Subawards Officer

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Job Summary

The Subawards Team consists of 4 full-time equivalent employees and is responsible for drafting, negotiating and managing outgoing subawards and subcontracts.  The Subawards Team works with the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR), the office that submits proposals for extramural support as well as negotiating/executing the awards that result from those proposals; together the two units comprise Research Administration.

The Subawards Officer reports to the Subcontracts Manager and is a key member of the Outgoing Subawards Team within Research Administration. The Subawards Officer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: issuing and administering outgoing subawards, with an emphasis on federally and privately funded subawards issued to domestic and non-domestic universities, non-profit and for-profit organizations.

Essential Job Duties

Subaward Negotiation and Administration:

• Knowledgeable of OMB Uniform Guidance in the context of issuance and management of subawards.
• Draft, negotiate and execute subawards as an authorized official of the Institute.
• Determine and obtain appropriate supporting documentation, including but not limited to budgets, scopes of work, funding source agreements, certifications, compliance documents, audits, and risk assessment questionnaires.
• Issue Institute-funded collaborative research awards to other universities, non-profit, and for-profit entities.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting funding source agreement terms and conditions to ensure appropriate flow-down terms are included in the subaward. Ensure that final form of subaward is acceptable to the Institute and the Caltech principal investigator, while providing timely status updates to all stakeholders.
• Work directly with subrecipient to facilitate subaward/subcontract negotiation and execution.
• Collaborate with Institute offices, such as Office of Sponsored Research, Office of Technology Transfer, Office of Export Compliance, Office of Research Compliance, Office of General Counsel, Property Services, and Audit Services and Institute Compliance to ensure that appropriate Caltech and sponsor approvals are in place and to resolve other issues that may arise during subaward negotiation as well as subaward management.
• Be responsive to campus stakeholders, including faculty, administrators, and subrecipient representatives.
• Maintain knowledge of all aspects of subaward management on behalf of the Institution.
• Perform subrecipient risk assessments, monitoring, and reporting.
• Review subrecipient audit reports and other related subrecipient documentation; draft management decisions and participate in other risk mitigation measures.
• Engage in subaward closeout activities, including collecting and analyzing closeout reports, certifications and reviewing final invoices.
• Issue and manage outgoing JPL Work Orders.
• In carrying the duties of this position, utilize a variety of systems, including e-mail, Zoom, Teams and Institute systems.
• Identify opportunities for improved productivity or efficient use of resources and ensure customer needs are identified and addressed.
• Other duties and special projects as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and 2-3 years of federally funded research subaward-related experience, which includes preparing, issuing, and administering federally and privately-funded research subawards.
• Detail-oriented, have a working knowledge of contracting language, common sponsored award terms and conditions, and applicable federal regulations. Must be able to perform independently once trained.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) certificate and/or Master’s degree (especially MRA) a plus. Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) certificate a plus.
• Experience in applying best business practices in government related subawards, a solid understanding of applicable laws, government regulations, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills. Excellent organizational skills, a high level of initiative, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment are also essential. Must have the flexibility to work with both conceptual issues and with a high degree of detail and must be able to manage multiple deliverables and deadlines in a high-volume production environment, while giving stellar custom service.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Remote Work

Research Administration currently offers its employees a remote work option, subject to institutional review.

• An approved remote work agreement is required.
• In accordance with Caltech’s remote work guidelines, responsible for having a designated work area (home office) and for any costs related to remodeling and/or the initial setup of such designated workspace.
• Equipment needs for remote work are determined on a case-by-case basis.
• Experience with Zoom and other similar video/web conference software required.
• Report to the office as necessary by operational needs and provide in-office coverage as required.