Grant & Contract Specialist

Salary/Position Classification

• $55,700+ annual, Exempt
• 40 hours per week
• This position will work onsite the Grand Forks, ND campus.

Purpose of Position

To provide grant management and support for college faculty from the pre-award through the post-award phase, serve as an authority and advisor regarding relevant university, federal, and granting agency policies, regulations, and guidelines, and provide additional administrative support as needed to support grant development and implementation and college-level functions in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Duties & Responsibilities

Pre-award Administration Budget Development

• Advise, assist, and educate PIs with the creation of proposal budgets following the award agency guidelines and using the Award Budget Setup (ABS) form and budget justifications. Review and approve final budget versions prior to submission.
• A&S Novelution Expert and User – Upload budget and pertinent award information and utilize various reporting tools. 
• Proposal Submission - Advise, assist, and educate PIs in UND and federal agency grant proposal submission processes and forms. 

Post-award Administration Budget Meetings/Training

• Conduct meetings with the Associate Dean for Research and Principal Investigators as needed to review the financial status of each of their sponsored funding awards. Answer questions, advise, and provide any training that is requested or needed concerning any aspect of the financial administration of these funds. 
• Budget Management - Provide oversight and assistance with current and projected grant balances as applicable for the duration of each award. Advise and assist with any needed budget adjustments and/or shortfalls. Work with SSC to process any necessary paperwork. Assure that all expenditures comply with applicable federal, state, UND, and other sponsor regulations. Conduct monthly budget review, so that salaries and spending remain within budget. Forecast for any potential concerns. 
• Financial Reporting - Provide annual financial information as required by sponsor. Reconcile the projections workbook with the PI Reports and Transaction Detail Reports and resolve any discrepancies. Submit all three to the PI on a monthly or as needed basis. 
• Incentive Purchases – Assist and purchase incentives using the UND P-Card. 
• Effort Reporting - Manage the tracking and reporting of all required sponsored funding efforts. Reconcile the Personal Activity Confirmation reports to the required effort to ensure compliance with all proposals. Resolve discrepancies, distribute, track return, and submit signed reports to Grants & Contracts Accounting.
• Administrative Maintenance - Advise and assist with requests for change in key personnel, no-cost extensions, cost share, carry forward, temporary projects, tuition remission, and fixed price closeouts. 

General Administration

• Annual Budget Completion of the annual budgeting process for all sponsored funds including position budgets, total grant budget, and indirect cost budget. 
• Financial/Activities Analysis - Provide clear and concise analysis in summaries of financial and activity level data on sponsored funding for executive level review by the Dean, Associate Dean for Research, and the CBO. 
• F&A Funds - Work with the Associate Dean for Research and CBO to track and reconcile the College F&A funds and PI F&A funds. Initiate necessary cash transfers. Provide an accounting of individual F&A to each PI on an annual basis. 
• Records Management - create complete files for each sponsored proposal and award for reporting purposes. Dispose of records in accordance with records retention schedule. 
• Federal & Agency Regulations - develop and maintain working knowledge of federal and agency regulations. 
• Auditing - Serve as the audit contact for sponsored funding. 
• Liaison - Serve as the point of contact between A&S and UND administration offices such as Internal Auditing, Resource Planning & Allocation, Payment & Procurement Services, Grants & Contracts Accounting, Research & Sponsored Program Development, Shared Services Center, etc. regarding sponsored funding. Represent A&S at meetings related to grants and contracts. 

College Level Support

• Collaborate with the College’s Scholarships committee, Student Finance, and the UND Alumni Association & Foundation to direct the College’s scholarship process. 
• Serve as manager to ensure all aspects of A&S funded research initiative application and award process are completed accurately and on time. 
• Additional duties as assigned by supervisor or college administration.

Required Competencies

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills
• Ability to multi-task and manage complex processes
• Demonstrated leadership and problem-solving skills
• Ability to solve issues independently
• Ability to work collaboratively across all institutional lines
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse community of students, faculty, staff with tact and diplomacy
• Willingness to adapt to new technologies and process methods
• Self-initiative, integrity, and reliability

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, or related field
• Three years experience
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Successful completion of a Criminal History Background Check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. This position does not support visa sponsorship for continued employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or advanced degree in a related field, CPA and/or CRA
• One year experience working with grants and contracts, federal and non-federal
• Experience in a university setting
• Experience with PeopleSoft Finance, HCM, Jaggaer and other NDUS financial systems
• Demonstrated strong data processing/analytical skills

To Apply

Please submit application and cover letter by closing date of application.