Sponsored Programs Operations Manager

Chico State Enterprises; Chico (CA); Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & vision coverage

Paid holidays

Job summary

Chico State Enterprises – Sponsored Programs is hiring a Sponsored Programs Operations Manager to lead post-award administration for externally funded grants and contracts. You will coordinate workload, develop procedures, and ensure compliant financial activity while serving principal investigators, departments, and sponsors.

The role requires strong leadership, budgeting, and regulatory expertise, with a hybrid work arrangement at Chico, CA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or five+ years in sponsored programs or related field.
• Experience with federal/state awards and sponsor requirements.
• Ability to manage post-award financial administration and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee post-award operations for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.
• Coordinate award modifications, budget revisions, extensions, and closeouts.
• Ensure timely processing of transactions and compliance with terms.
• Develop workflows, service standards, and internal controls.
• Monitor compliance with Uniform Guidance and sponsor policies.
• Provide training and supervision to Sponsored Programs staff.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Operational improvement

Customer service

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, or related field

Five years of related work experience

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Grants management systems

Job description

POSITION: Sponsored Programs Operations Manager

STATUS: Full-Time / Benefited / Salary / Exempt

COMPENSATION: $93,880.80 - $108,310.80 per year

DEPARTMENT: Chico State Enterprises – Sponsored Programs

LOCATION: Chico State Enterprises - 25 Main Street, Suite 103, Chico, CA 95928. This is a hybrid work environment that is eligible for partial telecommuting.

RECRUITMENT ID: 490

RESIDENCY: Candidate must be a California resident. Chico State Enterprises is not a sponsoring agency for staff and management positions (i.e., H-1B Visas).

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Sponsored Programs operations manager provides operational leadership and oversight for the administration of externally funded grants, contracts, and other sponsored agreements administered by Chico State Enterprises (CSE). The position is responsible for ensuring efficient, consistent, and compliant post-award sponsored programs operations while providing high-quality service to principal investigators (PIs), project directors, campus departments, funding agencies, and CSE staff.

The Sponsored Programs operations manager oversees day-to-day sponsored programs administrative processes, coordinates workload and staff activities, develops and maintains procedures and internal controls, monitors compliance requirements, and supports the effective use of financial and grants management systems.

Working closely with Sponsored Programs leadership, CSE Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Procurement, campus administrators, and project personnel, the Sponsored Programs operations manager helps ensure sponsored projects are administered in accordance with award terms, sponsor requirements, CSE and University policies, and applicable federal and state regulations.

POSITION EXPECTATIONS:

This position requires a high degree of accuracy, professional judgment, confidentiality, and accountability. The incumbent must be able to balance CSE responsibility for regulatory compliance and sound financial stewardship with its mission of facilitating externally funded programs and providing effective administrative support to the University community.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

The Sponsored Programs operations manager works extensively with:

• Principal investigators and project directors
• Sponsored Programs staff
• CSE Finance and Accounting
• CSE Human Resources and Payroll
• CSE Procurement
• University colleges, departments, and administrative offices
• University Research and Sponsored Programs personnel
• Federal, state, local, and private sponsors
• Subrecipient organizations and other external partners
• Independent auditors and regulatory agencies

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Sponsored Programs Operations

• Manage and coordinate day-to-day post-award sponsored programs operations, ensuring timely and consistent administration of grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other sponsored projects.
• Oversee the establishment of new awards and projects within CSE financial and grants management systems.
• Coordinate award modifications, budget revisions, extensions, supplemental funding, project closeouts, and other post-award activities.
• Ensure sponsored project transactions and administrative actions are processed accurately and timely.
• Establish consistent workflows, service standards, documentation requirements, and operating procedures across Sponsored Programs.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and customer service.
• Coordinate with Finance and Accounting to ensure sponsored project financial activity is accurately recorded and reconciled.

Staff Supervision and Leadership

• Provide direct supervision, training, coaching, and day-to-day guidance to assigned Sponsored Programs staff.
• Assign and balance workloads based on award complexity, sponsor requirements, staff capacity, and organizational priorities.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor staff performance, productivity, accuracy, and customer service.
• Develop cross-training and succession coverage to maintain continuity of critical sponsored programs functions.
• Promote a collaborative, service-oriented environment focused on supporting faculty, staff, and project personnel while maintaining appropriate compliance and internal controls.

Award Administration and Compliance

• Provide guidance regarding the interpretation and administration of award terms and conditions, sponsor policies, and applicable regulations.
• Monitor compliance with federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), sponsor requirements, award terms and conditions, CSE policies and procedures, and applicable CSU requirements.
• Support compliance related to allowable costs, cost allocation, cost sharing and matching, participant support costs, subawards, program income, equipment, procurement, payroll and effort-related requirements, and other sponsored project activities.
• Review complex or unusual sponsored project transactions and work with appropriate CSE and campus personnel to resolve issues.
• Monitor award milestones, reporting requirements, project end dates, and closeout requirements.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of effective internal controls for sponsored project administration.

