Grants and Contracts Coordinator; Grants & Contracts Professional

About the Job

This hybrid remote/in-person position provides grant and research support to faculty in the Department of Surgery and reports to the Surgery Grants & Contracts Manager. The Grants/Contracts Professional 2 will be part of the Surgery Grants & Contracts (SGC) team to manage research grants and contracts following award. The role works closely with the other members of SGC, the finance team, faculty and their teams to manage and facilitate grant activities throughout the award lifecycle.

The individual offers guidance on budgeting, compliance, electronic data and file management, and reporting, and coordinates funded projects by drafting sponsor prior approval letters, preparing subaward documents, tracking budgets, and assisting with vendor agreements and other research‑related contracts.

• Manage multiple multi‑year awards from process notification to closeout.
• Respond to sponsor requests, understand budget limitations, identify solutions to sponsor restrictions, prepare budget and administrative portions of proposals and progress reports, obtain subaward documentation, liaise with departmental and collegiate administration and SPA, prepare support documents for faculty, and work with the finance team to manage prime and subaward budgets.
• Understand and communicate sponsor and University policies regarding PI/staff eligibility, cost sharing, F&A sharing, sponsor restrictions, and award terms, and monitor research compliance requirements.
• Track status of submitted applications.
• Set up outgoing and incoming subawards and research agreements with the Sponsored Projects Administration office.
• Manage the completion and submission of progress reports, carry‑forward, no‑cost extension, and other prior approval requests.
• Develop budgets for annual grant renewals and requests to carry‑forward unobligated balances.
• Work with other departments and institutions on collaborative awards.
• Maintain NIH Other Support documents.
• Assist with new departmental research initiatives as they are developed.
• Manage UFRA submissions, including Material Transfer Agreements, and coordinate with the Privacy Office on Confidentiality and Data‑Use Agreements.
• Monitor and review subaward invoicing.
• Liaise and communicate effectively with stakeholders in the grant process, including faculty, researchers, SPA, sponsors, finance teams, internal and external collaborators, and team members.

• Participate in weekly SGC team planning meetings regarding current issues, policy updates, workload, processes, future tool development, etc.
• Develop and maintain a library of standard application, award, or management components.
• Provide feedback on templates, job aids, and guidance for new and experienced PIs to improve processes and documentation.
• Continue professional development by attending relevant courses, workshops, seminars, professional society meetings, and other training opportunities.

• Ensure research personnel are compliant with all UMN, state, and federal regulations and update records to identify needed trainings for supported faculty.
• Ensure compliance with University research policies and procedures in all tasks.

All required qualifications must be included in the application materials

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS plus at least two years of professional experience performing scientific, administrative, budgetary or grant duties or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least six years (4 years for the bachelor’s degree plus 2 years of work or education).
• Demonstrated ability to simultaneously work on multiple projects with regularly occurring, fixed deadlines and ability to re‑prioritize tasks as needed to meet all deadlines.
• Effective team member skills and the ability to interface with all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated effective problem identification and problem solving skills.
• Capable of accepting responsibility with a high level of independent initiative, proactivity, and creativity.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with a high level of…