Hybrid) Grants Administrator - WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research

The WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Grants Administrator.

The WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) is seeking a Grants Administrator to support the institute’s growing portfolio of interdisciplinary research in energy, sustainability, and environmental systems.

This position provides comprehensive pre- and post-award grants administration, supporting faculty, research staff, and leadership across WISER-affiliated projects. The role is critical to advancing WISER’s mission by ensuring effective proposal development, financial stewardship, and regulatory compliance for externally funded research.

The Grants Administrator will work closely with principal investigators (PIs), university central offices, and external partners to manage complex, multi-investigator and multi-institutional awards, while contributing to the development of efficient and scalable research administration processes.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
• Wellness programs

• Pre-Award Administration
  • Coordinate the full lifecycle of proposal development and submission for WISER-affiliated research initiatives, including complex, multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals.
  • Support the development of detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications, including personnel, subawards, equipment, and cost-share components, ensuring accuracy and compliance with sponsor and university guidelines.
  • Serve as primary financial liaison between WISER investigators and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and could include communication with project sponsors throughout the submission process. Coordinate and support the full lifecycle of proposal development and submission for WISER-affiliated research projects.
• Post-Award Administration
  • Manage sponsored projects from award setup through closeout, ensuring compliance with project sponsor and university requirements.
  • Provide financial and administrative oversight for a portfolio of sponsored research projects, including monitoring expenditures, burn rates, and projections.
  • Prepare, review, and analyze financial reports to support accurate forecasting and decision-making.
  • Advise PIs on budget management, allowable costs, and financial planning for sponsored projects.
  • Identify and resolve complex financial or administrative issues (e.g., cost overruns, cost share tracking, and compliance concerns), ensuring timely resolution and appropriate documentation.
  • Coordinate project modifications such as no-cost extensions, rebudgeting, and scope changes.
  • Support timely completion of financial and programmatic reporting requirements.
  • Assist with administration of internal and external seed funding programs, including award setup, monitoring, modifications, and closeout activities.
  • Coordinate with university procurement and contracting offices to support non-subaward funding mechanisms, including vendor agreements, pilot project contracts, and service agreements.
  • Support administration of complex multi-partner awards and subawards, including coordination with partner universities, nonprofit organizations, and external collaborators.
• Research & Program Support
  • Support…