Grants & Contracts Officer II

Grants & Contracts Officer II

Job Summary

The University of Utah is one of the nations premier public research universities, with more than $700 million in annual research expenditures and a strategic trajectory toward $1 billion. The Office of Research Management & Compliance (RMC) serves as the University's central post-award finance and compliance unit, ensuring that research funding is managed in accordance with federal, sponsor, and institutional requirements while supporting the University's mission of discovery, innovation, and impact.

RMC partners closely with the Office of Sponsored Projects, the Controllers Office, and college- and institute-level research administration teams to deliver financial stewardship, compliance oversight, and operational excellence across the post-award life-cycle. As the University's research enterprise continues to grow, RMC is modernizing its systems, re-imagining its service model, and investing in its people and process improvements to support sustainable expansion and innovation.

Responsibilities

Under general supervision, exercise sound judgement to:

• Prepare, review, and issue invoices to sponsors in accordance with award terms, university policy, and federal regulations.
• Reconcile project expenditures and balances, ensuring allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency of charges.
• Perform and document periodic financial reviews; identify and correct errors or variances in a timely manner.
• Prepare and submit accurate and timely financial reports to sponsoring agencies.
• Coordinate proactively with RMC's Core Finance team to ensure cash draws, financial reporting, and receivables management are executed accurately and on schedule.
• Communicate directly with sponsor representatives, departmental administrators, and principal investigators to resolve billing, reporting, or compliance issues.
• Interpret sponsor and institutional policies; ensure transactions comply with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), FAR clauses, and sponsor-specific terms.
• Support audits, internal reviews, and closeout activities by providing reconciliations and documentation.
• Monitor aging receivables, assist in collections, and follow up on outstanding payments or credit memos.
• Maintain accurate records in the University's financial and research systems (e.g., People Soft, e-Award, or equivalent).
• Contribute to process improvement by identifying recurring issues, recommending solutions, and participating in training or testing for new tools and workflows.
• Provide excellent customer service and foster constructive relationships with internal and external partners while upholding fiscal integrity and compliance.
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to collaboration, consistency, and continuous learning.

Minimum Qualifications

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience). Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels: Grants & Contract Officer (GCO), II: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience.