Post Award Senior Research Administrator

Department: Office Rsrch Innov and Econ Impact, Office of Sponsored Programs

Classification: Financial Svcs Specialist 2

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Remote Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is responsible for establishing and nurturing a dynamic environment which will maximize external funding for research, scholarly, and creative pursuits while ensuring that the university's financial, contractual, and regulatory exposures are minimized. OSP provides guidance and support to the university community in its research efforts and creates an administrative environment which fosters the creative process and ensures protection of the university's financial and contractual obligations.

About the Position:

The Post Award Senior Research Administrator will be responsible for the setup and maintenance of new awards, continuations, supplements, and award modifications for sponsored projects. This position supports the acceptance and setup and maintenance of awards and will be supported by the Local Research units and other groups within OSP. The Post Award Senior Research Administrator serves as a resource to the Pre and Post Award Team members on award setup and maintenance issues, and serves as a backup to the Manager, Financial Award Administration as needed.

Responsibilities:

Conducts initial review of award documents and prepares new awards and award modifications for setup

• Reviews awards for compliance requirements (IRB, IACUC, lab safety, COi, etc.), and coordinates necessary actions with the appropriate offices to ensure proper approvals and protocols are in place prior to award setup;
• Prepares award record in RAMP grants module and ensures Pis and departmental contacts receive accurate and clear award details;
• Analyzes award documents and identifies any issues;
• Ensures RAMP system accurately reflects sponsors requirements;
• Reviews award requirements and responses to compliance questions to identify any compliance issues;
• Communicates with other offices responsible for compliance areas and serves as liaison to Pis and department administrators;
• Follows up regularly with Pis on pending compliance approvals;
• Identifies and resolves issues discovered during award set-up;
• Communicates any potential problems and responds promptly to questions and concerns raised by university administrators;
• Ensures all award documents, supporting details, and notes to file are maintained in contract files;
• Places necessary requests when required (subcontract requests, etc.), and keeps RAMP system updated accordingly; and
• Reviews team member award setups as needed to ensure proper setup, and works with team member to resolve any issues identified.

Reviews all award documentation prior to final account setup

• Reviews the award documents for any QC notes and pre-award information;
• Reviews all terms and conditions of the award for prior approval requirements, Key Personnel, spending restrictions and payment terms;
• Maps proposed budget to awards page and creates all out years, as needed, in line with awarded dates and committed budgets; and
• Ensures that any reporting deliverables that are referenced in the award notice such as the Final Progress Report, Final Invention Statement, Final Invoice, and NIH final FSR are input. Ensures all changes are correctly documented for modifications.

Reviews and approves the final budget with the Pl to determine appropriate budget, not to exceed agency total costs

• If the award is a modular award, Pl may opt for entry of high level or detail level budget. If award is non-modular, a detailed budget must be loaded. Once the "Awards" budget update is complete, the award setup should be performed and Grant/Fund number assigned.

Finalizes Project Set Up 

• Provides a comprehensive Quality Control (QC) of the entire record prior to submitting for manager review and upload to banner;
• Initiates agreements request to contracts team in RAMP system for subawards or subaward modifications (if applicable);
• Submits Banner access and pooled position requests, generates signature card; and
• Verifies upload to Banner system after manager review and activation, generates award notification. 

Serves as a resource to Pl's and administrators regarding award requirements, post award expenditures and management of awards 

• Responds promptly to questions and requests from Pis, local unit administrators, and other OSP administrators regarding post award issues and allowable costs; and
• Performs analysis of issues and determines resolution, escalates problems of increased complexity to manager in a timely manner when necessary. 

Special Projects as required 

• Works closely with other teams and participates on committees and cross-team efforts to streamline processes and improve services to the research community. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated university and/or sponsored program experience is required (typically minimum 3 years);
• Highly developed time ­management, problem resolution and organizational skills;
• Ability to foster an environment that supports teamwork, collaboration, and high-quality customer service; and
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Higher education experience (typically 3+ years) in financial administration or sponsored programs office; and
• Demonstrate knowledge of federal, state and sponsor rules and regulations concerning grants and contracts. Ability to interpret and apply federal, state and sponsor rules and regulations to sponsored projects received by Mason.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Post Award Senior Research Administrator at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date:  November 1, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  November 15, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes