"Grant and Contract Officer, Federal Team"

The Office of Sponsored Programs at Cornell University seeks a Grant and Contract Officer (Grant Contract Officer I) to join its Federal Team.

This position will contribute to a highly effective team providing sponsored proposal and award administration services that advance Cornell’s research and other sponsored programs. The successful candidate will possess a strong customer service orientation and will demonstrate equal strengths in working with people, processes, and information.

The Opportunity

As Grant and Contract Officer, you will represent Cornell University and principal investigators to prospective sponsors for funding. Your work on proposal submission, award negotiation and acceptance, and post-award actions will facilitate research proposal and award activities while upholding the university’s principles, policies, and goals. You will serve as an expert resource for researchers and campus research administrators on existing and emerging sponsor regulations and policies. Reporting to the Associate Director of the Federal Team, you will facilitate information exchanges between principal investigators and administrative offices, including research compliance, post-award finance, intellectual property management, and sponsors. In addition to your OSP colleagues, you will interact with faculty, academic department administrators, sponsoring agencies, and colleagues in Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing, Division of Financial Services, Office of General Counsel, and Office of Research Integrity & Assurance.

As part of the Cornell community, you will help foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Duties will include:

• Reviewing, analyzing, and approving proposals and standard agreements in accordance with university and sponsor policies
• Executing the proposal submission process and ensuring accurate and timely entry of proposal data into electronic systems
• Supporting or leading negotiations for sponsored awards and subawards on behalf of the university and investigators, while using a risk-based approach
• Ensuring accurate and timely entry of sponsored awards into the research administration support system
• Partnering with post-award financial staff, investigators, campus research administrators and others to establish, monitor, and close out sponsored awards
• Keeping investigators and management informed of sponsor requirements, changes, and issues and resolving administrative problems
• Participating in process improvement efforts and development of tools and resources to assist faculty and campus research administrators

What We Need

Send us a cover letter and resume outlining your interest in this position and explaining how your experience and qualifications match the position requirements. Your letter is an important component of your application. Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

When evaluating your candidacy, we will look for evidence of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of experience administering sponsored agreements, ideally in an academic setting; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and analytical abilities, including synthesizing large amounts of information from a variety of sources
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities concurrently and meet deadlines
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
• Ability to collaborate with and gain consensus among constituencies that may include internal and external stakeholders in different geographic locations and possessing distinct needs
• Ability to interpret and apply regulations, policies, and laws related to sponsored programs

Additionally, although not required, the following could be helpful:

• Working knowledge of sponsor, government, and organization regulations, including OMB 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards)
• JD or other advanced degree
• Knowledge of contract law, intellectual property, insurance, and indemnification

About Us

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) oversees the administration of sponsored programs at Cornell University, including sponsored research, instruction, and extension. OSP is a part of Cornell Research & Innovation.

Cornell Research & Innovation creates an environment that unifies and advances Cornell’s scholarship, research, and discovery through state-of-the-art facilities, domain expertise, and partnership to enable innovation and impact. We leverage external funding and partnerships, enable interdisciplinary research, and ensure regulatory compliance. We collaborate to successfully translate and commercialize research through large and small companies, including startups launched by our entrepreneurial faculty, staff, and students.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is located in Ithaca, New York on the campus of Cornell University. The position is eligible for a hybrid working arrangement with weekly work on campus expected. Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions, we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell.