College Grants Administrator (COE)

PeopleAdmin, Inc.; Lower Merion Township (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 64,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

Gym membership

Wellness programs

Professional development

Flexible work options

Job summary

Villanova University in Villanova, PA invites applications for a College Grants Administrator (COE). The role supports the research community in applying for and managing sponsored projects and serves as the first line of financial compliance review for sponsored award activities within the College of Engineering.

The administrator ensures compliance with federal sponsor requirements, prepares budgets, is the liaison among PIs, OG&C, and compliance units, and helps reduce faculty

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• At least 3 years’ solid experience supporting pre-award activities for grants and contracts
• Thorough understanding of federal grant regulations and their implementation in higher education
• Ability to translate complex requirements into simple actionable recommendations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; friendly and professional demeanor
• Fluency in Microsoft Office suite

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance to Investigators/Research Team on regulations related to sponsored award proposals
• Maintain regular contact with college Investigators and leaders to proactively manage applications
• Develop, edit, and advise on administrative components of sponsored award proposals including budgets and justifications
• Create internal proposal records and ensure sponsor website uploads are error-free
• Coordinate between PIs, OG&C, and compliance units to ensure training and certifications are complete
• Ensure proposals conform to policies prior to submission to OG&C and sponsor
• Prepare pre-award budget revisions andJust-in-Time requests for review
• Review new awards/contracts for accuracy prior to award setup and manage budget revisions
• Meet with Associate Research Dean to review portfolio and address issues
• Notify PIs and leadership of potential audit risks
• Stay current with changes in research administration and assist with special projects

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

College Grants Administrator (COE)

Position Title: College Grants Administrator (COE)

Posting Details

Posting Number: 20254290S Position Type: Staff Location: Villanova, PA Recruitment Type: Internal/External Applicants Work Schedule: full-time/12-months Avg Hours Week Department: 201-Dean-Engineering

Position Summary

The Grants Administrator assists Villanova University and its research community in applying for and managing sponsored projects and serves as the first point of financial compliance review for VU sponsored award activities within the College of Engineering (COE). The individual in this position is responsible for enforcing and complying with federal and other sponsor requirements and institutional policies and procedures. This position is a member of the COE administrative team and provides local support to faculty. The individual in this role must have a solid understanding of grant policies and independently follow the policies and procedures set forth by the University for managing sponsored award activities. The individual in this role must demonstrate a supportive and team-oriented approach that both reduces faculty administrative burden and protects the university from unnecessary risk as it relates to pre-award activities.

Why work at Villanova?

• Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University’s founding in 1842, we have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to service to others.
• Villanova has been included among the nation’s best colleges and universities. VU’s inclusion again in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings is another indication of the University’s continued prominence and forward momentum.
• Villanova’s most precious asset is our people. As an employee, you will receive a holistic benefits package, generous paid time off, a competitive retirement savings plan, flexible work options, wellness programs including gym membership, professional development, tuition assistance, and more.

Villanova is a Catholic university sponsored by the Augustinian Order. The University is an equal opportunity employer and seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to the University’s mission and values.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide guidance to Investigators/Research Team on regulations, federal and others, as they relate to sponsored award proposal development and implementation.
• Maintain regular contact with college level Investigators and with local leadership (Deans, Chairs, College Finance Managers, etc.), to ensure proactive management of applications.
• Develop, edit, and advise on administrative components of sponsored award proposals including, internal and sponsor-required budgets, justifications, biosketches current/pending and other support, required letters, subaward/subcontract documentation, and any other required documents.
• Create internal (Cayuse) proposal record, complete application forms, and upload documents to sponsor website. Ensure all errors/warnings are addressed.
• Liaise between PIs, OG&C, and compliance units ( IRB , IACUC , COI , Export Control, and IBC ); ensure that compliance training and certifications are complete.
• Ensures that all proposals initiated by college faculty are complete and conform to sponsor and Villanova pre-award policies prior to submission to OG&C for submission to sponsor.
• Prepare sponsor requested pre-award budget revisions, requests for other support/current and pending documents, Just-in-Time requests. Submit to OG&C for review and to sponsor when appropriate.
• Review new awards/contracts/agreements for accuracy prior to award set up. Address any changes as necessary (budget revisions). Prepare and submit advance account and/or pre-award spending requests as needed.
• Meet with Associate Research Dean regularly to review college portfolio, advise of issues, and help to creatively problem-solve.
• Track Key Personnel effort against commitments. Develop plan with PI (and others within college as appropriate) at pre-award to prepare for over-commitments. Maintain current/pending and other support documents throughout the life of the awards.
• Notify PIs, ADR , Chairs, and OG&C leadership of potential audit risks.
• Support other sponsored pre-award related activities as needed.
• Stays current with changes and updates in the research administration field. Perform additional duties and assist with special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Formal Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required

Minimum Work Experience:

• At least 3 years’ of solid experience supporting pre-award activities for grants and contracts
• Thorough understanding of federal grant regulations and their implementation in the higher education setting.
  • Ability to understand contractual requirements.
  • Ability to apply federal and sponsor regulations to financial transactions, sponsored award budgets and sponsored award proposal content.
• Attention to detail required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex requirements into simple and actionable recommendations.
• Friendly and supportive demeanor, and ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or CRA certification preferred; Higher Ed experience
• Knowledge of engineering focused proposal submission standards

Physical Requirements and Unusual Work Hours

Special Message to Applicants

Posting Date: 08/18/2025 Closing Date (11:59pm ET): 09/22/2025

Salary Posting Information: This position falls within salaried grade 15 and the range for this position is $64,000-80,000. The final salary will be determined with consideration of several factors including the selected candidate’s qualifications, department budget availability, market data, and internal equity.

Salary Band: 15 Job Classification: exempt

References Needed

• Minimum Number of References Needed 3
• Maximum Number of References Needed 3