and procedures. Communicate to faculty, staff, and students emerging information, rules and regulations in a timely manner.
Provide technical advice and interpretation of funding agency regulations as well as UW policies and procedures to Principal Investigators, research scientists, administrators and related support staff.
Supervise and mentor the departmental grants team (currently a Grants and Finance Manager, and a Program Operations Specialist) responsible for contributing to the scope of sponsored project support in the department.
Oversee and complete the transfer of grants from other institutions to and from the UW. Direct related support staff, as necessary.
Serve as department administrative officer for NIH eRA Commons for purposes of tracking proposals and awards, setting up and managing user accounts, and monitoring status of progress reports.
Manage faculty “Over-The-Cap” calculations associated with salary cap limits on federal grants, and coordinate with Administrator on associated FTE costing allocation adjustments.
Serve as Department representative on the School of Public Health Research Council, in addition to participating in the University-level Monthly Research Administration Meetings (MRAM). Continually learn new requirements for grants and contracts and disseminate information to faculty, students, and program staff.
Proactively recommend process improvements regarding departmental sponsored program processes, quality control, and grants management in general.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Research Administration, or related field
Minimum 4-5 years of experience in research administration, including pre-award proposal submission, and post-award administration of federal grants. Prior experience should include completing grant applications, complex budgets, sub-awards, negotiating effectively with sponsors, and monitoring research budgets post-award.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Prior experience with staff supervision and mentoring.
Ability to synthesize and communicate budget and policy information to scientists.
Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive administrative issues.
Demonstrated attention to detail and proven ability to manage multiple projects in an organized, thorough and timely fashion against pre-determined goals and deadlines.
Proven leadership and communication skills, and a proactive ability to problem solve and communicate with a desire to improve systems.
Demonstrated ability to organize complex tasks and to direct the work of others with diplomacy and interpersonal effectiveness.
High proficiency in MS Office Suite (including Word, Excel, and Outlook), in addition to the ability to quickly learn and apply new or unfamiliar technologies.
DESIRED:
Master’s degree in Research Administration or related field.
Prior experience in basic science and/or clinical research program in a large academic institution.
Working knowledge of UW policies and procedures, particularly related to grant processing, and experience working with staff from UW operational offices (e.g., OSP, GCA, ISC, etc.)
Prior experience with UW systems and databases, specifically SAGE, Workday, MyFinancialDesktop, UW Profiles, and Enterprise Data Warehouse.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The capability to work remotely when required to meet deadlines.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your “My Jobs” page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected].
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 requires employees of higher education and healthcare institutions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. View the Final candidate guide to COVID-19 vaccination requirement webpage for information about the medical or religious exemption process for final candidates.
