Compliance Analyst- Proposals and Awards

Job Description

Position Purpose

The Proposals and Awards Compliance Analyst supports the University of Washington's Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), which facilitates more than 1.8 billion annually in sponsored project awards. Reporting to a Manager within the proposals and Awards Team, this position is responsible for reviewing and submitting federal assistance proposals, negotiating award terms and conditions and ensuring institutional compliance throughout the life of the award.

The role is critical to OSP's mission of enabling timely, compliant research activity. It involves independent judgement, complex regulatory interpretation, and efficient processing of proposals and awards actions under strict deadlines.

Position Complexities

This position operates in a high‑volume, deadline-driven environment requiring the ability to:

* Interpret and apply a wide range of federal, state, and University regulations to diverse proposal and award scenarios.

* Independently evaluate compliance risks and determine appropriate institutional responses.

* Navigate and troubleshoot multiple sponsor electronic research administration systems.

* Communicate complex regulatory and policy requirements to faculty and departmental staff with varying levels of expertise.

* Manage competing deadlines, shifting workloads, and urgent requests with accuracy and attention to detail.

The work demands strong analytical skills, high discretion, exceptional communication abilities, and rapid acquisition and application of new regulatory knowledge.

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University

As the central office with delegated authority for proposal submission and award acceptance, OSP plays a key role in safeguarding the University's ability to conduct research. This position directly impacts:

* Proposal submission and award acceptance for a large portion of the University's $1.8B annual sponsored funding portfolio.

* Institutional compliance with federal regulations such as Uniform Guidance, conflict of interest, human subjects, and animal research requirements.

* Timely initiation of research activity, enabling departments and PIs to meet sponsor and project deadlines.

* Risk mitigation, ensuring that the University only accepts terms consistent with federal and state law, University policy, and sponsor requirements.

The position serves hundreds of faculty and departmental partners across all three campuses and supports institutional objectives in research excellence, compliance, and stewardship of external funding.

Duties & Responsibilities

50% Proposal Review and Submission

* Review and approve competing and non‑competing proposals submitted to external sponsors.

* Exercise delegated institutional signature authority for proposal submissions.

* Verify compliance with federal, sponsor, and University requirements.

* Communicate sponsor policies and proposal requirements to departmental administrators and faculty.

* Interpret University research administration policies and apply them to specific proposal scenarios.

* Navigate and troubleshoot sponsor electronic systems (e.g., NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov, Grants.gov).

* Ensure timely submission of proposals under strict sponsor deadlines.

Competencies required: regulatory knowledge, analytical skills, attention to detail, ability to independently apply complex rules.

40% Award Review, Negotiation, and Acceptance

* Review incoming federal and federal flow‑through awards for compliance with law, policy, and sponsor requirements.

* Negotiate acceptable terms and conditions on behalf of the University.

* Communicate federal grant management and non‑fiscal compliance requirements to faculty and administrators.

* Collaborate with sponsors to resolve budget, program, and administrative issues.

* Coordinate with campus partners on award adjustments or required compliance steps.

Competencies required: expert understanding of Uniform Guidance and federal assistance regulations; strong analytical and negotiation skills; ability to communicate complex requirements clearly.

10% Sponsored Programs Related Agreements

* Conduct initial assessments of related agreements (e.g., confidentiality…