Award Acceptance Manager

SRA International; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 65,100 - 86,274; Full time

Job summary

Portland State University is seeking an experienced research administration professional to lead SPA's Award Acceptance function on campus with limited remote work potential. The role oversees review, negotiation, acceptance, and documentation of sponsored awards and ensures timely stewardship across the lifecycle.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree with 3+ years in related fields and includes responsibilities as AOR/Institutional Signing Official, driving service-oriented practices and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 3+ years of related experience.
• Experience in higher education sponsored projects administration preferred.
• Strong leadership and staff development skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for SPA's Award Acceptance team.
• Oversee review, negotiation, acceptance, documentation and stewardship of sponsored awards.
• Serve as Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) and Institutional Signing Official.
• Promote consistent, service-oriented practices across the University.
• Support process improvement and institutional stewardship throughout the lifecycle.

Skills

Leadership

Team supervision

Operational judgment

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Portland State University is seeking an experienced research administration professional to serve as Award Acceptance Manager within Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA). This position provides operational leadership for SPA's Award Acceptance team and offers an opportunity to help strengthen and modernize research agreement administration at a growing urban research university committed to innovation, collaboration, and public impact.

SPA is the university's centralized sponsored projects office responsible for the oversight and administration of externally funded grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other sponsored agreements across a diverse research portfolio supported by federal, state and local government, private industry, nonprofit, and international sponsors.

The Award Acceptance Manager provides leadership for SPA's Award Acceptance function and oversees the timely, consistent, and effective review, negotiation, acceptance, documentation, and stewardship of sponsored research awards and related agreements. The position supervises a team of Grants & Agreements Specialists responsible for award and agreement negotiation, outgoing subaward administration, and institutional award documentation while establishing operational priorities, managing workload, developing staff, and promoting consistent, service-oriented practices across the University.

The manager serves as an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) and Institutional Signing Official with delegated authority to execute sponsored project agreements and related institutional commitments on behalf of the University. The position also plays an important role in operational improvement efforts, strengthening processes, enhancing service delivery, and supporting sound institutional stewardship throughout the sponsored project lifecycle.

This position requires a bachelor's degree with 3 or more years of related experience. The anticipated starting annual salary for this position is between $65,100 and $86,274, depending on qualifications and experience.

Experience in higher education sponsored projects administration is strongly preferred, as is supervisory experience. We recognize that strong candidates may bring relevant experience from a variety of professional backgrounds and may not meet every preferred qualification listed in the posting. Applicants with transferable experience in areas such as sponsored projects administration, research agreements, contracts, grants management, compliance, or other regulated environments are encouraged to apply. We are particularly interested in candidates who bring strong operational judgment, collaborative leadership skills, and a commitment to staff development and continuous improvement.

Whether you are an experienced Grants & Agreements Specialist, Contract Officer, Research Administrator, or Research Contracts Manager looking to step into your first operational management role, or an established manager seeking broader leadership responsibility, this position offers an opportunity to help shape the future of sponsored projects administration at Portland State University.

This position is based on Portland State University's vibrant urban campus in downtown Portland. The role is expected to work primarily on campus as part of SPA's collaborative management team. Limited hybrid flexibility, typically up to one remote workday per week, may be available under an approved remote work agreement consistent with university policy and operational needs.