Grant Documentation & Compliance Coordinator - Center for Learning, Education, and Employment - UTK

Job Description

The Sponsored Projects Documentation & Compliance Coordinator ensures the transaction-level integrity and policy compliance of all sponsored grant expenditures within the department. Working with reports provided by central accounting and under the direction of the Business Manager, this position is responsible for the meticulous matching of receipts to ledger transactions, auditing documentation for sponsor invoicing, and enforcing university, state, and federal policies.

This role serves as a vital operational bridge, working directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure they understand purchasing rules and provide the necessary documentation before issues arise.

• Review transaction reports provided by the university accountant and systematically match every ledger entry with its corresponding receipt, invoice, or packing slip.
• Conduct a detailed audit of each transaction package to ensure full backup documentation is present and meets sponsor-specific invoicing requirements.
• Package and organize verified documentation to accompany the invoices sent by UTK to Grant Sponsors, ensuring zero delays in university reimbursement.

• Serves as one of the department's primary resources for PIs regarding purchasing documentation, helping track what can be spent on specific grants and how it must be spent according to established guidelines.
• Ensure all purchases strictly align with Federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), State of Tennessee regulations, and UTK fiscal policies.
• Proactively identify non-compliant items, unallowable expenses, or missing justifications on the ledger, and coordinate immediate course corrections (e.g., cost transfers, retroactive justifications) before sponsor submission.

• Collaborate closely with PIs to understand the specific scope and operational needs of their research projects.
• Guide and educate PIs and departmental staff on documentation requirements, explaining policy restrictions clearly and helpfully.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for PIs regarding purchasing rules, helping them navigate established guidelines to prevent unallowable expenses.

• Maintain highly organized, audit-ready digital files of all matched transactions and receipts; support internal and external auditors by retrieving requested transaction packages.
• Participate in departmental cross-training initiatives to learn adjacent administrative functions and provide operational coverage for the team during peak periods or absences.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by management to support the overall mission and operational efficiency of the department.

• Education:
  • Associate's degree (Business or a related field. A combination of a HS Diploma/GED + 2 years of direct admin experience may substitute for the required degree)
• Experience:
  • 1 year of direct experience in an administrative, compliance, bookkeeping, or coordinator role.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Detail-Oriented:
    Ability to spot missing documentation or policy violations across high volumes of transactions.
  • Policy Literacy:
    Ability to learn, interpret, and firmly but politely enforce UTK fiscal policies and federal grant guidelines.
  • Customer Service & Diplomacy:
    Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with busy faculty/PIs, helping them navigate policy requirements smoothly and efficiently.
  • Technical Comfort:
    Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, One Drive/SharePoint) and the ability to easily navigate digital document management systems.

• Education:
  • Bachelor's degree (Business or related field)
• Experience:
  • 1-2 years of experience working with grant documentation, receipt tracking, or financial compliance within a higher education or public sector environment.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Familiarity with University Systems:
    Basic knowledge of or experience navigating DASH (Oracle Cloud) or similar enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for document or transaction tracking.
  • Basic Knowledge of Grant Guidelines:
    Familiarity with federal grant documentation standards or 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) principles.
  • Problem-Solving & Reconciliation:
    Ability to independently cross-reference financial records against physical documentation to identify and resolve missing information.

• Location:
  
  TN
• Onsite

• UT market range: MR06

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