Post-Award Grant-s Specialist

Posting Summary

The Office of Sponsored Programs at Teachers College, Columbia University, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Post-Award Grants Specialist. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects and ensure the effective management of awarded grants.

The incumbent will be responsible for the management and oversight of awarded grants, ensuring compliance with grant terms, financial accountability, and successful project implementation. This position will play a crucial role in the College’s ability to secure and manage grant funding to advance our mission.

Reporting to the Director of Sponsored Programs and the Post Award Grants Manager for daily operational supervision, the Senior Post-Award Grant Specialist will provide timely, high-quality, and coordinated research post-grant award administrative services to TC faculty in the assigned department(s) for both the Clinical Counseling Psychology Department (CCP) and Education Policy and Social Analysis (EPSA). The incumbent will manage a diverse portfolio that includes federal research grants, contracts, and foundation grants.

Responsibilities will include processing financial and accounting transactions; assuring sound fiscal oversight and financial compliance; serving as representative/liaison between faculty/researchers, department administrators, and sponsors; providing direct support and guidance to faculty in the financial administration of grants and contracts; creating detailed monthly financial reports for analysis and projection of expenditures.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

BUDGETING

• Conducts complex award management activities on externally funded projects and occasions, PI-related research accounts.
• Coordinate with Pre-Award SPA for setups.
• Generate monthly budget projections and monitor expenditure burn rates.
• Review and resolve open commitments and overdrafts.
• Review annual budgets to ensure they are in line with the award budget
• Create/generate financial reports (i.e., monthly financial transaction reports) for analysis, projection, and action to assist with managing sponsored projects.
• Works effectively with each investigator to proactively manage the budget and develop spending projections encompassing the project budget's life.
• Monitor sponsor invoicing needs and provide backup documents as necessary to the Office of Grants Contracts and Accounting.
• Maintain cost-share records.
• Reconcile cash advances and gift cards provided to participants in studies

CONTRACTING

• Subcontracting:
  Draft and coordinate with faculty/researchers, collaborating institutions, Office of Grants Contracts and Accounting, and the Office of the General Counsel for the development of and ensure the timely set-up of subcontracts and contracts with consultants
• Contracting Development and Review: interprets terms and conditions as well as associated rules and regulations as they apply to competing, negotiating, and administering subcontracts and grants under prime contracts and Cooperative Agreements
• Act in the capacity of subject matter expert to provide researchers with guidance on and interpretation of Federal, State, and local as well as all sponsor regulations, terms, and conditions as they relate to the life cycle administration of subcontracts and grants
• Responsible for ensuring all vendor and sub-award purchase orders and invoices are reviewed, approved, and submitted promptly and accurately.
• Aid in drafting the Banner Request Form, noting all critical terms and conditions of the award.

PERSONNEL

• Hiring:
  Works with the investigator to determine the appropriate staff, student, and volunteer positions according to the project budget, expectations, and TC policies.
• Responsible for all payroll-related processing.
• Coordinate with the Office of Grants Contracts and Accounting to manage the project effort and reporting processes to ensure accurate payroll distribution to each project within the portfolio.
• Coordinate staff and student employees hiring/separations for portfolio, including posting job requisitions through the College’s human resources recruitment software.
• Manage student, postdoc, and visiting scholar appointments.
• Review project portfolio compensation and non-compensation expense reports for accuracy.

REPORTING

• Coordinate the financial aspects of progress reports, budget requests, sponsor prior approval requests, and carryover requests with sponsored project staff.
• Assist with the preparation of financial reports to sponsors in conjunction with research accounting
• Serve as the college liaison with the sponsor in the negotiation of changes to sponsored research commitments, budget adjustments, changes in scope, and project extensions

PAYMENT PROCESSING & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

• Procurement:
  Responsible for timely and accurate setting up all necessary purchase orders and related policies to comply
• Coordinate with the department administrative…