The Whiting School of Engineering is seeking a Sr. GCA II, PreAward to provide dedicated professional level sponsored funds management for more than 80% of time with specific responsibility for pre-award and post-award functions that includes, but may not be limited to, proposal preparation, submission, budget development, account maintenance and oversight, billing/invoicing, reporting, compliance, and closeout.

This position works independently on a variety of grants/contracts that range from moderately to highly complex. These grants, contracts and awards may involve highly detailed budgets, multiple projects, cores and subawards, investigator-initiated projects, consortiums, DOD requirements, higher complexity foundation grants and pharmaceutical company sponsored clinical trials. While this role may assist with aspects of non-sponsored funds, the primary focus of this position is to ensure timely, effective, and efficient management of sponsored funding.

The Sr. Grants & Contracts Analyst II provides oversight to other staff supporting sponsored funds activities. The position serves as a team lead, a professional resource, a systems and reporting expert who provides oversight, training and support to others. This role may manage and/or assist with the onboarding of new hires.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee and direct complex award management activities including monitoring and managing accounts, audits, evaluations and reporting and provide oversight to other staff involved in sponsored funds activities.
• Partner with and act as final point of contact with departmental faculty and/or budgetary staff and ORA on the planning and development of submissions to various federal offices, private agencies/foundations and commercial companies.
• Understand and ensure compliance with institutional policies for the pre-award process and sponsor guidelines.
• Review sponsored project proposals for assigned faculty prior to forwarding to the Grants & Contracts Manager and/or ORA for signature.
• Responsible for timely budget preparation for principal investigator review.
• Serve as liaison between research units, central offices and funding agencies.
• Review budgets and related justification for appropriateness and completeness of content.
• Provide groundwork for subcontract negotiations.
• Ensure compliance related to grant and contract management, including sponsoring organization guidelines, internal protocols, accurate protocol information within grant documents, conflicts of interest, etc.
• Maintain ongoing updates and communications related to current awards, including regular auditing and reporting to principal investigators on financial status, and departmental leadership as needed.
• Manage related post-award processes, including award setup, review, account setup verification, and ensuring that staff are set up appropriately.
• Ensure that post-award responsibilities are completed, including budget distribution, account reconciliation, e-form setup, effort reporting, cost transfers, invoice payments and finalization of paperwork related to subcontract setup.
• Provide information and assistance to complete closeouts as needed.
• Provide expertise in the management of trainee-related funding and work with faculty and staff stakeholders across the department, school, and/or university as requested.
• Provide guidance on policy and financial, and administrative aspects of large and complex grants/contracts.
• Develop budgets, analyze budget patterns, project expenditures, and prepare final approved budget.
• Provide management and oversight of grant/contract submissions.
• Manage complex financial reports for forecasting, trending, and results analysis.
• Monitor expenditures and identify and communicate over expenditures to faculty and administrative/financial staff.
• Make recommendations and contribute to decisions on funding shortfalls.
• Create and submit financial reports using sponsor templates for complex submissions and/or clinical trials.
• Lead and conduct school and departmental talks and seminars related to areas of funding and/or training.
• May lead and conduct external seminars in areas of funding and/or training.
• Provide expertise in budget creation, legal requirements, terms and conditions, department and school resources, proposal preparation & submission, and departmental/ORA pre-award procedure.
• May manage post-award student-related dissertation grants and fellowships.
• Provide instruction, preparation assistance, and support related to application procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree.

• Five years of related experience in sponsored research and/or financial positions.

• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

• Successful completion of the Research Administration Training Program (13-15 months) is equivalent to two years of relevant experience for this position. If an employee does not successfully complete the program, no additional experience will be applied.

• Experience in an academic or medical setting.
• Experience working in a lead capacity.
• Involvement in JHU grants and contracts leadership development training project and recognized as a subject matter expert.

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency

• Analytical Skills - Intermediate
• Attention to Detail - Intermediate
• Grant Closeout Procedures - Intermediate
• Grant Proposal Preparation - Intermediate
• Grant Regulations - Intermediate
• Grants and Contracts Management - Intermediate
• Oral and Written Communications - Intermediate
• Record Keeping - Intermediate
• Regulatory Compliance - Intermediate
• Relationship Management - Intermediate

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

Classified Title: Sr. Grants & Contracts Analyst II
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Sr. GCA II, PreAward (WSE Research Administration)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PD
Starting Salary Range: $64,470 - $112,850 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F, 37.5 hrs wkly
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: WSE Research Administration
Personnel area: Whiting School of Engineering