Specialist III, Grants and Contracts

The University of Rhode Island; Kingston (RI); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Rhode Island in Kingston is seeking a Specialist III, Grants and Contracts to manage the full lifecycle, compliance, and fiscal closeouts of multiple sponsored awards. You will collaborate with PIs, Office of Sponsored Projects, and Cost Accounting as the primary escalation point for compliance and billing issues.

This role offers a hybrid work schedule and requires knowledge of OMB Uniform Guidance, allowability, and sponsor requirements to ensure compliant funded projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of five years of financial experience in a research administration role in higher education or similar organization.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of principles of allowability, allocability and reasonableness.
• Demonstrated familiarity with federal, state, and sponsor-level requirements for sponsored projects.
• Demonstrated computer experience (i.e., word processing, spreadsheet and database management software).
• Demonstrated attention to detail.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to be a team member.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups/populations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as post-award person on a sponsored projects team responsible for working directly with PIs and staff in a defined subset of departments within the College of Engineering to facilitate understanding of the sponsor’s administrative terms and conditions of the awarded project.
• Responsible for oversight of projects from federal, state, non-profit, and corporate entities according to federal, state, and University policies, award set-up, approving invoices, and assisting with the completion of financial reports on behalf of the University, and final close-out of awards.
• Serve as the primary post-award staff member for administration of awards and subawards that fund URI research.
• Works with PIs as the primary problem-solver for team members, regarding compliance requirements, allowable costs and payroll distributions.
• Represent College of Engineering in meetings related to sponsored research awards.
• Analyze and approve requisitions for items to be charged to the sponsored project account in order to ensure expenses are allowable, allocable, and reasonable, and that they are in compliance with sponsor’s requirements.
• Analyze, approve, and process basic personnel appointments to sponsored project accounts to ensure expenses are allowable, allocable, and reasonable and in compliance with sponsor’s requirements.
• Work with agency sponsors, principal investigators, and administrative staff to troubleshoot grant administration-related issues.
• Maintain working knowledge of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance, as well as the principles of allowability, allocability and reasonableness.
• Monitor cost-sharing, no-cost extension, subawards and Dean’s Pledges.
• Assist Cost Accounting with preparation of various reports for submission to funding agencies, as well as for internal use.
• Assist Cost Accounting with the close-out of awards, including pre-closing notice, review projects for open items, encumbrances, advances, deficits, surpluses, adjustments, and final billing.
• Monitor technical reporting requirements, ensuring that they are met by the PI.
• Interpret award instructions from grant and contract documents, including agency requirements for managing the project, restrictions, billing, and reporting.
• Work with other Sponsored Projects and college-wide personnel to resolve problems.
• Monitor compliance and adherence to University, federal, and state policies and procedures.
• Monitor international accounts for expenditure allowability, accountability, and exchange rate calculations.
• Maintain current knowledge of various University financial systems and all related interfaces.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Attention to detail

Team player

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

PeopleSoft

InfoEd

Job description

80 Lower College Road, Kingston, RI 02881

Position Information

Posting Number: SF02226

Job Title: Specialist III, Grants and Contracts

Position Number: PS# 00008211

FTE: 1.00

FLSA: Exempt

Position Type: Professional Staff

Union: PSA/NEA - Professional Staff Assoc

Pay Grade Range Salary Hiring Range: $70,000 - $80,000

Status: Calendar Year, Full-time, Permanent

Campus Location: Kingston

Grant Funded: No

Job Description Summary

About URI : The University of Rhode Island enrolls approximately 17,000 students across its graduate and undergraduate programs and is the State’s flagship public research university, as well as the land grant and sea grant university, for the state of Rhode Island. The main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston, and the Bay Campus is located in Narragansett. Both campuses are near major beaches in a beautiful coastal community. URI is just 30 minutes from Providence, RI and within easy reach of Newport, Boston, and New York City.

