Grant & Contract Specialist III

Grant & Contract Specialist III

• Minimum Salary
• Job Location:
  
  US-MA-Worcester
• Posted 5 days ago (12/19/2025 9:57 AM)
• Requisition Number:
• # of Openings: 1
• Posted Date:
  Day
• Shift: Exempt
• Exempt/Non-Union Status:
  Non Union Position
  -W60
  - Non Unit Professional

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

Under the general direction of the Sr. Department Administrator, or designee, the Grant and Contract Specialist III is responsible for performing diversified and complex administrative, financial, and pre- and post-award budgetary functions in support of departmental activities, to include both responsibilities for both restricted and unrestricted departmental funds. The Grant and Contract Specialist III will display a high degree of initiative and independent judgment and collaborate closely with laboratory leadership to continually assess and direct a wide range of issues including research program operations, personnel management, regulatory, quality improvement, long range financial planning.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead effort in management of all pre-award administration, to include, but not limited to, advising Sr. administrator and PI of sponsor guidelines, participation in application assembly, budget preparation, faculty guidance, e-submission processes, UMMS required paperwork, etc. and other administrative requirements for the submission of all federal and non-federal grants and contracts
• Working knowledge of NIH and other federal, state and foundation regulations and requirements.
• Identifies, proposes and implements creative solutions to potential fiscal issues.
• Develop and manage the division's annual budget and report variances and recommend corrective action. Provide high level fiscal analysis on forecasts as needed.
• Verify that funds are available for all equipment, personnel and major purchases. Assure compliance with federal purchase and contract requirements.
  * Coordinate with central grant accounting and department staff on deposits, electronic transfers and cost transfers to funds/contracts
• Manage division(s) funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity.
• Represent the department at administrative meetings within and outside of the Medical School applicable with their assigned divisions.
• Develop, lead and train junior staff which include administrative assistants, financial assistants, and lower level grants and contracts specialists.
• Serve on Institutional committees established to improve school operations and system implementations.
• Assist in determining space and facility needs for the unit faculty.
• Advise faculty and staff on compensation and benefit policies and procedures.
• Monitor regulatory and compliance requirements for all sponsored research activity, keeping detailed files and a tracking mechanism for annual renewals. Inform Sr. administrator of variances.
• Assist in analytical studies of existing or proposed clinical trials to provide the economic basis for management decisions to improve operational/financial performance and to realize productivity improvements.
• Monitor all clinical trial funding sources for assigned divisions by tracking revenue and expenditure activity and monitoring of trial milestones, identify variances and assist in resolving account variances.
• Monitor contracts, extensions, and amendments with outside vendors, private agencies, and consultants in conjunction with Purchasing and legal offices; monitor the contracts for cost effectiveness and quality performance standards.
• Prepare data for financial reports, budgets, budget and research fund reconciliations, forecasting, analysis, and ad-hoc reports for Sr Administrator and PI(s) as needed. Perform analysis of data as required.
• Work with the Sr. Administrator, principal investigators, and staff to resolve problems and to optimize the use of funds as required; finalize all expenditure activity of expired grants; deposit checks to any income and service fund accounts.
• Manage all phases of post-award grants and contracts administration, to include monitoring budgets, expenses, and recovered overhead. Advise Sr. Administrator and PI of reporting requirements.
• Assist faculty in finding possible funding opportunities.
• Monitor post-award activities to ensure adherence to sponsor guidelines and all reporting requirements are met. Inform Sr. Administrator and PI on budget variances.
• Oversee changes to award budgets and the submission of the necessary paperwork for approval of such actions.
• Prepare reports for federal and sponsoring agencies.
• Assist and participate with Grant Accounting in award termination process to close-out accounts. Notify Sr. Administrator and PI of final status.
• Monitor operating expenses, prepare monthly variance-to-budget reports, Departmental voluntary and mandatory cost sharing, and advise the Administrator on reconciliation actions.
• Oversees fiscal functions of Administrative Assistants within their assigned divisions (e.g. procard oversight, travel requests from multiple PIs and staff and oversee the…