Assistant Director, Grants and Finance

Location: Chicago, IL

Job Description:

• Works closely with leadership, faculty, program staff, and other administrators to achieve the strategic objective of increasing PME’s sponsored research portfolio, which is focused on extramurally funded research. Strengthens management and monitoring of sponsored research projects and restricted fund activities to ensure financial accuracy and fiscal accountability.
• Serves as liaison between internal units such as Financial Services, University Research Administration (URA), Procurement Services, the Provost’s Office, and collaborating departments to ensure that all necessary financial data is captured for sponsor-funded research projects.
• Leads comprehensive administrative support for sponsored programs and research (pre-award, post-award, closeout/cradle to grave) to optimize the potential for future grant funding and ensure all current funding awarded is used to the specification of the funding agency.
• Facilitates collaborative interdepartmental and interdisciplinary research administration and provides administrative guidance and expertise on proposal development of multi-investigator, multi-institutional, large-scale, complex submissions.
• Oversees administration of PME faculty services related to grant writing, editing, identifying funding opportunities, proposal management, training, and grantsmanship.
• Works with central URA offices to guide and facilitate correspondence between the funding agency and the University community to obtain and process necessary pre-award, post-award and closeout information. Reviews and initiates/processes various pre-award, post-award and closeout activities.
• Review sponsor guidelines, terms, conditions, and processes for all proposals and current awards. Assists with developing and submitting proposals in compliance with University and sponsor policies; assists with other grant and contract activities such as Just-In-Time activities.
• Develops, analyzes, and presents metrics on a quarterly and annual basis to track financial trends and make sound financial forecasts based on understanding complex finances within academic units. In addition, complete quarterly quantitative and qualitative analyses to monitor and manage sponsored awards and related funds for expense optimization, enhanced spending strategies, and improved revenue generation/cost recovery.
• Oversees/tracks quarterly student allocations related to sponsored research awards, including clarifying sources of current student support.
• Oversees/tracks quarterly faculty allocations related to sponsored research awards, including proactively facilitating the summer salary process.
• Works directly with various Dean of Students Offices, divisions, and schools to ensure student funding and support are accurate in each quarter and compliant with sponsored and non-sponsored awards, fellowships, internal funding, and University policies.
• Participates in other divisional financial and operational matters as needed, in partnership with the Director of Finance Accounting and the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer.
• Develops performance goals, allocates resources and assesses policies for direct subordinates. Ensures service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
• Remains current with agency and regulatory changes. Plans for department/unit compliance with University, Divisional and Department policies and procedures and implements corrective actions for issues identified.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of work experience in accounting or related field.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administrating sponsored research, pre and post-award.
• Working within an academic or complex administrative environment.
• A minimum of five years of direct supervisory and management experience.
• Working with enterprise-wide financial and sponsored research systems.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Create verbal and written reports.
• Computer proficiency, including solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite, email, etc.
• Intermediate proficiency with Excel; skilled with spreadsheets and utilizing linked documents, vlookup, pivot tables, and macros.
• Proficiency in University of Chicago systems such as AURA, Oracle, Workday, PECCS, GEMS/Concur, etc.
• Proficient with various funding agency systems.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures related to sponsored research administration.
• Knowledge of federal rules and regulations related to sponsored research funding.

Preferred Competencies

• Lead by example in managing a detail-oriented workload, to organize and prioritize workload during high-pressure, high-volume periods, and to remain poised and professional.
• High-level of interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to work with a variety of staff, students, faculty, and senior leadership.
• Make decisions independently that will have downstream positive impacts on the management of sponsored projects.
• Analyze data and formulate conclusions.
• Assign and prioritize duties across available resources.
• Work with minimal supervision and interact with faculty and administrators from different institutions and outside entities to make independent decisions.
• Learn new skills, take on new challenges, and effectively interact and collaborate with all levels of University administrators and faculty members.
• Influence and motivate direct reports.
• Embrace continuous improvement of skills, including communication (oral and written), planning, problem-solving, organizational, project management, and customer service.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects and tasks.
• Communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of people, internally and externally.
• Self-motivated and exercise sound judgment in prioritizing tasks.
• Exercise sound judgment and absolute discretion regarding confidential matters with professionalism and tact.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Three Professional References Contact Information (required)

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via the Applicant Inquiry Form.

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