Associate Grants Officer

Northwestern University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 78,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Paid leave

Job summary

Northwestern University in Chicago seeks an Associate Grants Officer in the Office Sponsored Research. The role involves review, redlining, and negotiation of government and nonprofit agreements, including federally funded subawards, requiring deep knowledge of university policies and federal regulations.

You will manage research agreements across campuses, coordinate with INVO, General Counsel, IRB, IACUC, and other offices, and help ensure compliance while communicating clearly with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Experience negotiating contracts and agreements, preferably with government or non‑profit entities.
• Knowledge of contracting and subcontracting principles in higher education.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate terms for government and not-for-profit funding agreements.
• Analyze provisions regarding FAR, IP ownership and licensing, publication, confidentiality, liability, and export control.
• Coordinate to balance needs of PI and University while maintaining good relations.
• Identify issues where Northwestern's position diverges from sponsor and resolve.
• Solicit input from principal investigators and central offices as appropriate.
• Advise investigators on unusual terms and coordinate action plans.
• Ensure negotiated terms adhere to requirements.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Regulatory knowledge

Communication skills

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Department: Office Sponsored Research

Salary/Grade: EXS/8

Job Summary: As a professional staff member of Northwestern Sponsored Research (SR), the Associate Grants Officer is integrally involved in the review and analysis of contractual issues including the review, redlining, and negotiation of government agreements, not for profit agreements, and incoming federally funded subawards that require advanced knowledge of University, sponsor, and Federal regulations and policy. The Associate Grants Officer will manage a range of research agreements with federal, not-for-profit, subcontracts, and associated agreements pertaining to research funding for all academic departments on Northwestern's Chicago, Evanston and Doha, Qatar campuses.

The Associate Grants Officer interfaces with a number of individuals in SR, in other Northwestern offices and departments, and outside the university. Incoming agreements may come from Grants Officers in SR, from the faculty members proposing and conducting the research, or from the entities seeking to sponsor the research. The Associate Grants Officer works with these individuals and coordinates compliance with the University's Innovations and New Ventures (INVO) office, Office of Corporate Relations, Office of General Counsel, Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and others. The Associate Grants Officer has appropriate autonomy and ownership to negotiate, resolve and execute assigned agreements, transactions, relationships, and issues appropriate with the grade level and responsibilities.

The Associate Grants Officer will support the OR mission and values of understanding empathy, modeling accountability, ensuring fairness, embracing community, and valuing creativity.

Specific Responsibilities

Contract and Agreements Negotiation and Acceptance

• Negotiate terms and conditions for government and domestic not-for profit funding agreements. In this capacity, Associate Grants Officer assumes responsibility for differentiating between negotiable positions and absolute requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive analyses of provisions regarding Federal Acquisition Regulations, intellectual property ownership and licensing, publication and confidentiality, liability, indemnification, warranty, export control, and choice of law, among others.
• Conduct negotiations to ensure an appropriate balance between the needs of the parties with those of the PI and the University. Clearly and concisely, convey University positions and the rationale for these positions while working to maintain good relations between the parties.
• Identify issues during research negotiations in which Northwestern's position and/or goals diverge from the sponsoring entity, work with leadership and/or other team members, as appropriate, to favorably resolve those issues, and assist with alerting more senior management when resolution is not able to be reached in a timely manner or when there are issues that are broad‑based or potentially applicable to or problematic in other situations.
• Solicit input from principal investigators and other central administrative offices, such as IRB, IACUC, Technology Transfer, Financial Operations, General Counsel, and Risk Management as appropriate.
• Advise principal investigators and their staff of unusual or problematic terms, coordinate plans of action and keep informed of negotiation process.
• Ensure that negotiated terms adhere to University, agency, and federally mandated requirements.

Agency and Industry Liaison

• Maintain ongoing liaison with external counterparts to enhance ongoing research relationships.
• Work efficiently and transparently with departmental stakeholders and external parties to move agreements towards execution in a compliant and timely manner.

Training, Professional Development, and Other Duties

• Support SR management team and other central and University units as requested on training programs and sponsored research materials on relevant topics such as working with sponsors and industry.
• Attend and assist in education and training meetings, specialized training seminars, and staff professional development and participate actively in staff meetings and departmental working groups.
• Utilize tools and information from national and regional research administration organizations, to continuously enhance job knowledge and skills.
• Represent Sponsored Research and the University as part of working groups as requested.

Miscellaneous: Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Experience negotiating contracts and agreements, preferably with government, and non‑profit entities.

Minimum Competencies (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of generally accepted contracting and subcontracting principles, practices and issues (e.g., indemnification, intellectual property, publication), preferably related to institutions of higher education.
• Working knowledge of federal and international regulatory requirements and guidelines involving research.
• Knowledge of general management principles and practices, skill in dealing with others in work relationships involving mentoring, teamwork, conflict resolutions, and the ability to make difficult decisions.
• Business acumen, judgment and integrity to work with investigators and sponsors, while continuously advancing the best interests of the University.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively under deadline pressures.
• Ability to manage challenging situations.
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Strong service orientation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with university contracting.
• Experience in regulatory and/or transactional work.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $78,000-$88,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide a meaningful and competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre‑tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.