Research Manager

Job Summary

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

The Sponsored Research Manager is a critical member of the PMA Division leadership team and oversees all aspects of Research Administration for the Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy. The Sponsored Research Manager provides broad fiscal oversight for the management of sponsored research funds, discretionary funds, and other sources of faculty funding. The position supervises the Division Grant Managers and directs all aspects of the proposal administration including pre-award, post-award, closeout, and audit activities.

The manager works closely with other campus administrative offices to strategically and proactively manage the administration of the division's sponsored programs ensuring compliance with all federal requirements and costing principles, grantor restrictions, and institute policies. This position directly interacts with faculty and professional staff providing guidance regarding the administration of federal and non-federal awards, centers, private contracts, and subcontracts. The manager acts as the primary resource for the division concerning regulatory requirements and changes.

Under minimal direction, the Sponsored Research Manager applies specialized knowledge and expertise for financial analyses of grants and contracts to provide complex financial reports, identify potential award problems and recommend solutions. The Sponsored Research Manager may maintain a research portfolio consisting of new or complex research groups.

• Provides oversight and direction for both pre-award activities and post-award accounting and compliance activities to ensure an effective sponsored grants management program.
• Responsible for the development and comprehensive training of effective processes, procedures and tools required to manage the research administration across the division.
• Develops and implements standardized sponsored research policies and procedures, best practices, reporting formats, and reporting schedules for all grant managers.
• Regularly reviews best practices, policies, procedures, and workflow for areas of responsibility, and implements changes as necessary to improve accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness, ensuring that services meet the needs of the Division and the Institute.
• Supervises the team of Grant Managers who have hybrid work schedules.
• Oversees and authorizes/makes weighted recommendations on HR actions including new hires, promotions, reclassifications, salary adjustments, disciplinary actions, transfers, terminations, and performance evaluations.
• Assigns and checks work of others to ensure consistent quality services and support for all research administration activities.
• Assesses training needs for Grant Managers and identifies or develops training opportunities to update their skills consistent with the changing needs of the Division, the Institute, and sponsoring agencies. Develops workload analysis, monitors and adjusts distribution and assignments to meet the needs of the division.
• Ensure that all required reporting to Principal Investigators is done timely and accurately; assists the Grant Managers as needed to complete complex reports.
• Interprets and advises faculty and management on policies and procedures, agency regulations, Final date to receive applicationss, agency reports, award‑related requests, and no‑cost extensions.
• Provides guidance for faculty and research staff regarding procurement regulations to assist in determining the allowability of individual transactions related to sponsored projects.
• Develops or makes recommendations regarding the non‑scientific portions of proposals including budget/cost estimates and projections; identifies administrative issues requiring further review.
• In conjunction with institute personnel, ensures that terms and conditions of each award are consistent with…