Contracts & Grants Specialist

University-of-Hawaii-System; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Hawai'i System seeks a Contracts & Grants Specialist for the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu. This 11-month, full-time position supports pre-award activities, budget development, and proposal submissions to external agencies.

The role involves working with faculty, department staff, and UH System Offices to ensure compliant, timely proposals and reports. The incumbent will train and assist researchers, manage multi-PI budgets, coordinate with external funders, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Biological Science, or related field.
• 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in pre-award and post-award activities for contracts and grants.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws related to extramural grant funding.
• Ability to resolve complex problems and communicate effectively in writing and verbally.

Responsibilities

• Oversee pre-award activities and streamline proposal submission processes from JABSOM to system offices.
• Provide technical direction for proposal preparation, budget development, and electronic submission.
• Prepare and input multi-PI budgets and manage institutional grants and contracts.
• Coordinate with principal investigators and UH System Offices for timely submissions.
• Maintain database of grants submitted and funded; generate reports on submissions and awards.
• Ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and university policies.
• Develop training materials and conduct workshops for pre-award activities.
• Maintain submission timelines and resolve problems to meet deadlines.
• Collaborate with administrators to follow grant approval processes for timely submissions.

Job description

Contracts & Grants Specialist (#0096748T) | University of Hawai'i page has loaded.

Full-Time Temporary

Job Number

2026-02147

University of Hawai'i at Manoa - John A. Burns School of Medicine

Division

Medicine Dean's Office

10/07/2026

Closing Date

10/21/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii

Position Number:

0096748T

Description

Title: Contracts & Grants Specialist

Position Number: 0096748T

Hiring Unit: John A. Burns School of Medicine, Office of the Associate Dean for Research

Additional Salary Information, PBB, minimum, $5,640/month

Full Time/Part Time: Full-time

Month: 11-month

Temporary/Permanent: Temporary

Other Conditions: Start of employment to begin approximately November 2026, or as mutually acceptable, subject to position clearance, annually renewable depending on performance and/or funding availability.

Duties and Responsibilities

• * Oversee the functions of the pre-award activities of the School and as necessary, identify processes and provide recommendations for the streamlining of the proposal submission process from JABSOM to the appropriate system offices, and improvement of grant development capacity.
• * Provide technical direction and frontline assistance to JABSOM faculty and staff relative to proposal preparation, budget development, assembly of proposal packages, and electronic submission via the University's proposal submission software.
• * Provide scaled assistance in budget preparation, including direct creation and input of multi-PI and multi-institutional budgets. Assist in submission and management of institutional (JABSOM) grants and contracts and submission of reports on such grants and contracts as required.
• * Work directly with departmental principal investigators in coordination with JABSOM and UH System Offices in the timely routing of proposals to external funding agencies.
• * Work with JABSOM and UH Office of Research Services (ORS) to maintain database of JABSOM grants submitted, funded, and funding sources, and produce reports on submissions and awards as required.
• * Interact with departments within JABSOM, and ORS to ensure compliance, resolve problems, and clarify policies and procedures.
• * Work with participants and partners to ensure compliance with sponsor agency requirements.
• * Develop training materials, templates, and workshops for JABSOM faculty and staff to facilitate pre-award contract and grant activities.
• * Maintain internal submission timelines to meet University and agency deadlines and proactively manage the proposal process, including anticipating and resolving problems.
• * Work closely with University and JABSOM administrators to ensure grant approval process is followed for timely proposal submission.
• * Analyze funding agency Requests for Applications (RFAs) and identify requirements to ensure compliant responses prior to submission of proposals.
• * Review materials related to RFA and other solicitation guidelines and University policies assuring that technical (non-scientific) and accounting elements meet agency requirements, budgets align with statements of work, and costs are allowable under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance and other applicable policies, and cost sharing commitments are attainable and have been approved by JABSOM department heads and administrators.
• * Advise and act as a liaison between individual principal investigators, UH System Offices, and other internal and external entities in resolving issues/problem s between internal and external entities involved in the proposal development and submission process.
• *Provide general administrative support in establishing and maintaining files, records and documents; answers general inquiries.
• *Prepare and edit reports; and gather, interpret, and analyze information.
• Keep up to date with sponsor requirements.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings as needed.
• Work cooperatively with other Contracts and Grants Specialists at JABSOM.
• Work under time constraints and short deadlines.
• Other duties as assigned.

*Denotes Essential Job Functions

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration, Biological Science or related field and 3 year(s) of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for pre-award and post-award activities related to contracts and grants; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated.
• Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of pre-award and post-award activities related to contract and grants as demonstrated by broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.
• Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with extramural grant funding.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer and apply word processing software.
• If applicable, for supervisory work, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.
• Knowledge of federal regulations pertaining to contracts and grants administration.
• Knowledge of academic research and evaluation practices.
• Knowledge of academic budget development principles and practices.

Desirable Qualifications

• Familiarity with UH and RCUH policies and procedures.
• Work experience in a sponsored projects office or business office handling pre- and post-award functions for extramurally funded grants and contracts.
• Work experience assisting with grant submissions to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other biomedical funding agencies.
• Ability to create effective presentations that display data, events, and activities in a clear and succinct manner using a variety of media.
• Experience using the Kuali Financial System (KFS) and myGRANT.

EEO, Clery Act, ADA

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, including on the basis of veteran and disability status. For more information, visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/policies/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/ , or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

In accordance with Article 10 of the unit 08 collective bargaining agreement, bargaining unit members receive priority consideration for APT job vacancies. As a result, external or non BU 08 applicants may not be considered for some APT vacancies. BU 08 members with re-employment rights or priority status are responsible for informing the hiring unit of their status.

Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/

Employer University of Hawaii

Department University of Hawai'i at Manoa - John A. Burns School of Medicine Address 651 Ilalo Street

Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813