GRANTS AND CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATOR

Grants and Contracts Administrator 

Job Title: GRANTS AND CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATOR, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING-PRATT

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is one of the fastest rising, highly ranked engineering schools in the nation. The school consists of four departments with 130 tenure-track faculty members, 1250 undergraduate students, 1400 master’s students, and 600 PhD students. Housed within a university renowned for its programs in the liberal arts, medicine, business and law, Pratt prepares future engineering leaders to address complex challenges with solutions that take into account the complexities and nuances of implementing them. Pratt takes a whole-student approach to education, ensuring students are well supported throughout their journeys and graduate with the grit and determination required to persevere in their careers and their lives. Pratt is dedicated to the values of diversity, equitability, inclusivity and community in its pursuit of knowledge and service to society.

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for managing an assigned portfolio of complex grants and contracts for a large university department using knowledge of grant and contract management rules and regulations, technical expertise, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities relate to pre- and post-award processes and are described below. This position reports directly to the Department’s Lead Grants and Contracts Administrator and indirectly to the Department Business manager. This position may delegate routine accounting and/or payroll tasks to other designated staff within the departmental business office as required (i.e. payroll cost distributions).

Primary Duties:

• Pre-award -- Perform all functions for the timely submission of grants, contracts &subcontracts, as well as transfers of grants from other universities to Duke University. Prepare grant budgets, adhering to agency and university guidelines. This includes grants for individual PI's, multiple-investigators, and inter- and cross-disciplinary areas. Assist in the overall preparation of grant proposals and coordinate the submission of grants via SPS, grants. duke, PureEdge, paper proposals when required, and/or adhering to other various agency guidelines. This includes preparing grant budgets and compiling listings of other support, verifying certifications for key personnel, staff and students who plan to work with human subjects and animals; and maintaining contact with the Office of Research Support during all phases of the process to facilitate timely submission of the application as well as subcontractors as required. Work independently to collect grant funding data from Medical Center department/ divisions in cases where cross- and/or multi-disciplinary projects involving BME faculty member are involved. A primary focus will be placed on verification of faculty and research staff salaries on grants to later link to effort reports. This will provide the verifications required for the monitored workload system and research cost compliance that will carry over to post-award processes.

• Post-award -- Run monthly sponsored project reports from R/3. Monitor sponsored project financials and prepare forecasts to prevent excessive and untimely cost transfers, reviewing all R/3 financial reports for research cost compliance. Prepare revised budgets as required for approved award, adhering to agency and university guidelines. Process budgets as required, including CAS. Assist faculty in preparing Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR). Using data from awards, maintain updated records of investigators' biosketches, grant support, facilities, etc. for future grant submissions. Establish sub-recipient financial and reporting requirements; coordinate issuance of sub-agreements with ORS. Complete post-award closeout checklists for department's sponsored projects (includes reviewing BME Closeout Report listing on the Pratt Drive under Statements of Procedure).

• Other related duties -- Perform other incidental work associated with pre- and post- award processes. Assist in special processes, including the preparation of subcontracts, preparing university forms required for retaining services of consultants, outside service contracts, etc. Notify assigned principal investigators of changes in procedures as it affects pre- and post-award processes. Assist department business manager and/or department chair with miscellaneous projects related to sponsored projects (effort reporting, conflict of interest, cost-sharing, cost transfers, etc.) and compilation of information for budgetary reports as necessary.

• Complexity, Independence, and Latitude -- Work is governed by broad instructions, objectives and policies. The position requires considerable judgment in developing approaches and techniques. This position requires individual initiative in planning and performing for months at a time. Successful completion of a minimum of at least one or more of the following programs is expected for this position: Research Cost Compliance (RCC), Research Administration Academy (RAA), Research Administration Institute (RAI), Advanced Grant Management (AGM), and/or Federal Contracting Certificate (FCC). Employees hired into this classification with grants experience, but without certification will work closely with their manager to schedule and complete the minimum required training within 12 months of start date. The expectation is that the staff member will maintain the requirements for their level. Failing to meet these requirements will be addressed through the performance review process. Upon successful completion of expected training, the employee must maintain certification(s) by completing continuing education requirements. Note Duke University requires this of all Grants and Contract Administrators.

Notes Specific to Senior Level Grants and Contracts Administrators: Applicants should be experts in the subject matter. They may be responsible for mentoring and developing others. Experience – 6 years of relevant experience (5 years for internal employees who have received 4 “Exceeds Expectations” on performance reviews. Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification can also reduce the years of experience requirement to 5 years). Achievement of RAA and AGM certifications are required for this level. The successful applicant would be expected to attend all the appropriate internal update sessions and/or required classes to maintain their certification.

The intent of this job description is to provide are presentative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of a position with this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Preferences

The Department prefers to hire an individual who is an experienced grants and contracts manager who has obtained the appropriate certifications (referenced above) either through the Duke programs or another comparable university program.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.