Senior Award Management Specialist

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States

Updated: about 10 hours ago
Location: Charlotte, NORTH CAROLINA
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: ;

Position Information
General Information


Position Number 006040
Vacancy Open to All Candidates
Working Title Senior Award Management Specialist
Position Designation EHRA Non-Faculty
Employment Type Permanent - Full-time
Months per Year 12
Work Schedule
8:00 am – 5:00 pm; Monday – Friday
Hours per week 40
FLSA Status Exempt
Division Research
Department Div of Research (Adm)
Work Location Cameron Hall
Salary Range $78,594 - $85,060
Primary Purpose of Department
The Division of Research works to advance the quality, diversity, and growth of research at UNC Charlotte. This division is comprised of the following offices and organizations: Budget and Personnel; Center for Research Excellence (CRE); Grants & Contracts Administration (GCA); Research Commercialization and Development (ORCD); Research Partnerships (ORP); Research Protections & Integrity (ORPI), and Research Services (ORS).
The Office of Research Services (ORS) is the campus shared-services office for pre- and post-award administration, including proposal development and submissions, award acceptance, contract negotiation, subaward and award management and modification, and reporting. ORS organizes and gives strategic direction to the research program, manages the institutional signature process for the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs), provides faculty/staff/student support by reviewing and interpreting sponsor guidelines and regulations, prepares budget documents, reviews proposal packages for conformity to sponsor requirements, and submits and tracking proposals. ORS is also responsible for ensuring that funded projects are carried out in a manner consistent with the university and sponsor policies and procedures. ORS, in collaboration with other offices and units in the Division of Research, initiates and facilitates training opportunities for campus research administration staff.
Primary Purpose of Position
Under the direction of the Associate Director for Award Management, this position has management responsibility for post-award activities and providing sponsored project oversight and management from contract negotiation and award approval to project closeout. The Senior Award Management Specialist engages with faculty, staff, and students and with external research sponsors to advance UNC Charlotte’s research mission and enterprise. They work closely with department, college, and other unit-level staff, as well as with University level offices to ensure the highest quality support and guidance. They exhibit excellence in facilitating research, scholarship, and creative activity and maintaining the highest standards of customer service.
Summary of Position Responsibilities
  • Maintain extensive knowledge of Uniform Guidance and other commonly applied sponsored award guidelines, policies, and procedures, as well as University policies and procedures. Provide sponsored project oversight and serve as a primary point of contact (POC) for investigators seeking support for post-award management activities. Work with investigators and campus administrators to solve problems, answer questions, and give guidance on post-award activities and other grants management topics on a daily basis. Answer inquiries related to post-award processes and procedures, and the use of electronic research administration systems.
  • Assist and provide guidance to faculty and unit level staff on the financial management and tracking of awards, including but not limited to purchasing, travel, hiring of project personnel, reporting, Assumptions of Risk, budget revisions, sponsor prior approval requests, sponsor and subaward interactions, and award closeout. Work with Office of Grants and Contracts Administration to ensure proper and timely invoicing of sponsors and closeout of awards. Ensure that all grant and contract funds are fiscally administered correctly and meet the guidelines and regulations imposed by the funding agency. Provide guidance to PIs on allowable expenses, sponsor and university policies, internal requests, and requests to sponsors. Track and monitor subawards. Plan award launch meetings and additional award review meetings as needed. Review and approve award transactions as assigned. Work with unit-level staff and principal investigators to ensure the appropriate and timely expenditure of the sponsored funding to meet the project objectives.
  • Assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of institutional policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory guidelines related to the financial management and timely closeout of sponsored projects. Assist and provide guidance to faculty and unit level staff on the financial and overall management of funded awards. Review and analyze financial data, identifying variances or potential issues, and taking corrective actions.
  • Identify policies, procedures, or trends that are negatively impacting the success of sponsored projects and assist in providing suggested changes or alternatives. Apply critical thinking, professional knowledge, and strong relational skills to address difficult issues that arise.
  • Maintain strong, positive relationships with faculty and staff, all units within Research and Economic Development, and sponsor agencies to facilitate the work of research administration at the University. Work with colleagues/team members to jointly solve questions and challenges in their daily work. Promote and maintain close, effective working relationships between ORS and constituent units on campus. Respond to inquiries in a timely and professional manner. Monitor changes to sponsor policies and procedures and assist with communicating key changes to campus research administrators and investigators. Provide consistently excellent customer service. Develop training materials for use in communicating to and educating unit-level staff and research faculty about sponsored project management.
  • Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Education/Experience
  • Masters degree with 2-4 years experience or
  • Bachelors and 3-5 yrs experience; or
  • An equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills and Experience
  • 3-5 years of contracts and grants administration experience
  • Experience preparing, analyzing, and revising detailed budgets
  • Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply agency guideline requirements for a wide variety of extramural sponsors including federal, state, and private agencies.
  • Experience with federal sponsors such as NSF, NIH, DoD, etc.
  • Exceptional interpersonal and professional communication skills
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines
  • Critical thinking skills and decision-making
Necessary Certifications/Licenses
Preferred Certifications/Licenses
Special Notes to Applicants
  • This posting will be used to fill two (2) positions: 006005 and 006040
  • A hybrid work schedule is available once initial onboarding is completed.
  • UNC Charlotte Benefits Information: https://hr.charlotte.edu/benefits
  • The finalist will be subject to a Criminal Background Check and/or a Motor Vehicle Report.
Posting Open Date 03/19/2024
Posting Close Date
Open Until Filled Yes
Proposed Hire Date 04/22/2024
If time-limited please indicate appointment end date
Contact Information

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