Assistant/Associate Director, Pre-Award, Proposal and Award Management

University of Pennsylvania

United (PA)

On-site

USD 77,000 - 88,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania seeks an Assistant/Associate Director, Pre-Award, Proposal and Award Management in Philadelphia, PA to lead non-financial post-award duties and review proposals for sponsor and university policy compliance. You will serve as the primary contact for sponsors and collaborate with departments, schools and centers to ensure timely submissions.

Responsibilities include advising faculty, aligning with sponsor requirements, and developing training materials to ensure

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Ability to work independently, under the pressure of deadlines, demonstrate attention to detail and a proactive work style.
Experience with federal/non-federal sponsors and University guidelines/policies is strongly preferred.
Work effectively in a highly matrixed and decentralized environment with the ability to navigate through ambiguity and demonstrate appreciation and support for inclusion and belonging in a constantly evolving academic/higher education environment.

Responsibilities

Responsible for reviewing, authorizing, and submitting proposals on behalf of the university to a wide range of funding sponsors. Ensures proposals are submitted in accordance with university policy and in compliance with sponsor requirements to optimize likelihood of funding. Advises faculty and departmental administrative staff on funding opportunities and administrative strategies for the preparation of successful grant/contract proposals.
Responsible for binding the university to terms and conditions for funded research grants, contracts, and ancillary agreements. Collaborates with contract administrators and provides guidance on terms and conditions for subawards and non-monetary agreements.
Communicates with regulatory offices, to ensure requirements are met for sponsored research activity; maintain all proper and necessary documentation.
Serves as a liaison between funding sponsors and faculty. Reviews and submits final non-financial reports. Maintains current working knowledge of federal and non-profit sponsor policies to ensure the responsible conduct of research at Penn and advise faculty and departmental administrative staff accordingly.
Regularly meet with faculty and administrators to ensures service needs are met and serve as subject matter expert. Addresses concerns or needs of assigned divisions and departments.
Identifies training needs and develops and delivers training materials to meet those needs in a variety of formats, including individual trainings and group sessions. Develop, manage, and deliver university-wide instructor led and web based sponsored projects training course offerings. Ensure training materials and content are maintained and consistent with federal, state, city, and sponsor compliance requirements
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Education

Bachelor Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Job description

Assistant/Associate Director, Pre-Award, Proposal and AwardManagement

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been rankednationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbeswho named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city ofPhiladelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urbancampus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, andrecreational activities. With its historical significance andlandmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety ofatmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home forwork and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includesexcellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and theirfamilies, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety ofprofessional development opportunities, supportive work and familybenefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources,and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant/Associate Director, Pre-Award, Proposal and AwardManagement

Job Profile Title

Associate Director, Research Services

Job Description Summary

The Assistant/Associate Director promotes the Office of ResearchService's mission of providing excellent customer service forresearch projects with an overall focus on high levels of qualityof work and departmental interaction. Pre-Award services at Penn ismanaged via a dynamic team approach. The Assistant/Associate Director is responsible for Pre-Award andnon-financial post-award duties of sponsored research, whichinclude the review of proposals for compliance with sponsor anduniversity policies and guidelines; and non-financial post-awardactivities. Serve as point of contact for sponsoring agencies, and work withdepartments, schools, and centers to ensure timely submission ofnon-financial reports and requests for approval of changes toprojects. Provide action-oriented support to PrincipalInvestigators (PIs) and handle specific grant agreement issues withconfidentiality and integrity. Manage a wide range of complexoperational and administrative matters and understand theorganization and functions of academic departments, organizationalresearch units, and other campus units involved in researchadministration.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Responsible for reviewing, authorizing, and submittingproposals on behalf of the university to a wide range of fundingsponsors. Ensures proposals are submitted in accordance withuniversity policy and in compliance with sponsor requirements tooptimize likelihood of funding. Advises faculty and departmentaladministrative staff on funding opportunities and administrativestrategies for the preparation of successful grant/contractproposals.
Responsible for binding the university to terms and conditionsfor funded research grants, contracts, and ancillary agreements.Collaborates with contract administrators and provides guidance onterms and conditions for subawards and non-monetaryagreements.
Communicates with regulatory offices, to ensure requirementsare met for sponsored research activity; maintain all proper andnecessary documentation.
Serves as a liaison between funding sponsors and faculty.Reviews and submits final non-financial reports. Maintains currentworking knowledge of federal and non-profit sponsor policies toensure the responsible conduct of research at Penn and advisefaculty and departmental administrative staff accordingly.
Regularly meet with faculty and administrators to ensureservice needs are met and serve as subject matter expert. Addressesconcerns or needs of assigned divisions and departments.
Identifies training needs and develops and delivers trainingmaterials to meet those needs in a variety of formats, includingindividual trainings and group sessions. Develop, manage, anddeliver university-wide instructor led and web based sponsoredprojects training course offerings. Ensure training materials andcontent are maintained and consistent with federal, state, city,and sponsor compliance requirements
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalentcombination of education and experience is required.
Ability to work independently, under the pressure of deadlines,demonstrate attention to detail and a proactive work style.
Experience with federal/non-federal sponsors and Universityguidelines/policies is strongly preferred.
Work effectively in a highly matrixed and decentralizedenvironment with the ability to navigate through ambiguity anddemonstrate appreciation and support for inclusion and belonging ina constantly evolving academic/higher education environment.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Division of Finance

Pay Range

$77,330.00 - $88,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to therequirements of the position, and in alignment with salary rangesbased on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state, or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to therequirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.