"Grants & Contracts Officer, IV"

Job Details

Grants & Contracts Officer, IV

Job Summary

The University of Utah's Department of Emergency Medicine is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented Grants and Contracts Officer to join our growing research team. As a relatively new department (established just 3.5 years ago), we are actively building and refining our research infrastructure. This position offers a unique opportunity to help shape and strengthen our pre-award and post-award processes as our portfolio expands. Candidates who are excited about contributing to foundational systems—and growing professionally alongside a rapidly developing department—will thrive in this role.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing complex pre-award and post-award activities within an academic or medical research environment and will thrive in a department that supports diverse, high-impact research across industry, NIH, DOD, and other peer-reviewed sponsors.

Emergency Medicine serves as the gateway to nearly every specialty in the UHealth system, which makes our funding portfolio unusually diverse and dynamic. Our collaborations span trauma surgery, nursing, addiction medicine, neurology, internal medicine, critical care, and more—resulting in a constantly evolving mix of basic, clinical, translational, and educational research. This position is well-suited for someone who enjoys meaningful variety and complexity while working in an environment that values thoughtful onboarding, sustainable workloads, and long-term professional development.

This position will play a critical role in supporting faculty and investigators from project concept to closeout, and will serve as a liaison between the department and central university offices (e.g., Office of Sponsored Projects, Grants & Contract Accounting). In addition to direct project support, the Grants and Contracts Officer will help develop and refine internal workflows, guidance materials, and departmental processes that enhance efficiency and maintain clarity as the department continues to grow.

We prioritize work/life integration and provide the time and support needed to become familiar with our investigators, their research programs, and our internal systems. The environment is collaborative and steady-paced, with an emphasis on quality, relationship-building, and accuracy rather than high-volume or rapid-turnaround expectations.

Remote work options and schedule flexibility are available, enabling a healthy balance between independent work and collaborative departmental engagement.

Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

Responsibilities Essential Functions: Pre-Award & Proposal Development:

• Identify and disseminate relevant internal and external funding opportunities to Emergency Medicine faculty
• Assist faculty in the preparation and submission of proposals to a wide range of sponsors, including NIH, DoD, CDC, foundations, and industry.
• Review sponsor guidelines and ensure proposals are compliant with both sponsor and institutional policies.
• Develop and revise budgets, complete sponsor and internal forms, and coordinate submission through appropriate institutional channels.
• Initiate and track the execution of NDAs, CDAs, MOUs, and clinical trial agreements in collaboration with central offices.
• Prepare and maintain Other Support documentation

Contracting & Interim Award Support:

• Facilitate budget negotiations for clinical trials and ensure appropriate cost recovery.
• Coordinate internal processes for new award setup, including project scope review, budgeting, and compliance checks.
• Work with research faculty, research manager, and finance personnel to prepare subawards, internal budgets, and effort commitments.

Post-Award Management:

• Monitor award progress, prepare and submit progress reports and Just-in-Time (JIT) documents.
• Track key deadlines and milestones across multiple concurrent awards.
• Support amendments to contracts, budget revisions, and ensure compliance with terms and conditions.
• Assist with project closeout and final financial reporting in collaboration with grants accounting.

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). Grants and Contracts Officer, IV: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 8 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 6 years of directly related work experience. Preferences

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively with faculty and staff at all levels.
• Strong working knowledge of federal research regulations and common sponsor systems (e.g., eRA Commons, Grants.gov, eBRAP, etc.).
• Experience with clinical trial startup processes and budget negotiations.
• Proficiency in University of Utah systems (e.g., Cayuse, eProposal, eAward, EOR) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with accuracy and efficiency.

Special Instructions Requisition Number: PRN43834B Full Time or Part Time? Full Time Work Schedule Summary: Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm. Infrequent evenings or weekends. Remote work flexibility. Department: 00258 - Emergency Medical Physicians Location: Campus Pay Rate Range: $60,000 - $84,883 Close Date: 3/11/2026 Open Until Filled: