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Sponsored Research Administrator 2-Grants & Contracts, Office of Research

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation’s best urban public research universities. Home to 53,235 students, nearly 12,000 faculty and staff and 350,000+ living alumni, UC combines a Top 35 public research university with a physical setting The New York Times has called “the most ambitious campus design program in the country.”

With the launch of Next Lives Here, the Cincinnati Innovation District, a $100 million JobsOhio investment, the oldest and one of the largest cooperative education programs, a dynamic academic health center and entry into the Big 12 Conference, UC’s momentum has never been stronger. UC’s annual budget stands at $1.85 billion, and its endowment totals $2 billion.

UC is a mission-driven organization where we are committed to student success and positively transforming the community through scholarship and service. We thrive on innovation, making an impact, and fostering an environment where staff and faculty are key contributors to UC’s success.

About the Office of Research

The Office of Research (OoR) Sponsored Research Services Grants and Contracts department (SRS GCD) is a central, non-financial post-award office responsible for the review, negotiation, and approval of grant and contract awards from government, industry, and non-profit sponsors. SRS GCD also issues outgoing sub-awards under externally funded UC agreements, and provides some pre-award proposal submission support for colleges that do not have grants administration staff.

Job Overview

The SRS GCD is hiring a Sponsored Research Administrator 2-Grants & Contracts (SRA 2). This position is expected to be well versed in grant administration and/or proposal preparation and be able to make immediate contributions to the team. It offers opportunities to grow and advance within the profession. The successful candidate will need to apply their current skills, be eager to learn new skills, and be adaptable to an evolving field. There is also an option to work remotely.

Essential Functions

Assist faculty and staff with administering federal, state, and private grants, contracts, and external funding sources. Advise faculty and staff in the design of sponsored programs. Provide training to departmental staff through outreach meetings and fundamentals classes. Advise management, co-workers and department staff in process related topics.
Review grants and contracts to determine source of funds, funding level and period of performance. Review, negotiate and manage sponsored agreements, primarily the agreement’s terms and conditions. Interact with sponsors’ legal and contracting staff to negotiate terms and conditions of sponsored agreements. Prepare final draft of agreement. Advocate the university’s interests in negotiations with external entities.
Oversee and ensure compliance of grants. Implement policies to ensure compliance with funding agency regulations. Assist faculty and department staff with interpreting sponsor and university policies and practices.
Administration of non-financial grant activities. Oversee the review and submission of non-financial progress reports.
Oversee proposal preparation and submission process. Set-up budget. Coordinate departmental review and data push between two systems to establish a fiscal account. Manually set-up fiscal account.
Oversee the Just-In-Time (JIT) proposal review and the award acceptance process for a select group of sponsors with complex policies and procedures.
Administration of grant awards from multiple sponsor types.
Assist with proposal preparation for university constituents.
Perform related duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.

Required Education

Bachelor’s Degree must be in business administration, public administration or related field.
Six (6) years of relevant work experience and/or other specialized training can be used in lieu of education requirement.

Required Experience

Two (2) years in grant and/or contract administration.

Additional Qualifications Considered

Extensive experience negotiating industry and federal contracts and subcontracts.
Extensive experience in negotiating clinical trial agreements.
Understanding of SAP, Kuali, Grants.gov and other state and federal grant systems.
Intermediate proficiency in MS Office Skills, e.g. Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

Office environment/no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.

Application Process Information

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application process. Attach these documents before submitting your application.

Compensation and Benefits

UC offers an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and work-life balance. (UC Benefits Link) Highlights include:

Comprehensive Tuition Remission

UC provides tuition remission for you and your eligible dependents, covering tuition costs for nearly all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university.

Robust Retirement Plans

As a UC employee, you won’t contribute to Social Security (except Medicare). Instead, you’ll choose between state pension plans (OPERS, STRS) or an Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP), with UC contributing 14–18% of your salary based on position.

Real Work-Life Balance

UC prioritizes work-life balance with a generous time-off policy, including:

Vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays and additional end-of-year paid time off (Winter Season Days)

6 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents

Additional Benefits Include:

Competitive salary range of $58,000 - $65,000, based on experience
Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription)
Flexible spending accounts & wellness programs
Professional development & mentorship opportunities

To learn more about why UC is a great place to work, please visit our careers page at https://www.uc.edu/careers.html

UC is an E-Verify employer. If hired into this position, you will be required to provide satisfactory proof of employment eligibility by providing acceptable, original forms of identification for employment verification via the Federal I-9 employment verification process. A list of acceptable documents can be seen here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

Important: To apply you must create a profile and submit a complete job application through the UC applicant portal. We are unable to consider “easy apply” applications submitted via other websites. For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations with the application, please contact Human Resources at jobs@uc.edu.

Equal Opportunity Employer. Building a workplace where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, including Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans.

REQ: 99546

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