Grants and Contracts Manager

UW Advancement Careers; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Washington’s Department of Chemistry seeks a Grants and Contracts Manager to oversee the compliant administration of sponsored projects across the grant lifecycle. You will provide pre‑award and post‑award support, guide investigators, and maintain audit‑ready records in a department with ~hundreds of sponsored activities.

This in‑person, full‑time role offers a possible hybrid option up to two days per week and requires strong organizational and communication skills to manage

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Finance, Accounting, Research Administration, or a related field.
• Three years experience in grants and contracts administration, sponsored research, or closely related field.
• Experience interpreting sponsor terms and University requirements; ensuring compliance and audit-readiness.

Responsibilities

• Pre‑award proposal development and submission coordination with investigators and staff.
• Post‑award financial administration, award setup, monitoring, and reporting.
• Compliance, documentation, and internal controls to ensure audit-readiness.
• Communication, consultation, and customer service to internal and external partners.
• Systems, reporting, and process improvement for sponsored-project data and workflows.
• Other duties and projects as assigned, including support of departmental fiscal operations.

Skills

Grant administration

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Finance, Accounting, Research Administration, or related field

Job description

Job Description

The Department of Chemistry has an outstanding opportunity for a Grants and Contracts Manager to join their team.

About This Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Finance, the Grants and Contracts Manager is responsible for the compliant, effective, and timely administration of sponsored projects and other externally funded activities in the Department of Chemistry. This position provides comprehensive pre‑award and post‑award support across the full grant and contract lifecycle, serves as a knowledgeable resource to principal investigators and research staff, and supports the department’s general financial operations.

This position is in‑person, full‑time, 100% FTE. The position may be eligible for a hybrid schedule of up to two days per week, subject to operational needs and approval.

Key Responsibilities

• Pre‑award proposal development and submission (30%): Supervise a Grants Specialist and advise investigators and research staff on sponsor requirements, timelines, routing, and submission procedures; coordinate budgets, justifications, subaward materials, and required proposal components; review submissions for completeness and compliance; and resolve administrative issues before deadlines.
• Post‑award financial administration and award management (40%): Supervise a Budget/Fiscal Analyst and coordinate award setup, financial monitoring, projections, reconciliations, reporting, budget revisions, rebudgeting, no‑cost extensions, carryforward, payroll actions, subawards, amendments, and closeout.
• Compliance, documentation, and internal controls (15%): Interpret sponsor terms and University requirements; maintain complete, audit‑ready records; monitor reporting, effort, cost sharing, subawards, deliverables, and other obligations; identify and address compliance concerns; and support audits and internal reviews.
• Communication, consultation, and customer service (5%): Serve as a primary contact for faculty, staff, research teams, central administrative units, and external partners; provide timely guidance; communicate deadlines and policy changes; and deliver training and onboarding on grants‑management processes.
• Systems, reporting, and process improvement (5%): Maintain accurate data in financial and sponsored‑project systems; generate reports and management summaries; develop procedures, checklists, templates, and workflow improvements; and assist with system testing and implementation.
• Other duties and projects as assigned (5%): Assist the Director of Finance or Administrator with ongoing departmental fiscal operations and time‑sensitive financial projects.
• This position manages 2 employees.

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Finance, Accounting, Research Administration, or a related field and three years experience in grants and contracts administration, sponsored research, research finance, or a closely related administrative or financial field.
• Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Department.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience supporting both proposal development and post‑award financial administration, or an equivalent combination of responsibilities.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem‑solving, and project‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines accurately and with minimal supervision.
• Ability to interpret and apply University, federal, state, and sponsor policies, regulations, and procedures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain complex requirements clearly to faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
• Ability to handle confidential financial, personnel, proposal, and sponsor information with discretion, judgment, and diplomacy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a university, academic research, healthcare, nonprofit, or similarly complex sponsored‑program environment.
• Experience supervising fiscal staff or coordinating the work of grants and financial administrators.
• Experience with UW research administration, financial, procurement, payroll, labor‑distribution, or sponsored‑program systems.
• Experience preparing or reviewing proposal budgets, budget justifications, subaward materials, sponsor forms, financial reports, or award modifications.
• Working knowledge of federal and non‑federal grant and contract requirements, including allowability, allocability, reasonableness, cost sharing, effort, subawards, procurement, documentation, and record retention.
• Experience developing procedures, training materials, tracking tools, reports, or process improvements; proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel; and the ability to learn new systems.
• Experience partnering with principal investigators, research administrators, faculty, and central administrative offices across the full award lifecycle.

Working Conditions

• Work is generally performed in an office or hybrid environment with extensive use of computers, email, and financial or research administration systems.
• Workload may increase during proposal deadlines, fiscal year‑end, reporting periods, audits, award closeout, and other peak cycles.
• Occasional work outside normal business hours may be required to meet sponsor deadlines or support time‑sensitive departmental needs.

About The Team

The Department of Chemistry is a large academic unit at the University of Washington, with approximately 45 faculty, 240 graduate students, 40 postdoctoral scholars, and 70 staff. The department manages approximately $28 million in annual grant and contract expenditures and partners closely with principal investigators, research teams, department leadership, and central University offices to support responsible and effective sponsored‑project administration.

Compensation, Benefits And Position Details

Pay Range Minimum

$67,632.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum

$101,448.00 annual

Benefits

Other Compensation

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent)

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit

Not Applicable

About The UW

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Our Commitment

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206‑543‑6450 or [e-mail].

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.