THE POSITION IS ELIGIBLE FOR A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE

Serve as the primary post-award staff member for sponsored research awards. Manage the full lifecycle, compliance and fiscal closeouts of multiple sponsored research grants and contracts. Maintain a strong working relationship with research groups, Professional Investigators (PIs), Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) and Cost Accounting. To serve as the primary escalation point for compliance and billing issues in the college.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as post-award person on a sponsored projects team responsible for working directly with PIs and staff in a defined subset of departments within the College of Engineering to facilitate understanding of the sponsor’s administrative terms and conditions of the awarded project.
• Responsible for oversight of projects from federal, state, non‑profit, and corporate entities according to federal, state, and University policies, award set-up, approving invoices, and assisting with the completion of financial reports on behalf of the University, and final close‑out of awards.
• Serve as the primary post-award staff member for administration of awards and subawards that fund URI research.
• Works with PIs as the primary problem‑solver for team members, regarding compliance requirements, allowable costs and payroll distributions.
• Represent College of Engineering in meetings related to sponsored research awards.
• Analyze and approve requisitions for items to be charged to the sponsored project account in order to ensure expenses are allowable, allocable, and reasonable, and that they are in compliance with sponsor’s requirements.
• Analyze, approve, and process basic personnel appointments to sponsored project accounts to ensure expenses are allowable, allocable, and reasonable and in compliance with sponsor’s requirements.
• Work with agency sponsors, principal investigators, and administrative staff to troubleshoot grant administration‑related issues.
• Maintain working knowledge of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance, as well as the principles of allowability, allocability and reasonableness.
• Monitor cost‑sharing, no‑cost extension, subawards and Dean’s Pledges.
• Assist Cost Accounting with preparation of various reports for submission to funding agencies, as well as for internal use.
• Assist Cost Accounting with the close‑out of awards, including pre‑closing notice, review projects for open items, encumbrances, advances, deficits, surpluses, adjustments, and final billing.
• Monitor technical reporting requirements, ensuring that they are met by the PI.
• Interpret award instructions from grant and contract documents, including agency requirements for managing the project, restrictions, billing, and reporting.
• Work with other Sponsored Projects and college‑wide personnel to resolve problems.
• Monitor compliance and adherence to University, federal, and state policies and procedures.
• Monitor international accounts for expenditure allowability, accountability, and exchange rate calculations.
• Maintain current knowledge of various University financial systems and all related interfaces.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Exhibit sensitivity to and consistently meet the support requirements of a research environment and be committed to customer support.
• Be committed to effective teamwork.
• Be flexible and open to change, show initiative, and be proactive.
• Assist the Dean of Engineering, Associate Dean for Research, and the Chief Business Officer on other matters as required.

LICENSES , TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Personal computers, printers; word processing, spreadsheet and database management software and federal electronic proposal submission systems.

Required Qualifications

• 1. Bachelor’s degree.
• 2. Minimum of five years of financial experience in a research administration role in higher education or similar organization.
• 3. Demonstrated working knowledge of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance.
• 4. Demonstrated working knowledge of principles of allowability, allocability and reasonableness.
• 5. Demonstrated familiarity with federal, state, and sponsor-level requirements for sponsored projects.
• 6. Demonstrated computer experience (i.e., word processing, spreadsheet and database management software).
• 7. Demonstrated attention to detail.
• 8. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• 9. Demonstrated proficiency in written communication skills.
• 10. Demonstrated ability to be a team member.
• 11. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups/populations.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1. Master’s degree.
• 2. Demonstrated working knowledge of higher education organization and activities.
• 3. Demonstrated experience with PeopleSoft, InfoEd or other ERP system.

EEO Statement

URI is unwavering in its commitment to equal opportunity, community, equity, and diversity. In furtherance of its mission to serve and support all learners as the state’s public flagship university, URI continues to expand efforts to recruit and retain a broadly representative workforce as well as to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts. All employment decisions, including hiring, are made without regard to protected status. Qualified individuals with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation by contacting the URI benefits office at 401-874-2416. For TTY assistance, contact R.I. Relay Services at 711.

Environmental Conditions

This position is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Posting Date

10/01/2026

Closing Date

10/10/2026