Job Description

Job Description:

• Provides input to ensure consistency, equitable workloads, and provides staff assistance and coverage as needed as activity grows.
• This individual is a member of a Team and must contribute to the team effort, as needed. This will involve assisting colleagues to ensure timely service to departments, units, and sponsors, as needed and to perform back-up duties during staff vacations or sick leaves.
• Develops training materials, guides, mentors, and assists all staff with issues and guidance.
• Performs additional duties including, but not limited to, leading summer salary allocations and chargebacks, perform periodic checks of PI effort and reimbursements. Escalates or resolves any issues identified at a higher level review.
• Works directly with PIs or their delegates to facilitate management of grant activities, including expenditure and budget reviews, audit of invoices and billings, monitoring accounts and preparing financial reports and projections for grants and other sponsored agreements. Notifies PIs of availability of funds while assisting and advising faculty in financial and project activities by implementing fiscal reporting process. 
• Establishes account management expectations, identify deviations, resolve problems and prepare monthly, quarterly and/or yearly reports as necessary. 
• Interacts with participants, external entities, sponsors, faculty, and other University of Chicago offices including departmental staff and central research administration staff to gather relevant information for the operation management of the sponsored project portfolio and assist in training personnel who report to the PI on research administration operational policies and procedures.
• Works with pre-award staff to follow projects from the pre-award stage to the post-award stage and assists with answering key operational questions on behalf of the PI.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary projects related to goals of Post-Award Services in a very dynamic environment. Coordinates with faculty by organizing risk analysis sessions and conducts statistical analysis of data.
• Tracks project timelines, ensures follow-up, and provides timely reports to PIs and sponsors with proactive support of award management.
• Assists with technical reporting as needed, maintaining compliance for Animal and Human Subjects protocols and regulatory policies by being aware of and advising others of policy and procedures, and by facilitating any tracking or training requirements.
• Assists central pre-award staff as needed with support in the preparation of grant proposals, including gathering and organizing necessary information from faculty across the University of Chicago and other institutions, writing and coordinating letters of support, and providing other information.
• Communicates and collaborates with University departments/units, URA pre-award team and URA post-award, technology transfer and compliance teams/units to facilitate smooth transition throughout the full life cycle. Updates AURA as necessary when applications/proposals are not funded, withdrawn or not routed.
• Reviews sponsor guidelines and processes or assists with development of proposals in compliance with University and sponsor policies, and assists with other grant and contract activity.
• Coordinates and/or assists with other activities, special projects and reports in coordination with the Assistant Director, Post-Award Opt-In Services.
• Provides faculty and administrators with application preparation, analyzing possible solutions to problems that arise using standard procedures. Reviews, interprets, and negotiates contract and grant terms to determine compliance and/or conflict with federal regulations and procedures.
• Guides correspondence between the agency and University community to obtain and process necessary pre and post-award information. Reviews and processes various pre and post-award activities.
• With limited guidance, helps to obtain sponsor approvals for major changes to project work scope, etc. Transmits proposals and manages post award administration, gathers and submits closeout documentation, and maintains records. Ensures completeness and accuracy and coordinates any internal controls prior to the submission of documents to awarding agency.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a business or liberal arts field.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of experience working with sponsored research administration in an academic environment.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of Federal Circulars applicable to universities (OMB A-21, A-110, A-133 or the Uniform Guidance) or interpretation of similar regulations.
• Background and experience with National Laboratories Preferred and with the University of Chicago systems such as AURA, Buysite, FAS, ACCTS, PETS, GEMS and Workday.
• Experience and advanced level proficiency working in Business Objects.
• Rapid proficiency in the use of University of Chicago systems such as AURA, FAS, Workday, ACCTS, PETS, Buysite, GEMS and a high level of proficiency in Excel and Business Objects.
• Strong computer skills including word processing, database management and spreadsheet skills.
• Possess effective training skills.
• Analyze, interpret and implement financial data, sponsored guidance, and University policy and procedures.

Preferred Competencies

• Analytical, proactive, solution-oriented, possess exceptional communication skills (oral & written) and self-motivated.
• Exercise sound judgement in prioritizing tasks.
• Learn new skills, take on new challenges, and ability to effectively interact and collaborate with all levels of University administrators and faculty members.
• Customer service is a high priority of the office with a demeanor of civility and professionalism at all times.
• Excellent planning, problem-solving, organizational, project management and customer services skills.
• Develop and manage interpersonal relationships.
• Make decisions independently that will have downstream impacts on the management of sponsored projects.
• Manage detail-oriented workload, to organize and prioritize workload during high-pressure, high-volume workload periods and to manage stress.
• Exercise sound judgment, absolute discretion regarding confidential matters discretion, and tact.
• Handle multiple, concurrent tasks.

Working Conditions

• Interact by phone, email or in person with faculty and administrative staff at the University and occasionally with staff of federal government, non-federal sponsors, and other institutions and organizations.
• Sit for 4 hours or more.
• Use computers extensively for 4 hours or more.
• Travel to various on-campus locations on a daily basis.
• Use standard office equipment.
• Occasional travel.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)
• References Contact Information (3)(preferred)

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via the Applicant Inquiry Form.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

About University of Chicago (UC)

One of the world's premier academic and research institutions, the University of Chicago has driven new ways of thinking since our 1890 founding. Today, UChicago is an intellectual destination that draws inspired scholars to our Hyde Park and international campuses, keeping UChicago at the nexus of ideas that challenge and change the world.

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