Grants and Contracts Specialist - Siebel School of Computing and Data Science

$57,000 - $65,000/Yr

University of Illinois - Urbana, IL

Full-time - Entry Level

Hybrid - Urbana, IL

Educational Services

About the position

The Grants and Contracts Specialist at the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science is responsible for supporting faculty in the preparation and management of sponsored research projects. This role involves both pre-award and post-award grant administration, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines, and facilitating successful proposal submissions. The Specialist will work collaboratively within a team of research administrators and will be trained by experienced professionals in the field.

Responsibilities

• Support faculty on research proposal preparation, including internal routing of applications and development of electronic proposals.
• Advise faculty and staff on compliance with sponsor guidelines and university policy regarding research agreements.
• Assist faculty with preparing proposal budgets and necessary documents, ensuring all requirements are met before submission.
• Act as a liaison with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) to resolve issues and assist in grant/contract negotiations.
• Prepare financial reports and analyses to support faculty in managing their sponsored research projects.
• Ensure proposal packages are properly formatted and include necessary materials and signatures.
• Support faculty in entering budget information into online submission programs for proposal submissions.
• Review and revise pending proposals and budgets according to university guidelines and sponsor requirements.
• Coordinate requests for additional information on pending proposals with faculty and SPA.
• Prepare documents related to budget modifications, renewal funding, and supplemental funding requests.
• Work with the business office to coordinate post-award activities and analyze expenditures on research funds.
• Complete sponsored project close-out reviews and work with SPA to close completed project accounts.
• Prepare and record journal entries, monitor budgets, and make necessary transfers.
• Prepare financial reports and spending projections as requested by faculty and administration.
• Communicate periodically with faculty regarding funding scenarios and prepare quarterly spending reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or a related field.
• Two years of office work experience in a business, government, or higher education environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Background in sponsored research administration or grants and contracts administration.
• Experience with Microsoft Excel and basic data entry.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $57,000 - $65,000.
• Hybrid work options available.
• Support for professional development and training.