Grants and Contracts Associate or Specialist - Prairie Research Institute

University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, United States

Updated: about 2 months ago
Location: Urbana, ILLINOIS

Details

Posted: 07-Mar-24

Location: Urbana, Illinois

Type: Full-time

Salary: Open

Categories:


Grants Management
Staff/Administrative

Internal Number: 5082708



Grants and Contracts Associate or Specialist - Prairie Research Institute
Prairie Research Institute
We are unable to sponsor an employment VISA or take over sponsorship for an employment VISA for this position now and in the future. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States with no VISA sponsorship.
Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. Illinois is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the Illinois community.
The Prairie Research Institute (PRI), a research and service institute of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign centrally located between Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, houses five large scientific surveys covering a wide range of expertise including biology, water resources, climate, geology, sustainable technology, and archaeology. PRI's mission is to provide objective, integrated scientific research and service that allow citizens and decision-makers to make choices that ensure sustainable economic development, enduring environmental quality, and cultural resource preservation for the people, businesses, and governments of Illinois. Learn more at go.illinois.edu/PRIjobs .

Why Work at the Prairie Research Institute?
Highlights of Employee Benefits
PRI is seeking either a Grants and Contracts Associate or a Grants and Contracts Specialist to join our finance team.
Grants and Contracts Associate: Entry level position, responsible for assisting in monitoring assigned grant and contract financial activity to ensure compliance with grant guidance and regulations. This person will provide assistance to Principal Investigators in creating budgets and spending plans for assigned grant submissions.
Grants and Contracts Specialist: Perform pre- and post-award administrative duties related to sponsored projects, with special emphasis on maintaining the data necessary for compliance with institutional policies and procedures, state and/or federal laws, and contractual obligations. This person will coordinate with PRI principal investigators (PIs).
Duties and Responsibilities: Grants and Contracts Associate:
Grant Oversight - 95%

  • Develop and provide financial plans and reports associated with the administration of grants and contracts. This includes expenditure reports and forecasts requested by Principal Investigators.
  • Provide analysis and support to professional staff in grant preparation and management. Collect, maintain, and prepare data necessary for such analyses.
  • Take actions necessary for the accurate administration of grants and contracts, including monitoring application status, tracking award processes, establishing sub-awards, confirming expenditures, creating journal vouchers, performing employee labor distributions, and reconciling accounts.
  • Facilitate the grant proposal process, including pre-award, post-award, and sub-award requirements.
  • Assure the administrative requirements associated with federal appropriations, cost sharing, matching funds, and unit administered grants, etc. are attained.
  • Utilize grant submission and tracking programs including Grants.gov, NSF Fastlane, PRIDE proposals, and other sponsor E-systems. Provide interpretations of travel regulations, Banner coding, and other policies and procedures that pertain to grants.
  • Review invoices and statements, verifying information, ensuring funds are available and fiscal activity complies with policy and procedures.
    Other - 5%
    • Keep abreast of developments in this discipline.
    • Perform other duties as needed in order to further the mission and goals of PRI.

    Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, finance, or a related field.
    Preferred Qualifications: University grants management experience.
    Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles used for determining allowability, reasonableness, and allocation of costs applicable to grants, contracts, or other agreements. Organizational skills in working with diverse types of business information. Excellent skills in using software and database applications for accounting and general financial tracking. Effective communication, personal relations, collaboration, organizational, teamwork, and leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to perform effectively in a diverse and fast-paced work environment consisting of multiple and changing priorities with stringent deadlines, under minimal supervision. Attention to detail, sound judgment, and strong conflict resolution skills. Proficiency in commonly-employed software and databases. Ability to maintain confidentiality.
    Duties and Responsibilities: Grants and Contracts Specialist:

    Grant Oversight - 50%
    • Provide post-award fiscal administration for an assigned subset of PRI researchers.
    • Monitor and approve all grant expenditures to assure they are allowable, allocable, appropriate, and reasonable.
    • Reconcile and verify expenditures monthly, accurately reflecting obligations.
    • Complete corrective journal vouchers entries and labor redistributions to maintain integrity of program expenses.
    • Provide monthly and adhoc reports of expenditures and projections to the PI, review statements, and develop spend plans.
    • Process invoices from subaward agencies, review expenditures for allowability, and provide backup to prime agency.
    • Assure expenditure confirmations are reviewed and approved by PIs semi-annually.
    • Provide documentation for internal and external audits.
    • Provide interpretation of agency, university, and institute policies and procedures. Collaborate with the funding agency, internal and external auditors, campus Sponsored Programs Administration Pre- and Post-Award offices, campus Government Costing, Survey Directors, other sponsored research coordinators and the PI.
    • Serve as a PRI liaison to field station (remote location) administrators, assisting with any and all aspects of the post-award process.

    Proposal Coordination - 30%
    • Oversee pre-award (proposal) processing for an assigned subset of PRI researchers.
    • Manage the submission of unfunded agreements to the Sponsored Programs Administration Pre-Award office.
    • Provide interpretation of agency, university, and institute policies and procedures.
    • Document proposal submission information in PRI's internal systems.

    Grant Set up and Close-out - 10%
    • Oversee the setup process for new awards.
    • Lead the closeout process for the grants held by a subset of the PRI researchers.

    Other -10%
    • Maintain own sponsored research skills through continued training.
    • Keep abreast of developments in this discipline.
    • Perform other duties as needed in order to further the mission and goals of PRI.

    Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics or a field related to the position. Three (3) years of relevant grant and contract administration experience within a research university setting. Demonstrated experience working with Principal Investigators, funding agencies, and the Sponsored Programs Administration.
    Preferred Qualifications: University of Illinois Certified Research Administrators (Illini CRA)
    Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles used for determining allowability, reasonableness, and allocation of costs applicable to grants, contracts, or other agreements. Organizational skills in working with diverse types of business information. Excellent skills in using software and database applications for accounting and general financial tracking. Effective communication, personal relations, collaboration, organizational, teamwork, and leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to perform effectively in a diverse and fast-paced work environment consisting of multiple and changing priorities with stringent deadlines, under minimal supervision. Attention to detail, sound judgment, and strong conflict resolution skills. Proficiency in commonly-employed software and databases. Ability to maintain confidentiality.
    Working Conditions: The work of these positions takes place in an office setting. The work is sedentary and involves sitting for extended periods of time working at a computer, using a keyboard and mouse, and using repetitive hand motions for data entry.
    Appointment: These are full-time Civil Service Grants and Contracts positions, appointed on a 12-month basis. The minimum starting salary for the Associate position is 50,000 and the minimum starting salary for the Specialist position is $55,000. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
    Benefits: The University of Illinois offers a wide variety of benefits https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/benefits , including paid leave https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/leave and holidays https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/leave/holidays .
    For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx .
    Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on March 18, 2024. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. 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. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact Megan Weeks, [email protected] . 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, 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 [email protected] .
    Requisition ID: 1023130
    Job Category: Administrative
    To apply, visit https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/9589?c=illinois
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    About University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. With our land-grant heritage as our foundation, we pioneer innovative research that tackles global problems and expands the human experience. Our transformative learning experiences, in and out of the classroom, are designed to produce innovative alumni who desire to make a significant, societal impact.
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