Grants & Contracts Coordinator - Carl R. Woese Institute Genomic Biology

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, built on a team-science approach. Its mission is to advance life sciences research, engage the public in understanding the impact of genomic discoveries, and foster bioeconomic development across Illinois. IGB researchers lead groundbreaking genomic studies that tackle critical societal challenges in food security, energy, health, technology, and environmental sustainability.

The institute’s administrative infrastructure is designed to support dynamic research themes, enabling them to evolve with emerging discoveries, innovative methods, and changing needs.

The Grants and Contracts Coordinator provides advanced operational oversight for post-award financial management, compliance, and continuous process improvement within the Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB). This role supports the Assistant Director for Budget and Resource Planning, ensuring the efficient administration of sponsored projects, adherence to institutional and sponsor policies, and optimization of grants management systems. The position independently manages several large and complex sponsored research projects and serves as a subject matter expert for complex grant and contract processes, driving innovation and excellence in research administration.

• Independently manage high-profile grant portfolios, assuming responsibility for major grants. Including but not limited to a large-scale DOE and ARPA-H grant, and other complex grants.
• Ensure alignment with sponsor guidelines and institutional policies by reviewing budgets, analyzing expenditures, and tracking spending trends.
• Exercise independent judgment in reviewing and approving expenditures to ensure compliance with sponsor, federal, and University policies. This includes but is not limited to transactions related to personnel appointments, procurement systems, travel, and reimbursements.
• Serve as a liaison to SPA.
• Proactively identify and resolve budgetary issues for major grants, taking initiative to troubleshoot and maintain compliance.
• Initiate Journal vouchers in BANNER.
• Prepare and reconcile monthly financial reports and other grant summaries, reports, and documents with minimal oversight. Independently develop financial projections, recaptures, and spend plans based on PI needs, award terms, and ongoing project goals.
• Prepare and manage comprehensive grant records. Ensure accurate data entry, tracking, and reporting for faculty, administration, and sponsors.

• Oversee and approve high-value transactions, including subaward invoices, journal vouchers (JVs), and iBuy transactions up to $250,000, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director, faculty, and program managers to develop strategic spending plans, while leading the creation of financial forecasts and projections; manage grant budget revisions and execute budget recapture processes to optimize resource utilization.
• Oversee compliance reviews for faculty effort reporting, cost-share commitments, progress reports, and expenditure certifications; ensure accurate documentation in the Activity Reporting System (ARS).
• Assist with the review of awards and amended awards, ensuring all requirements are documented by completing award checklists as necessary.
• Assist with the execution and compliance of the semi-annual confirmation process.
• Provide expert guidance to faculty on the financial implications of hiring, staffing, and major expenditures.
• Lead and oversee all phases of award administration, including subaward management, negotiations, setup, and closeout for complex, high-risk projects. Ensure compliance with contractual terms, regulatory requirements, and timely submission of final reports and certifications.
• Oversee audit documentation and serve as a point of contact during internal and external audit processes. Respond to audit findings and follow up on required actions in collaboration with the…