Financial and Administrative Oversight

• Monitor sponsored project financial activity and work with project administrators, PIs, and Finance staff to identify and resolve budget deficits, unusual balances, questioned costs, or other financial concerns.
• Support timely and accurate financial reporting to sponsors.
• Coordinate with Finance and Accounting regarding accounts receivable, sponsor invoicing, cash management, financial reporting, and award closeout.
• Assist with monitoring indirect cost recovery, cost sharing, and other institutional financial commitments associated with sponsored projects.
• Support reconciliation between sponsored programs records, financial systems, and sponsor documentation.
• Assist leadership with sponsored programs operational metrics, workload analysis, financial reporting, and management dashboards.

Policies, Procedures, and Process Improvement

• Develop, document, implement, and maintain Sponsored Programs policies, procedures, desk manuals, templates, checklists, and other administrative resources.
• Evaluate existing business processes and recommend improvements that strengthen internal controls while reducing unnecessary administrative burden.
• Promote consistent practices across the sponsored project lifecycle.
• Participate in the implementation, enhancement, and testing of grants management, financial, reporting, and workflow systems.
• Develop tools and reports to improve visibility into award status, financial activity, compliance requirements, and staff workload.

Training and Customer Service

• Serve as a resource to PIs, project directors, department administrators, and CSE staff regarding sponsored project administration.
• Develop and provide training on post-award administration, financial management, sponsor requirements, CSE procedures, and grants management systems.
• Communicate complex regulatory, financial, and administrative requirements in a clear and practical manner.
• Work collaboratively with campus departments to resolve sponsored project issues and improve administrative processes.
• Promote a customer-service approach that balances responsiveness to project needs with CSE fiduciary and compliance responsibilities.

Audit and Organizational Support

• Support CSE annual financial audit, Single Audit, sponsor audits, monitoring reviews, and other internal or external reviews involving sponsored programs.
• Coordinate the collection and preparation of documentation requested by auditors, sponsors, or oversight agencies.
• Assist in responding to audit findings and implementing corrective actions.
• Participate in organizational initiatives, committees, and special projects related to sponsored programs administration and CSE operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, accounting, finance, public administration, research administration, or a related field, or five years of related work experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the functions described above and includes fiscal and personnel management. Additional progressively responsible sponsored programs or research administration experience may be considered in lieu of some educational requirements, as appropriate.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in sponsored programs, research administration, grants and contracts administration, financial administration, or a closely related field.
• Experience administering federal, state, and other externally funded awards.
• Experience interpreting award terms, sponsor requirements, policies, and regulations.
• Experience with post-award financial administration, including budgets, expenditures, reporting, and project closeout.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex administrative processes and multiple competing priorities.
• Supervisory, lead, or significant team coordination experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working within a university, university auxiliary, research foundation, nonprofit research organization, or similar sponsored programs environment.
• Knowledge of California State University auxiliary organizations and sponsored programs administration.
• Strong working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance).
• Experience with federal Single Audit requirements and sponsor monitoring.
• Experience managing subawards and subrecipient monitoring.
• Experience with grants management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or financial accounting systems.
• Experience developing sponsored programs policies, procedures, training materials, and internal controls.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), or other relevant professional certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of sponsored project administration and post-award management principles.
• Knowledge of federal grants management requirements, including Uniform Guidance.
• Understanding of generally accepted accounting and internal control principles applicable to sponsored programs.
• Ability to interpret complex regulations, sponsor guidelines, contractual requirements, and organizational policies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to identify compliance and financial risks and develop practical solutions.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to develop efficient workflows and improve administrative processes.
• Strong supervisory, coaching, and team-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate financial and regulatory information effectively to individuals with varying levels of technical knowledge.
• Strong customer-service orientation while maintaining appropriate compliance and fiduciary standards.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, sponsors, auditors, and external partners.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other standard business applications.
• Ability to learn and effectively utilize financial, grants management, reporting, and workflow systems.

COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Chico State Enterprises will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current Chico State Enterprises employee who was conditionally offered the position.

BENEFITS:

Benefits for employees working 30 hours or more per week include employer paid life insurance ($50,000) and long-term disability; options for health, dental, and vision insurance; FSA; paid holidays including 1 personal holiday; vacation accrual (initially 10 days/year); sick leave accrual (up to 12 days/year); employer contributions to a 403(b) retirement plan (up to 8%).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Chico State Enterprises provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. It is Chico State Enterprises’ policy to hire only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. All new employees must provide proof of identity and authorization to work.