Senior Grant Specialist (PRN/Remote) - Genetics

Washington University in St. Louis; St. Louis (MO); Remote; USD 62,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington University in St. Louis is seeking a Grants Specialist to support the pre-award lifecycle, including proposal preparation and submission, just-in-time requests, and compliance.

You will manage a portfolio of faculty post award activities with minimal supervision in a research‑intense department. The role involves collaboration with faculty, chairs and administrators, staying current on sponsor and university guidelines, and coordinating with SUBS and Post‑award units to ensure timely

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.
• 3 years of relevant experience in grants administration or research administration.
• Familiarity with pre-award and post-award processes is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Performs pre-award duties for complex proposals with minimal guidance.
• Manages budgeting and justifications for proposals; gathers data for components.
• Serves as liaison between Chair, Faculty and Department Administrators.
• Stays current on federal and university research administration developments.
• Coordinates submission, assists PI with budget prep and quotes, ensures compliance.
• Prepares and reviews agency forms for submission.
• Enters grant budgeting documents online.
• Obtains PI and institutional signatures for proposals.
• Initiates SUBS subaward setup and hands off to Post-award.
• Coordinates with Post-award and OSRS for contracts and subcontracts.

Skills

Accounting Processes

Analytical Thinking

Interpersonal Communication

Deadline Management

Grant Administration

Computer Literacy

Oral Communications

Written Communication

Supervisory Management

Learning New Technologies

Maintaining Composure

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

IBM Cognos Analytics

Adobe Acrobat

Microsoft Office

Workday Software

Job description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Proposal / Grant Management

Location

Remote, US

Position Summary

Grants Specialists (GS) play a vital role in the sponsored project life cycle, ensuring that research proposals adhere to sponsor guidelines and are successfully submitted. The Senior GS supports faculty, center directors, and staff throughout the pre-award stage of sponsored projects, including proposal preparation and submission, just-in-time requests, and compliance.

Responsible managing a portfolio of faculty post award and payroll sourcing activities with minimal supervision/oversight, particularly for a research-intensive department.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Performs pre-award job duties in response to specific proposal guidelines and terms and conditions for more complex proposals, such as program projects, ARPA-H, DOD, DOE applications with minimal guidance. Work with faculty in proposal preparation and submission.
• Manages budgeting, analysis, justifications for proposals; gathers information for protocols and non-technical proposal components as needed.
• Serves as a liaison between the Chair, Faculty, and Department Administrators.
• Stays current on federal and university developments regarding research administration and complex regulations.
• May coordinate the submission, work with PI to prepare budget, obtain pricing quotes from other Departments. Compiles and ensures accurate regulatory compliance of necessary data collected from various sources. Works with Principal Investigator to compile and submit the entire grant according to established agency/university guidelines.
• Prepares and reviews all agency forms for submission.
• Enters grant budgeting documents online, as needed.
• Obtains PI and institutional signatures for proposal submissions.
• Initiates subaward setup through SUBS system (new process/system). Uploads pre-award documents and hands it off to Post-award to enter fund number.
• Coordinates with the Post-award unit and OSRS to ensure timely implementation of contracts and subcontracts by examining and supplying the necessary requirements in the SUBS system.

Administrative Assistance

• Assist select PIs with calendar management, coordinating meetings and accommodating for scheduling conflicts in communication with the PI.
• Assist select PIs with travel planning/booking needs in coordination with the PI or their guests (prospective recruits, speakers, etc.).
• Support Assistant to the Chair with ad hoc needs as assigned.

Award Management

• Manages reviews of more complex notice of award (NOA), including sponsor award documents, to SPA and PI, noting any special terms and conditions as well as committed effort.
• Monitors and works with PI to submit annual agency reports (e.g., Research Performance Progress Reports/RPPRs).
• Oversees and coordinates the proper transfer of PI grants and contracts into WashU.

Research Compliance

• Coordinates the necessary support with internal and external requests for complex grant-related information (i.e. current biosketches, trainee information, and human/animal protocol approvals, other support).

Research Reporting

• Assists with analysis of online database of grants submitted, awarded, rejected, etc. metrics and funding trends.
• Organizes and determines proper action plans including the oversight for advanced alerts to PIs of upcoming deadlines for continuation, competitive renewals, progress reports, etc.

Grant Closeout

• Serves as responsible for closure of complex sponsored projects accounts.
• Submits final progress report and invention statement (if applicable) to the appropriate agency.
• Follows up with PI and facilitates submission of delinquent final technical, outcomes, patent, and property reports.

Post Award

• Approves purchasing documents and provides guidance to purchasing staff on appropriate expenditures according to specific grant policies.
• Creates, addresses, and processes correspondence of moderate complexity with granting agencies (i.e. inquiries, carry forward requests, change in effort requests, prior approvals, no cost extensions, equipment purchase, and budget reallocation requests).
• Ensures that human and animal study protocols are associated with the applicable proposal or award.
• Obtains documentation on participation of foreign nationals on research projects.
• Tracks and maintains online database of grants submitted, awarded, rejected, etc.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment.
• May travel to attend training sessions / seminars.

Physical Effort

• Typically sitting at desk or table.
• Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.

Equipment

• Office equipment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Education

Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.

Certifications/Professional Licenses

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience

Relevant Experience (3 Years)

Skills

Not Applicable

Driver's License

A driver's license is not required for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

More About This Job

• Knowledge of S2S, Research Management System (RMS) and SUBS system.
• Knowledge agency guidelines.

Education

Preferred Qualifications

No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Certifications/Professional Licenses

No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Work Experience

No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Skills

Accounting Processes, Adobe Acrobat, Analytical Thinking, Computerized Accounting, Computer Literacy, Deadline Management, Grant Administration, IBM Cognos Analytics, Interpersonal Communication, Learning New Technologies, Maintaining Composure, Microsoft Office, Oral Communications, Supervisory Management, Workday Software, Written Communication

Grade

G12-H

Salary Range

$29.96 - $47.92 / Hourly

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email [e-mail] or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to review our benefit eligibility criteria along with any applicable benefits.

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity or shared ancestry, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. As a federal contractor, the university maintains affirmative action programs to implement its equal employment opportunity policy for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, in accordance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended.