"Grants Analyst II, Research Office"

Context of the Job

Under the general direction of the Assistant Director, Research Office Shared Services, the Grants Analyst II provides comprehensive financial management tasks for all assigned sponsored research portfolios. This includes financial and administrative support for proposal development, management of proposal submission process, and submission of assigned proposals to the Research Office. Additionally, for the research portfolio assigned, you will be responsible for overseeing post-award activities such as account setup, expense tracking, reconciliation, and reporting. The research portfolio will consist of the Research Institutes, Centers, and Service Centers that report to the Research Office, excluding the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) and National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). This position works closely with the Research Office to ensure compliance with federal, state and university policies and procedures with regards to research administration. In supporting identified Research Office Research Institutes, Centers, Service Centers and the Research Office, the Grants Analyst II will help position UD as an innovative competitor in today’s complex and rapidly changing research environment. This role requires excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to effectively support faculty and staff on all sponsored project-related tasks and issues.

The Grants Analyst II will manage the identified Research Office Institutes, Centers, and Service Centers pre and post award activities within Shared Services. Initial assignments will focus on supporting faculty and researchers submitting proposals through the Research Office Institutes, Centers, and Service Centers, with additional responsibilities to evolve based on ongoing business needs of the Research Enterprise. The Grants Analyst II will coordinate with Principal Investigators (PIs), central pre-award counterparts in the Research Office, other University constituents, and sponsor contacts to perform tasks.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide direct support for pre- and post- award tasks for research administration.
• Manage an individual portfolio for the identified Research Office Institutes, Centers, and Service Centers from pre-award to post-award, including proposal development, budget management, annual reporting and sponsor compliance.
• Serve as primary administrative support contact for assigned research portfolio.
• Coordinate with sponsors, faculty, researchers, and central offices/counterparts to complete tasks, including individuals in the Research Office, Human Resources, Procurement, and others as applicable.
• Provide ongoing guidance, facilitation and expertise to faculty and researchers for proposal development and submission.
• Provide instruction to faculty and researchers on policies, procedures, regulations, and guidelines set forth by UD and various sponsors.
• Report to the Assistant Director to communicate progress and assist with long-term planning for research support.
• Assist Research Office and PIs with proposal development and submission to various sponsors, including: Identification of funding opportunities based on individual research and access to UD resources.
• Prepare financial reports, analyze budget variances, and support project financial activities, including monthly reports and budget changes.
• Approve UDX and Concur transactions by ensuring compliance with sponsor and UD requirements.
• Assist with drafting administrative components of a proposal, including budgets, budget justifications, biosketches, and other support documents.
• Enter proposal data into UD and sponsor enterprise application systems as applicable (e.g. PeopleSoft Financials, Cayuse, Grants.gov, Research.gov, etc.).
• Collect required subaward documentation from collaborating subrecipients.
• Assist PIs with developing cost share commitments while advising of potential risks.
• Provide comprehensive review of, corrections to, and/or enhancement of proposal applications.
• Ensure completion of all components of the proposal package in compliance with requirements outlined by the FOA/RFP, sponsor, and UD prior to sending to UD’s central Research Office for submission.
• Facilitate UD institutional review, approvals, routing, and submission of proposals in collaboration with the Research Office.
• Serve as the primary liaison between PIs and the Research Office to ensure timeliness of submission and communication of internal and external deadlines.
• Manage multiple proposals simultaneously to meet all sponsor deadlines.
• Provide guidance and support to faculty on sponsored research financial and budgetary activities.
• Manage transfer of sponsored projects for new faculty.
• Provide timely closeout of grants and contracts.
• Participate in special projects and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with three years of job-related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Prior experience in management of sponsored research programs at a higher education or research-intensive institution.
• Experience in pre- and post-award aspects of sponsored research administration.
• Demonstrated skill and experience in federal, state, and foundation budget preparation, contract/grant management, and financial/budget planning in an academic setting.
• Ability to analyze budgetary expenditures for sponsor and institutional compliance and quantify/illustrate complex reports and projections.
• Ability to interpret and apply guidelines/procedures and communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
• Experience and understanding of compliance and financial management.
• Intermediate skillset and experience in using technology systems, software, and databases for grants management. Experience in Grants.gov, Cayuse, and PeopleSoft Financials preferred.
• Proficiency in the use of MS-Office Suite, including strong analytical skills and aptitude for understanding and interpreting complex datasets.
• Ability to create, generate, analyze, and explain reports using a variety of data sources.
• Skills for quantifying and illustrating complex reports, comparisons, impacts, and/or projections.
• Knowledge of OMB Circulars A-21, A-110, A-133, and Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.
• Knowledge of specific sponsor guidelines and regulations, including NIH, NSF, and other major agencies.
• Independent judgment and problem-solving abilities, able to interpret, adapt and appropriately apply guidelines and procedures.
• Organizational and time management skills, able to carry out multiple projects and tasks simultaneously and independently.
• Strong attention to detail and analysis skills, able to synthesize and coordinate information from a variety of sources.
• Willingness and flexibility to accommodate and effectively support changing priorities, processes, and systems.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; able to effectively and clearly communicate and coordinate with individuals across all levels of the University community on a variety of research management topics with a focus on customer service and collaboration.
• Ability to provide a service-oriented approach to sponsored projects management; strong management and leadership abilities.