Grant Officer ***INTERNAL ONLY***

Center for Public Partnerships & Research; Topeka (KS); Remote; USD 60,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Kansas is seeking an AMS Grant Officer to oversee post‑award administration for a dynamic PI portfolio. The role emphasizes accuracy, reporting, and liaison with sponsors to ensure timely, compliant submissions.

The position is remote with occasional in‑person meetings, open to KU employees only. Experience in grant systems and a strong compliance mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with strong communication and analytic abilities.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and problem solving in a professional setting.
• Current KU Employee status is required for this posting.

Responsibilities

• Manage post‑award administration for PI and departmental needs with budgeting and forecasting.
• Serve as a sponsor liaison handling reporting, extensions, renewals, and budget changes.
• Provide supervision and expert guidance to Grant Coordinators and staff.
• Coordinate funding changes, payroll monitoring, and compliance with sponsor guidelines.
• Perform additional duties to support research administration across the university.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

People skills

Current KU Employee

Education

Bachelor's degree

High school degree

Tools

PeopleSoft Grants

Job description

Position Overview

The day‑to‑day post‑award research administration activities for the University of Kansas (KU) will be conducted by AMS Grant Coordinators and Grant Officers. These positions will be responsible for working with assigned principal investigators (PIs), units, departments, and centers as well as the Shared Service Centers and other administrative offices to perform post‑award research activities in a service focused environment. The positions will use knowledge of post‑award best practices and KU grant systems, policies, and processes to provide PIs with accurate and timely information to make decisions and ensure efficient transaction processing. They will also work with sponsoring agencies to submit timely reports and documentation and to act as liaison between the PI and agency.

The AMS Grant Officer will provide timely and professional services that support or enhance the research service goals of the client units and of the University of Kansas as a whole. This position is a senior‑level award administration position and is responsible for a dynamic, complex research award portfolio, as well as acting as a subject matter expert on complex and timely research administration topics or supervising and mentoring grant coordinators.

This position is designated as fully remote, meaning most activities will be performed from an agreed‑upon off‑campus location. Some in‑person activities such as meetings with PIs, trainings and team meetings will be required on occasion.

Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

Open to KU Employees only at this time.

Job Description

35% - Post Award Management for PI and Departmental Support

• Examine awards to understand terms and conditions and nuances, and review budgets with PI.
• Administer project by monitoring awards for financial and administrative compliance, and based on PI feedback, prepare funding scenarios and conduct expenditure forecasting to aid award management throughout the life of the project.
• Maintain accounting records for all awards within your assigned portfolio.
• Reconcile all assigned accounts against the PPM and General Ledger on a monthly basis.
• Coordinate personnel and purchasing activities with the PI and SSC finance; review transactions for alignment with award terms and conditions and cost accounting standards including budget adjustments, JVs, invoices, check requests, travel and expense reimbursements and purchase requisitions as necessary.
• Meet with PIs on a regular basis to provide updates on the financial status of their accounts.
• Participate in meetings and events with PIs to maintain knowledge of the unit and relationship with the PIs and staff.
• Pre‑certify effort certification reports to accurately report effort certification for PI final review and approval.
• Assist Principal Investigators with budget development for progress reports. Assist with submission of progress reports, program reviews, and other activities related to the award.
• Provide Research Center Directors, Deans, Chairs and other unit staff with requested information so that they can ensure PI’s research goals are maximized.

25% - Sponsor Liaison

• Act as a liaison between PIs and sponsor to communicate and resolve any issues that arise concerning expenditures, which requires extensive knowledge of federal, state and University regulations, including the OMB Uniform Guidance.
• Perform all agency interaction for sponsored project, including no cost extensions, renewals, carryforwards, and budget adjustment requests. Facilitate award setup or budget changes in the financial system as needed in conjunction with Award Processing and Set Up team.
• Prepare, review, finalize, and submit annual/final reporting around finances, property, and inventions.
• Complete project close, including necessary system actions.
• Act as a resource during sponsor and single audit, in conjunction with Associate Directors of Award Management and Post Award, Director of Research Administration, and Fiscal Affairs.
• Complete subrecipient monitoring, as necessary.

