Grants & Contracts Specialist – Sponsored Programs

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

Retirement plans

Paid leave time

Tuition reduction

Job summary

The University of Utah seeks a Contracts Officer to draft and negotiate agreements for sponsored project activity with external sponsors. You will support faculty and the University, ensuring legal, ethical, and financial compliance across contracts and reports.

Hybrid work schedule with in-office presence, pay range $70,000–$85,000 annually, and opportunities to interact with a broad set of stakeholders across campus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration or related field required.
• Two years experience with federal or private funding agencies on grants, contracts or other agreements required.
• An advanced degree in Public Administration, Law or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Work with faculty, staff, and a variety of external sponsors to create contracts for sponsored project activity at the University.
• Assists faculty and staff in preparation of contract proposals.
• Reviews and interprets sponsoring agency policies, rules, and regulations.
• Performs pre-negotiation fact-finding to support negotiations.
• Review, interpret, draft and negotiate sponsored agreements.
• Track and manage agreement workflow through signing.
• Ensure contracts meet legal, ethical, and financial standards of the University.
• Establish and implement a system to regularly review all agreements and current multi-year gift agreements to ensure programmatic, legal, ethical, and financial compliance, including reporting.
• Facilitate the regular collection of information and metrics related to contracting and sponsored project management process, including preparing and submitting reports, analyzing and preparing data of work performed, compile reports, and other tracking and reporting tasks as identified.
• Respond to faculty, staff, and sponsor inquiries.
• Act as OSP liaison with General Counsel on legal matters pertaining to sponsored contract agreements.
• Act as an OSP liaison with University leadership and other research administration and compliance offices.
• Use information systems to track and manage sponsored agreements through the project lifecycle.
• Serve as the primary resource for campus-wide research administration professionals and external interested parties and provide expert advice on University policies and procedures, work process and practice, the sponsored programs lifecycle, IT systems, contracting, compliance issues, reporting, and stewardship.
• Ensure that University practice and policy related to sponsored contracts reflect current state and federal laws and regulations and provide training and updates to faculty, leadership, and research administration professionals across campus.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration or related field

Two years experience with federal or private funding agencies on grants, contracts or other agreements

Advanced degree in Public Administration, Law or related field (preferred)

Job description

The University of Utah seeks a Contracts Officer to draft and negotiate agreements for sponsored project activity with external sponsors. You will support faculty and the University, ensuring legal, ethical, and financial compliance across contracts and reports.

Hybrid work schedule with in-office presence, pay range $70,000–$85,000 annually, and opportunities to interact with a broad set of stakeholders across campus.