GRANTS AND CONTRACTS MANAGER/SPECIALIST

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. 

Department of Medicine: General Internal Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for Grants and Contracts Manager/Specialist.

The University of Washington’s Division of General Internal Medicine (GIM) is considered to be among the top Divisions of General Internal Medicine in the nation.  The Division has a workforce of over 500, with 435+ faculty members who are known for their outstanding research, teaching and patient care. 

The Division conducts its activities at the UW Medical Center (UWMC-Montlake and Northwest), Harborview Medical Center (HMC), and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) and VA Boise, with research sites located at multiple sites across Seattle. GIM has faculty in seven academic primary care clinics as well as in neighborhood clinics located across the Puget Sound, and manages inpatients at four Seattle area hospitals.

GIM is the largest division in the Department of Medicine and includes both clinical and research functions with a total annual budget of over $100m. There are over 30 research faculty with 85 staff, 125 current grant, contract and gift budgets and annual research expenses of $15 million per year. Faculty and staff are spread over 10+ sites around Seattle and the Puget Sound as well as in Boise, Idaho.

The Division of General Internal Medicine has a great opportunity for a full-time Grants and Contracts Manager/Specialist. This position will manage grants and contracts for the Division of General Internal Medicine (pre- and post- award activities). This position works directly with award sponsors, scientific collaborators and University offices, representing the Division. This position is responsible for establishing policies and ensuring adherence by physician/faculty researchers (principal investigators), research staff, trainees and collaborators. This position is responsible for coordinating pre- and post-award research administration activities with staff of multiple research units across the Division. This position conducts ongoing local and federal policy review and provides updates and recommendations to Division leadership and Principal Investigators. This position is responsible for proposal submission and award reporting in accordance with Sponsor and University guidelines. Working with Principal Investigators and the Division Administrator, this position has responsibility to review proposals for accuracy and feasibility, to identify resource and space needs required for successful implementation, to communicate compliance requirements, establish deadlines and communicate documentation requirements, to provide ongoing financial or other status updates and to ensure that deliverables are accomplished and appropriately reported. This position is responsible for ensuring timely payments for all milestone driven awards.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Research Administration - pre-award operations (40%)

•           Provide overall management of a research portfolio consisting of established awards and new proposal production. Manage both research and research training awards and contracts - operationalize grants and ensure extramurally funded awarded specific aims can be met. Assure grant commitments and contract agreements of the University of Washington and sponsoring agencies are fulfilled in a timely and accurate manner.  Promote, train and assess compliance and risk management best practices in all aspects of operations on a continual basis, developing and leading quality improvement efforts as needed.
•           Determine viability of proposed research – address resource allocation requirements need to ensure successful completion of aims, track effort and resource commitments on the part of investigators and staff.  Identify and resolve space and IT requirements.
•           Interpret and integrate institutional, federal, and sponsor guidelines, policies, and regulations as they apply to research administration operations.  Provide counsel and mentoring to researchers and staff pertaining to these issues.
•           Work with Investigators and collaborators on budget development.  Act as liaison with collaborating sponsors, researcher's division, department, school administrators and OSP on submissions and processing of awards.  Critically assess budget proposals for accuracy and compliance with guidelines.
•           Lead and coordinate efforts with process partners to ensure timely and accurate management of all aspects of research administration including but not limited to timely proposal submission, award processing, timelines and strategic goals, accounting for revenue and expenditures, subcontract and consortium award management, technical and financial reporting.
•           Provides strategic, intellectual and technical assistance to faculty and staff on research revenue cycle policies, compliance and regulatory matters.
•           Develops ad hoc report and analysis for program and division leadership to support strategic planning for short and long term goals, ensuring the financial health of the research program.
•           Develops and maintain business operational policies and procedures and effectively manages internal controls and internal/external audits. Revises policies and procedures as appropriate and on an ongoing basis.
•           Identifies system gaps and bottlenecks to better streamline program processes; independently initiates proposals for corrective action.
•           Consult with PI and determine recruitment related goals; communicate guidelines and provide financial analysis for short and long-term staffing plans based on funding availability.
•           Contributes to research program initiatives; providing technical and systematic guidance and support.

Research Administration - post-award operations/grants (30%)

Assure grant commitments and contract agreements of the University of Washington and sponsoring agencies are fulfilled in a timely and accurate manner. Promote and continually assess compliance and risk management best practices in all aspects of operations. Approve expenditures within proposed and accepted scope of work, produce reports and work with research scientists, research coordinators and other division management staff to ensure compliance with proposal activities. Create tools and metrics to track and analyze implemented process improvements and ensures that program benchmarks are met and continually evaluated.

Post-award activities commonly comprise but are not limited to:

•           Work with collaborating staff to ensure budgets are reviewed and reconciled using best practices and investigators are provided with customized, detailed monthly financial reports.
•           Provide counsel, utilizing multiple financial and record keeping systems to perform analyses of federal, private, industry and research and training budgets; forecasting future needs and expenditures and communicate status and progress directly to Principal Investigators, and Division leadership.
•           Review UW systems used to track award activity for compliance and accuracy.  Troubleshoot and prepare expenditure corrections as necessary.
•           Obtain advance budget numbers and process no-cost extensions.
•           Responsible for ensuring accurate and up-to-date signature authority delegations, review and redirect expenditure allocations in accordance with appropriate policies and guidelines, train research staff on these topics.
•           Coordinate with Division, Department or School research administration staff to correctly allocate payroll efforts. Continuously review funding allocations for correlation to assigned work.   Identify corrective strategies.
•           Designs and develops financial analysis and reports on a monthly and ad hoc basis including forecasts of grant year-end financial projections.

Research Administration - post-award operations/contracts (30%)

•           Perform comprehensive and independent review of all documents and data related to the research  funding, including study budget, protocol, contract, and other supporting documentation. Conduct statistical analyses involving data; develop long-term planning documents in support of strategic goals.
•           Collaborate with Principal Investigators on monthly budget to actual variations and budget development questions. Serve as a resource for clinical trial managers and principal investigators on queries related to the budget, monthly performance and budget to actuals variations.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting/Finance and at least 3-4 years of experience.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to problem solve, take initiative, set priorities, handle multiple projects, and exercise good judgement in a fast paced, dynamic, deadline driven environment in an organized and professional manner.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with all levels of colleagues; excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office products. 

DESIRED:

• Master's Degree in accounting/finance.
• Working knowledge of OMB Circular A-21 and A-110 for federal requirements and UW Cost Accounting Standards for sponsored agreements.
• 5+ years' experience in a clinical department or working with research units.
• Experience in higher education administration, including budgeting and strategic planning.

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.