25% - Supervision or Functional Area Expertise

• Supervision:
  • Supervise activities of assigned Grant Coordinator(s). Monitors work for accuracy and compliance with state, university, federal and agency guidelines.
  • Provide final review of budget and matching fund information for accuracy and compliance. In general, a beginning level employee is not able to engage in complex financial approvals that have been reviewed or prepared by him or her without the Grant Officer’s secondary review for a period of at least one year. Highly complex or sensitive interactions with sponsoring agencies require the Grant Officer’s approval in all cases.
  • Provide meaningful annual reviews of assigned Grant Coordinator(s) and takes responsibility for all work produced, training, and development of assigned staff during the life of their employment.
• Functional:
  • Serve as expert in designated functional area, such as sponsoring agency (NIH, NSF, etc.), system (FITC‑PPM, excel reporting, etc.) or process (3G, RFAs, etc.).
  • Provide oversight, training, guidance and support in assigned area. Proactively monitor AMS Team, PI or unit needs in this area and identify and enact solutions in coordination with AMS Grant Manager, Associate Director, Award Management and Office of Research leadership.
  • Initiate and coordinate inter‑departmental communication and actions as needed, in conjunction with AMS Grant Manager, Associate Director, Award Management and Office of Research leadership.
• Both:
  • In coordination with AMS Grant Manager, AMS Grant Officers and other stakeholders, develop resources and train departmental and university staff and researchers in grants administration, research foundation policies and sponsor guidelines (expenditures must be reasonable, allocable, allowable and in compliance with KU/KUCR, Federal, State, and any additional sponsor guidelines).
  • Serve as mentor to AMS Grant Coordinators as requested.

10% - Funding Management

• Process project‑based funding changes for all assigned units and PI(s). This includes but is not limited to:
  • Identify funding change needs in advance in coordination with PI, the HR Transactions Team, and by monitoring payroll expenditures.
  • Monitoring payroll on assigned projects at least monthly to ensure accuracy.
  • Updating funding for non‑pool funded positions within the University HR ERP.
  • Working with the HR Transactions Team to submit Personnel Action Forms (PAFs) for necessary changes to pool funded positions.
  • Preparing and submitting Personnel Action Forms (PAFs) to update funding for non‑pool funded positions through the Retro‑Active Funding Adjustment (RFA) process.
  • Preparing documentation and working with the HR Transactions Team to submit Personnel Action Forms (PAFs) to update funding for pool funded positions through the Retro‑Active Funding Adjustment (RFA) process.
  • Submitting and/or processing each funding change transaction type with a high level of accuracy.
• Manage workload to ensure payroll deadlines are consistently met.

5% - Other Responsibilities

• Additional duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Provide award management back‑up to other AMS areas as directed.
  • Work with the AMS Team, Office of Research teams and other colleagues to support each other and research administration across the University.
  • Work with the AMS Team to develop and implement strategic and tactical plans for improving and/or providing support services that enhance operations.
  • Interpret and communicate post‑award research administration policies, procedures, and programs with support from AMS Grant Manager, Associate Director, Award Management, and other Office of Research leadership.
  • Review and recommend changes to unit and AMS procedures to ensure compliance with policy; prepare and update procedural manuals and related instructional materials as requested.
  • Attend regular meetings, training sessions and professional development workshops/seminars to keep current on policies and procedures relevant to position responsibilities, as requested and approved by the AMS Grant Manager.
  • Maintain filing in accord with sponsor and university retention policies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus a minimum of two years related professional‑level work experience OR a high school degree/GED plus a minimum of six years of related work experience.
• Excellent computer, analytical, problem solving, communications, and people skills as evidenced by previous work history.
• Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated by application materials.
• Prior work experience that required attention to detail as shown in application materials.
• Current KU Employee.

Preferred Qualifications

• General knowledge of applicable federal, state, and other sponsor regulations related to sponsored projects, including OMB Uniform Guidance as shown in application materials.
• Experience working independently in a research administration environment as demonstrated in application materials.
• Previous work experience analyzing budgets and interpreting complex contracts, regulations, and guidelines as evidenced in application materials.
• Six (6) months experience using a research administration ERP, e.g., PeopleSoft Grants.
• Previous experience working independently in a team environment, taking ownership of the resolution of problems, being flexible and accountable, managing conflicting responsibilities, prioritizing tasks and consistently meeting deadlines as shown in application materials.
• Experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with faculty, administrative staff, and students in a higher education environment as evidenced in application materials.

Contact Information to Applicants

Rachel Fehr

[e-mail]

Advertised Salary Range

Starts at $66,500

Anticipated Start Date

Monday December 7, 2026