Grant & Finance Associate

Department

SSD Development Economics Center:
Staff and Temporary Employees

The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

The Weiss Fund for Research in Development Economics funds rigorous, policy-relevant research on economic development globally. Administered by DIL, the Weiss Fund runs multiple grant and fellowship cycles annually, partnering with researchers and institutions across the globe.

The job performs routine pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications, and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with guidance from others.

The Associate, Grants & Finance will support the operations of the Weiss Fund for Research in Development Economics, coordinating the Fund's grant administration and financial operations. This role reports to the Weiss Fund Program Manager and works closely with DIL finance and operations leadership. The role coordinates contracting, procurement, budget management, and process documentation.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with an interest in grants and finance administration, as well as some cross-functional program management, to build expertise in a dynamic research environment.

• Coordinates the contracting lifecycle for Weiss Fund awards from initial agreement through execution and closeout, processing agreements per year across a global portfolio of research institutions. In 2025, this was over 100 agreements. Actual volume fluctuates.
• Serves as a liaison between the Weiss Fund and University Research Administration (URA), and contracting institutions, coordinating contract amendments, following up with non-responsive institutions, and maintaining administrative point-of-contact information to reduce delays in agreement execution.
• Maintains a Master Service Agreement (MSA) tracking system for high-volume institutional partners.
• Implements Weiss Fund contracting policies and procedures, ensuring all awardees have access to clear guidance from the outset of their engagement with the Fund.
• Supports compliance with University and sponsor grant rules and regulations across the Weiss Fund award portfolio.
• Prepares interim financial reports, closeout documentation, and assists with responses to grant audit requests.
• Updates contract templates as needed, including updating reporting requirements to align with programmatic changes.
• Processes AURA portal submissions, AMR requests, and no-cost extension requests.
• Processes invoices and coordinates vendor payments for the Weiss Fund portfolio.
• Maintains a structured vendor tracking system; coordinates with Payment Works and UChicago Procurement Services to support timely vendor setup and accurate disbursements.
• Assists in transitioning vendors to ACH payment and helps resolve payment delays or lost checks.
• Conducts monthly audits and budget reconciliations across all Weiss Fund accounts, flagging discrepancies for resolution.
• Prepares budget analyses and financial reports to support Weiss Fund leadership's visibility into fund utilization and remaining balances and support financial reporting to the donor.
• Ensure smooth account creation for Weiss Fund internal awards.
• Coordinates Weiss Fund program activities including application eligibility review, award letter drafting, and record‑keeping across grant cycles.
• Supports cross-functional Weiss Fund projects in collaboration with DIL HR or Operations teams.
• Works with DIL teams on shared operational tasks, systems, and processes relevant to Weiss Fund administration.
• Helps set team priorities, delegate tasks and review work streams, in coordination with the Program Manager.
• Ensures accuracy and consistency through quality assurance checks and reviews.
• Supports training and onboarding of new staff on…