Senior Grants and Contracts Manager

Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, United States

Updated: over 2 years ago
Location: Boston, MASSACHUSETTS
Deadline: The position may have been removed or expired!

The mission of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is to advance the public's health through learning, discovery and communication. To pursue the mission, the school produces knowledge through research then translates this knowledge into evidence that can be communicated to the public, policymakers, and practitioners to advance the health of populations.
The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration supports the school's mission by serving as a central resource for the research community through the provision of expertise and leadership in obtaining and managing research funds. It acts as the institutional representative of the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the administration of sponsored projects for the school. The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration is comprised of research administrators that work in partnership with faculty to review and submit proposals for funding and to ensure that proposals and then awards conform and are managed according to sponsor guidelines and University policies.
The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager will support innovative research at the world's leading public health research institution. Areas of research are focused across nine academic departments which include Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Molecular Metabolism, Global Health & Population, Health Policy & Management, Immunology & Infectious Disease, Nutrition and Social Behavioral Sciences. The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager may work primarily with one academic department, but will also have an opportunity to be exposed to research happening across the school.
The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager is an integral part of the research enterprise and manages the proposal submissions for a given department. They work in close partnership with faculty members and are responsible for proposal preparation and submission. Reporting to the Team Lead, they will work with all aspects of pre-award finances but will have some exposure to post-award management which may include setting up awards, managing contracts, endowments, and gifts. Faculty have a wide-ranging portfolio of accounts from sponsors including the federal government (e.g. NIH, EPA, DoD), foundations, industry, and international contracts from foreign entities and some of the grants and contracts are complex and may involve multiple subcontracts and unique deliverable terms.
Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Pre-award responsibilities include:
  • Grant preparation, budget development
  • Application form submission
  • Responding to sponsor requests
  • Will work directly with the Principal Investigators & collaborators and will interface with central administrative offices to ensure that the applications meet all university, school and sponsor requirements
Post-award responsibilities could include:
  • Creating budget reconciliation and forecasting reports, and using these reports to meet regularly with faculty to review their financial situations.
  • Reviewing and approving all expenditures
  • Ensuring compliance with requirements such as effort reporting
  • Submitting payroll changes for faculty and staff
  • Timely journal entries as necessary, grant close-outs, etc.
  • Other duties as assigned
PLEASE NOTE: The primary work location for this position is Boston, Massachusetts. Until our return to campus, which is still to-be-determined but anticipated to begin as soon as August/September 2021 (or later into the fall), this interview process and position will be conducted virtually – including virtual interviews, remote onboarding, and remote work. The remote nature of this position is only temporary. Local, on-campus work will be required as a condition of continued employment once the School and this role return to an operational status that supports it.
At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, we believe that diversity is integral to the Harvard experience and our mission of improving public health education, research and policy. Diversity of cultural backgrounds, identities, lived experiences, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world enriches our community and enables us to best meet the public health needs of the United States and the world. Ongoing learning and development related to diversity allows for both individual and institutional growth, and is necessary to foster and sustain a culture of inclusion. To achieve this, we are committed to ensuring equitable access to opportunities for learning, living, and working at the Harvard Chan School. We maintain an unwavering dedication to diversity, inclusion, and belonging as core to our institutional values and to actively counter, minimize, and address racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, gender bias, and all forms of discrimination.
Learn more about the School's mission, objectives, and core values and our diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
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Harvard University offers an outstanding benefits package including:
  • Time Off: 3-4 weeks paid vacation, paid holiday break, 12 paid sick days, 12+ paid holidays, and 3 paid personal days per year.
  • Medical/Dental/Vision: Excellent and affordable medical, dental & vision plans, with coverage beginning as of an employee's start date.
  • Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 3 years of service.
  • Tuition Assistance & Reimbursement Programs: $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School, discounted options through participating Harvard graduate schools, and reimbursement options for accredited schools outside of Harvard.
  • Transportation: 50% discount on MBTA passes, as well as additional options (rideshare, biking, etc.) to assist employees in their daily commute.
  • Wellness & Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including stress management, hard & soft skills development, career planning, massages, nutrition, meditation, and complimentary health services. Additionally, access to Harvard athletic facilities, libraries, campus events -- and many discounts for various cultural and leisure activities throughout metro Boston.
Join the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to support our mission of health research and education, and to be a part of the oldest institution of higher learning in the country!
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  • The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health does not provide visa sponsorship, now or in the future, for staff positions.
  • Harvard University requires pre-employment reference checks and background screenings.
  • This position has a 90 day orientation and review period. The O&R period will be waived for any internal Harvard employee transfers.
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Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all Harvard community members who will have any on-campus presence. Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information regarding the University's COVID vaccination requirement and exceptions may be found at the University's


  • 5+ years of experience, with 3+ years of those years in pre- and post-award management experience (both federal and non-federal), required; a combination of education and experience may be considered

The following job-specific skills and competencies are preferred:
  • Bachelor's degree, and/or Certified Research Administrator (CRA) preferred
  • Experience working with investigators on the management of complex research awards and working with a variety of sponsors
  • Intermediate Excel skills
  • Advanced working knowledge of research compliance issues & of key federal grant regulations
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • Excellent written and verbal skills
  • Outstanding attention to detail
  • Understanding of human subject use, animal use and other research compliance areas
  • Problem solving skills and ability to be flexible
The following cultural competencies are also preferred:
  • Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based difference within group environments
  • Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Skills related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.


Internal Number: 55237BR

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