"Grant Specialist II (Hybrid) - Department of Developmental Biology"

Position Summary

The Department of Developmental Biology in the School of Medicine is seeking a Grants Specialist II to support our research-intensive faculty and labs. This hybrid position is based in St. Louis, MO and offers a mix of on-site and remote work. As a Grants Specialist II, you will play a vital role across the full sponsored project life cycle, with responsibilities in both pre-award and post-award administration. You will help ensure that proposals and awards are accurate, compliant with sponsor and university guidelines, and submitted and managed in a timely manner, while supporting payroll sourcing and other post-award activities for a portfolio of research-active faculty.

In this role, you will partner closely with faculty and staff to prepare, review, and submit a wide variety of proposals. You will develop and manage proposal budgets and budget justifications, as well as support the non-technical components of submissions, such as gathering information for protocols and other support documents, facilities and resources, and other required materials. You will prepare and review all sponsor forms, enter budgets into online systems, obtain required PI and institutional signatures, and coordinate just-in-time requests as needed. Throughout this work, you will interpret and apply specific proposal guidelines, terms and conditions, and established agency and university rules.

The Grants Specialist II also serves as a key liaison between the faculty and Department Administrators, helping to ensure smooth communication and alignment throughout the proposal and award process. You will collaborate with Principal Investigators to compile and submit complete, accurate applications, and you will stay current on evolving federal, sponsor, and institutional regulations that govern research administration. You may coordinate the submission of subawards, prepare subaward budgets, obtain pricing quotes from internal and external partners, and initiate subaward setups in the SUBS system. You will upload pre-award documents, hand off to Post-Award for fund setup, and work with the Post-Award unit to ensure timely implementation and management of contracts and subcontracts, including appropriate payroll sourcing and budget monitoring.

We are looking for someone with experience in research administration, grants management, budgeting, or a related administrative role, ideally in an academic or healthcare environment. Comfort with numbers and budgeting tools, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines at once are all important in this position. Clear, professional communication skills are essential, as you will work closely with faculty, department leadership, and central offices. You should also be curious and willing to learn and stay up to date on sponsor and university policies and complex regulatory requirements.

This is an opportunity to join a team of experienced, collaborative professionals who care deeply about supporting science and supporting one another. In the Department of Developmental Biology, your work will directly contribute to advancing research that improves our understanding of human development and health. If you are detail-oriented, enjoy partnering with faculty, and want to grow your career in research administration while working in a supportive, hybrid environment, we would be excited to have you on our team.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Proposal/Grant Management

• Performs pre-award job duties in response to specific proposal guidelines and terms and conditions.
• Works with faculty in proposal preparation and submission. 
• Manages budgeting, analysis, justifications for proposals; gathers information for protocols and non-technical proposal components as needed. 
• Serves as a liaison between the Chair, Faculty, and Department Administrators (DAs).
• Stays current on federal and university developments regarding research administration and complex regulations. 
• May coordinate the submission, work with PI to prepare budget, and obtain pricing quotes from other departments.
• Compiles and ensures accurate regulatory compliance of necessary data collected from various sources.
• Works with Principal Investigator to compile and submit the entire grant according to established agency/university guidelines.
• Prepares and reviews all agency forms for submission.
• Enters grant budgeting documents on line, as needed.
• Obtains PI and institutional signatures for proposal submissions.
• Initiates subaward setup through SUBS system (new process/system). Uploads pre-award documents and hands it off to Post-award to enter fund number.
• Coordinates with the Post-award unit and OSRS to ensure timely implementation of contracts and subcontracts by examining and supplying the necessary requirements in the SUBS system.

Award Management

• Provides internal notice of award (NOA), including sponsor award documents, to SPA and PI, noting any special terms and conditions as well as committed effort. 
• Monitors and works with PI to submit annual agency reports (e.g., Research Performance Progress Reports/RPPRs).
• Teams with the Post-Award unit on revised budgets. 
• Oversees and coordinates the proper transfer of PI grants and contracts into Wash U.

Research Compliance

• Coordinates the necessary support with internal and external requests for grant-related information (i.e. current biosketches, trainee information, and human/animal protocol approvals, other support).

Research Reporting

• Tracks and maintains online database of grants submitted, awarded, rejected, etc.

Grant Closeout

• Serves as responsible for closure of sponsored projects accounts.
• Submits final progress report and invention statement (if applicable) to the appropriate agency.
• Follows up with PI and facilitates submission of delinquent final technical, outcomes, patent, and property reports.

May assist with some post award activities.

• Manages and monitors sponsored projects budgets and ensures appropriate and timely expenditures and reconciliation of funds.
• Approves purchasing documents and provides guidance to purchasing staff on appropriate expenditures according to specific grant policies.
• Checks for accuracy and provides complex troubleshooting error resolutions/solutions for fund profile setups and financial reports.
• Prepares monthly financial reports on all research accounts and distribute/discuss with PIs and senior leadership.
• Assists DA in reconciling funds and monitoring spending levels, overdrafts, and cost sharing commitments.

Performs other duties as assigned including assisting senior leadership with special projects as requested.

Working Conditions

Job Location/Working Conditions
Normal office environment.
May travel to attend training sessions / seminars.

Physical Effort
Typically sitting at desk or table.
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.

Equipment
Office equipment.

Required Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.

Work Experience:
Relevant Experience (2 Years)

Preferred Qualifications

Skills:
Accounting, Adobe Acrobat, Analytical Thinking, Computerized Accounting, Computer Literacy, Deadline Management, Grant Administration, IBM Cognos Analytics, Interpersonal Communication, Learning New Technologies, Maintaining Composure, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word, Oral Communications, Workday Software, Written Communication

Salary Range

$53,100.00 - $90,600.00 / Annually