Grants Administrator - Virginia Tech

The Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech seeks a Grants Administrator to join our team.

The Grants Administrator is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative and fiscal support for the development, review, and submission of sponsored program proposals in a higher education environment. This position partners closely with faculty, principal investigators, and academic units to ensure proposals are compliant with sponsor guidelines, institutional policies, and applicable regulations. The role includes budget development, coordination of internal approvals, and proposal submission through institutional and sponsor systems.

The Grants Administrator plays a critical role in supporting the institution’s research and sponsored activities by promoting accuracy, compliance, and timely submission of funding proposals.

This role provides leadership for research administration and is responsible for all sponsored award activities, including coordination of expenditure compliance and spending rates; salary planning; close-outs; financial reporting; project transfers; letters of guarantee; overdraft monitoring; and research faculty appointments. It serves as the OESRC liaison on behalf of the department; performs ad hoc reporting; and supports the implementation of best practices in compliance with university, state, and federal guidelines.

The incumbent will use critical thinking skills to anticipate or resolve matters related to research funding activity. Reporting to the Director of Finance and Administration, this position will foster teamwork and demonstrate a high commitment to customer service.

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated administrative experience providing support in grants management, sponsored programs, or research administration.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting and the use of spreadsheets for financial tracking and analysis.
• Strong financial analysis, budgeting, and reconciliation skills.
• Proficiency with financial systems and grants management software.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of accuracy in a deadline‑driven environment.

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or similar professional certification.
• Experience with Virginia Tech systems such as Award Management, Banner, Hokie Mart, Time Clock Plus, Chrome River, Micro Strategy, Page Up, and Labor Redistribution.