Grant and Contract Officer

Company: Utah State University
Location: Logan
Posted on: January 9, 2021

Job Description:

Overview:This Grant and Contract Officer will provide pre-award expertise in the preparation, review, approval and submission of sponsored program proposals. This position will provide support to administrative staff and faculty. The position will be a resource in the development of grant and contract applications including federal and non-federal grant proposals, subcontracts, Just-in-Time requests and non-competing continuation applications. This position will coordinate with investigators, department, and business services staff in the development of all proposals and will serve assigned departments as the expert on pre-award regulations, procedures, and application guidelines. This includes all sponsor types (federal, non-federal, and private).This position requires critical thinking skills, problem recognition and problem solving ability, independent analysis, strong attention to detail, keen organizational skills, the ability to communicate in a positive tone with a clear message in oral and written communication, the ability to exceed customer service expectations, and willingness to learn about the sponsored research field.Responsibilities:

• Responsible for pre-award Sponsored Program activities.
• Analyzes and evaluates contract and grant proposal budgets for correct calculation of expenditure categories such as salaries, percent of effort, salary adjustment increases, fringe benefits, indirect costs, materials, and equipment.
• Routes proposals for internal USU approval, reviews proposals to ensure that proposal is compliant with USU policies and procedures, the RFP, sponsor requirements, and state and federal requirements.
• Serves as a liaison between USU, funding agencies, and contract entities during proposal stage.
• Signs and submits proposals (institutional signature) to sponsor on behalf of USU.
• Assists faculty with proposal development in the Kuali Research system, and corrects errors and warnings to ensure that proposals are properly submitted to a sponsor, with special attention to proposals submitted through grants.gov.
• Participates in and conducts training to faculty and staff related to proposal development and budget creation in Kuali Research, sponsor requirements, Uniform Guidance, as well as other preaward activities.
• Develops and maintains training materials, including sponsor specific guidance documents, to assist with proposal creation.
• Supports a customer group and works with other internal university contacts.
• May assist in special projects and performs associated administrative duties as assigned.
• Other activities as assigned by the Associate Director of Preaward or the Sponsored Programs' Executive Director.Qualifications:Minimum Qualifications:
  • BS/BA degree in Business, Public Administration, Communications, Legal Studies or another appropriate field, such as Economics or Finance, plus 3 years of experience. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.Preferred Qualifications:
    • 5 -10 additional years' experience in an office setting dealing with legal or regulatory compliance.
    • Analyzing award documents for compliance with University policies and other governing regulations.
    • Budget development/review and proposal review.
    • Setting priorities, completing deadlines, and making administrative procedural decisions.
    • Coordinating with key departments and stakeholders to maintain positive working relationship and to resolve outstanding issues.
    • Thriving in a fast paced environment and able to meet strict deadlines.Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities:
      • Knowledge of Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance and federal agency grant guidelines as it relates to sponsored projects.
      • Skill in project planning and ability to use good business judgment.
      • Knowledge of federal, state and/or community funding sources and mechanisms.
      • Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to present information effectively to groups.
      • Superb customer service skills, using independent judgement, in a team environment, including working with faculty, administrators, accountants, and external agencies.
      • Knowledge and understanding of proposal and grant writing procedures and requirements.
      • Ability to analyze budgetary line items for compliance with budget guidelines.
      • Work in a fast-paced, team-oriented, higher educational institution environment or similar.
      • Experience with computer-aided research administration systems, including the Kuali Research system.
      • Ability to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgements.
      • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and comfortable working in computer data base systems.
      • Ability to perform intermediate tasks and to prioritize multiple projects.Required Documents:Along with the online application, please attach:1. Resume/CV to be uploaded in the Candidate Profile2. Contact information for two professional references. All references will be contacted to provide a letter of recommendation.3. Cover Letter to be typed/pasted into a text box at the end of application**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**Advertised Salary: Minimum of $45,000, commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits ADA:Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.College/Department Highlights:The Sponsored Programs Office is a unit within the Office of Research that enhances and facilitates research and other sponsored activities by providing the USU community with professional and effective administrative expertise in the management of sponsored programs, while preserving the rights and interests of USU, the researcher, the sponsor, and the community.University Highlights:Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 and is honored to be Utah's land-grant and space-grant university. USU is a Carnegie RU/H (Research University/High Research Activity) institution with approximately 27,700 students (24,660 undergraduates and 3,040 graduate students) on the Logan main campus. Utah State's statewide system features eight campuses and 23 education centers and serves all counties in the state with Extension programs. USU offers 114 undergraduate majors, 132 graduate programs, and a variety of innovative stackable associate and certificate credentials. Washington Monthly ranked USU 14th in their national university rankings in 2019 and the 5th best public national university in the nation in 2018. As one of the two premier research institutions in Utah, USU is proud to provide a high-quality education at an affordable price. Additional information about Utah State University can be found here.A core characteristic of USU is engagement with communities and people in economic development, improvements to quality of life, and human capital. Through the practical application of knowledge, the University and its faculty engage and share expertise with the state, nation, and world, preserving the historical land-grant tradition of partnering with communities to address critical societal issues in the interest of the public good.The USU main campus is located in beautiful Logan, Utah; a city of about 50,000 situated in a picturesque mountain valley about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outstanding recreational opportunities abound in the nearby mountains and proximate region.Notice of Non-discriminationIn its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU's non-discrimination policies:Executive Director of the Office of Equity Alison Adams-Perlac, alison.adams-perlac@usu.edu, Old Main Rm. 161, 435-797-1266Title IX Coordinator Hilary Renshaw, titleix@usu.edu, Old Main Rm. 161, 435-797-1266.For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.govU.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695, OCR.Denver@ed.govUSU is sensitive to the needs of dual career couples and provides a Dual Career Assistance program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment.

Keywords: Utah State University, Logan , Grant and Contract Officer, Accounting, Auditing , Logan, Utah