Senior Grant Administrator

Columbia University Irving Medical Center; New York (NY); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University Irving Medical Center is looking for a Senior Grant Administrator in the Department of Pediatrics. This full-time role involves managing grant finances, ensuring compliance, and supporting faculty in developing and submitting projects. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, with at least four years in grants management. Proficiency in grant systems, MS Office, and strong interpersonal skills are essential for success in this position, alongside rigorous attention to detail and effective communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience plus four years of related work experience.
• Grants Management certification desirable.
• Six years of progressively responsible pre-award and grants management experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop a firm understanding of grant finances, policies, and procedures.
• Take full responsibility for meeting performance metrics on the grant portfolio.
• Prepare annual and final reports, and deliver regular financial status reports to principal investigators.
• Advise on adherence to federal, university, and departmental guidelines.
• Support faculty with the development, review, submission of sponsored projects.

Skills

Grant finances understanding

Communication skills

Mathematical skills

Excel proficiency

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

MS Office (Excel, Outlook, Word)

NIH systems and procedures (ASSIST, eRA Commons, NIH RePORT)

Columbia University ARC account management system

Job description

Job Details

• Grade: 105
• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $95,000.00 - $110,000.00

Position Summary

The Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center seeks a Senior Grant Administrator to join our Research Administration team in a full‑time position.

Responsibilities

• Develop a firm understanding of grant finances, policies, and procedures.
• Take full responsibility for meeting performance metrics on the grant portfolio.
• Communicate promptly any issues related to Uniform Guidance, university policies, and grant regulations.
• Demonstrate independent thinking to resolve novel or complex situations.
• Accept new responsibilities and assignments as needed.
• Provide active award monitoring: support faculty and administrators with report deadlines, prepare annual and final reports, and deliver regular financial status reports to principal investigators.
• Advise on and ensure adherence to federal, university, and departmental guidelines, policies, and procedures.
• Maintain familiarity with the grants and principal investigators in the portfolio; use tools to manage the assigned portfolio efficiently.
• Apply strong mathematical skills and proficiency with Excel for post‑award budgeting, salary distribution calculations, and grant bookkeeping.
• Support faculty and fellows with the development, review, submission, and renewal of sponsored projects from NIH, private foundations, government, and industry.
• Develop grant budgets, refine budget justifications, and format proposal documents for sponsor compliance.
• Navigate various proposal application processes and electronic proposal systems.
• Liaise with other departments, schools, and universities to obtain required documents for collaborative proposals and sub‑awards.
• Work with administrative offices on award acceptance and project account set‑up, including sub‑awards.
• Establish new awards and sub‑projects with accurate budgets and documentation; obtain sponsor approvals for no‑cost extensions, re‑budgeting, and carry‑over requests.
• Resolve restrictions (human subjects, animals, compliance) promptly.
• Maintain records in accordance with internal procedures in an organized, transparent manner.
• Use shared resources and collaborate to create and maintain shared tools and files; update shared documents and ensure accuracy and timeliness of invoicing, expenditures, payments, requisitions, and purchase orders.
• Ensure compliance with university, sponsor, and agreement terms for all expenditure areas.
• Apply special attention to sub‑award management (incoming and outgoing, SAPO), track SAPO invoices, and achieve 100% accuracy.
• Distribute grant‑related personnel salaries in accurate and timely fashion following departmental and university policies.
• Support annual and quarterly reporting and financial planning processes; certify effort and other required attestations with staff, investigators, and department managers.
• Assist with quarterly and annual fiscal‑year budget procedures and year‑end closing activities, including IC sharing and over‑runs.
• Communicate effectively with supervisors, faculty, peers, general staff, and other personnel in a courteous and professional manner.
• Understand NIH and other proposal requirements, including biosketches, support statements, narratives, summaries, and resource sharing plans.
• Respond constructively to work challenges, actively participate in meetings, and collaborate with the Pediatrics Research Administration team and other administrative teams.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned or requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in work experience plus four years of related work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Grants Management certification desirable.
• Knowledge of Columbia University ARC account management system is a plus.
• Six years of progressively responsible pre‑award and grants management experience.
• Experience managing federal and private grants, clinical trials, and in an academic healthcare environment preferred.

Other Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Outlook, Word).
• Demonstrated ability with NIH systems and procedures (ASSIST, eRA Commons, NIH RePORT) desirable.
• Professionalism demonstrated by excellent interpersonal relationship‑building.
• High degree of organization.
• Ability to work well with others under tight deadlines and maintain a positive attitude.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and effectively manage own workload.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Light level of physical activity required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.