GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR-SOE

University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham (AL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Alabama at Birmingham seeks a GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR-SOE to provide comprehensive post-award research administration across a growing sponsored portfolio. You will partner with faculty, department leadership, and offices to ensure financial stewardship and compliance for grants and contracts throughout the award lifecycle.

Responsibilities span pre-award collaboration and strong post-award oversight, including cost share management, account reconciliations, and routine reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; seven years of related experience.
• Experience with post-award financial administration.
• Knowledge of 2 CFR 200 and sponsor requirements.
• Experience supervising research administration personnel.
• CFRA/CRA certification desirable.

Responsibilities

• Oversee post-award financial management for assigned departments and portfolios.
• Monitor expenditures for compliance with sponsor requirements and budgets.
• Provide guidance on allowability, allocability, and cost transfers.
• Prepare and distribute financial reports to investigators and leadership.
• Coordinate post-award actions such as amendments, extensions, and closeouts.
• Lead effort reporting and compliance activities as Department Effort Officer.

Skills

Financial analysis

Budgeting

Accounting

Post-award administration

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Job Description - GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR-SOE (T240623)

GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR-SOE - ( T240623 )

Description

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) seeks a GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR-SOE to provide comprehensive research administration support across a dynamic and growing sponsored research portfolio. This position serves as a key partner to faculty investigators, department leadership, and university offices, ensuring effective financial stewardship and compliance management of grants and contracts throughout the award lifecycle.

This position includes oversight of pre-award responsibilities with an emphasis on post-award administration, financial oversight, compliance, and operational management of sponsored projects. The successful candidate will possess strong financial and analytical skills, experience managing federal and non-federal awards, and a demonstrated understanding of 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) and related sponsor regulations.

While maintaining a portfolio of assigned investigators and awards, the Grants Administrator serves as the school’s lead post-award research administration professional, providing oversight, guidance, and coordination of post-award activities for units within the School of Engineering. This position is responsible for promoting consistent practices in grant fiscal management, compliance, effort reporting, cost share management, account reconciliation, and award administration throughout the school.

Responsibilities

Pre-Award Administration and Management

• Work collaboratively with investigators, departmental personnel, and the Office of Sponsored Programs to facilitate timely and accurate proposal submissions.
• Review all sponsored research proposal submissions within the School of Engineering to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and submission deadlines.
• Assist faculty and departmental personnel in the development of proposal budget justifications and budgets: effort allocations, cost share commitments, indirect costs, and other budget components.
• Serve as a resource for interpreting sponsor guidelines and institutional requirements related to sponsored project proposals.
• Support continuous improvement of proposal development and review processes across the school's research enterprise.

Post-Award Administration and Management

• Serve as the award manager for assigned departments and research portfolios and provide financial and operational oversight for all sponsored project activity within the School of Engineering.
• Provide comprehensive post-award administration throughout the grant and contract lifecycle.
• Monitor sponsored project expenditures for compliance with sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and approved budgets.
• Advise principal investigators regarding allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency of costs charged to sponsored awards.
• Apply and interpret federal regulations, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), sponsor policies, and university procedures.
• Perform monthly account reconciliations and resolve financial discrepancies.
• Prepare and distribute financial reports to principal investigators and school leadership.
• Process funding source changes, salary reallocations, cost transfers, and other financial transactions.
• Review invoices, coordinate payments and monitor receivables as required.
• Track project funding, expenditures, and cash activity.
• Monitor and track cost share commitments throughout the life of sponsored projects, ensuring cost share expenditures are properly documented, reconciled, and reported in accordance with sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and applicable federal regulations.
• Coordinate modifications, amendments, extensions, and other post-award actions.
• Support award closeout and ensure completion of all financial and administrative requirements.

Research Compliance and Effort Reporting

• Serve as Department Effort Officer (DEO) for assigned departments.
• Lead effort reporting certification activities and provide guidance to faculty and staff.
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations, sponsor requirements, and institutional policies.
• Identify compliance risks and implement corrective actions and process improvements.

Operational Support

• Supervise, train, mentor, and evaluate research administration staff.
• Develop and maintain grants management procedures and reference materials.
• Provide onboarding and ongoing education for faculty and research personnel.
• Participate in research administration committees and initiatives.
• Prepare research and financial activity reports for school leadership.
• Support continuous improvement efforts to enhance research administration services.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a related field and seven (7) years of related experience required. Work experience may NOT substitute for education requirement.

Preferred

• Demonstrated expertise in post-award financial administration of federal and nonfederal awards.
• Strong working knowledge of 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) and federal agency requirements.
• Experience with effort reporting and labor distribution management.
• Experience supervising research administration personnel.
• Professional certification such as CFRA or CRA is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced financial analysis, budgeting, and accounting skills.
• Thorough understanding of sponsored project administration and grant compliance, including costs share budgeting and tracking.
• Strong knowledge of federal regulations governing sponsored research.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal, customer service, and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with faculty, administrators, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous process improvement and operational excellence.

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, and veteran's status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB's Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.

Primary Location

University

Job Category

Professional & Managerial

Organization

440000000 School of Engineering Dean's Office

Employee Status

Regular

Shift : Day/1st Shift

Work Arrangement (final schedule to be determined by the department/hiring manager) : Hybrid Eligible