SENIOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS MANAGER

Duke University - Durham, NC

Full-time - Mid Level

Durham, NC

5,001-10,000 employees

Educational Services

About the position

The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager at Duke University School of Medicine is responsible for managing a large grant portfolio and overseeing personnel dedicated to post-award activities for the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI). This role involves ensuring compliance with funding regulations, overseeing budgets, and coordinating research administration staff to support the processing of grants and contracts. The position requires strong leadership and organizational skills to manage daily activities, facilitate communication with Principal Investigators, and participate in audits.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate research administration staff, systems, and procedures related to processing of sponsor-supported grants and contracts.
• Manage daily activities of the grants and contracts staff.
• Develop goals and objectives for the group to ensure achievement of performance metrics established by the University and School of Medicine.
• Plan and delegate work for the group ensuring proper distribution of assignments and adequate manpower, space, computing resources, and facilities for performance of duties.
• Manage various personnel actions including hiring, performance appraisal, promotions, transfers, and vacation schedules.
• Oversee all post-award research activities including direct coordination of monthly meetings with Principal Investigators to review effort and spending compliance.
• Participate in the periodic submission of fiscal reports as required by the sponsor.
• Ensure all cost transfers are prepared with appropriate backup documentation.
• Manage requests to re-budget when necessary and assure compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.
• Oversee monthly FAM validation process and document analysis in accordance with established DHVI operating procedure.
• Maintain communication with Finance Director to report and address any grant or contract-related administrative or compliance issues in a timely manner.
• Advise Principal Investigators on fiscal and budgetary matters as necessary.
• Participate in internal or external audits of grants/contracts by providing information and documentation as requested.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Five years of relevant grants and contracts experience.
• Successful completion of the Research Administration Academy (RAA), Advanced Grants Management, and Research Administration Institute (RAI) training is required.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification is preferred.
• Strong leadership and innovative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to coach and develop employees and build commitment through feedback and evaluations.
• Demonstrated skills in analyzing data and formulating conclusions.
• Full command of grants and contracts systems and solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.

Nice-to-haves

• Research or grants education and/or certification is preferred.
• Experience with functions in SPS, R3, grants.duke, SES, iForms, and eCrt.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Dental insurance coverage
• 401k retirement savings plan
• Paid holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Flexible scheduling options