Grants Administrator

About Drexel

Drexel is a comprehensive global research university ranked among the top 100 in the nation. With over 24,000 students, Drexel is one of America's 15 largest private universities. Drexel is one of Philadelphia's top 10 private employers, and a major engine for economic development in the region. Drexel has committed to being the nation’s most civically engaged university, with community partnerships integrated into every aspect of service and academics.

Job Summary

The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute is a university-level research institute. Our faculty are constantly seeking funding for research from federal agencies and foundations that support autism science. Our volume of grant submissions is very high (approx. 50 grants submitted in Fiscal Year 2020), and we currently have post-award management of over 30 funded studies.

The Grants Administrator will report to the Grants Manager, who reports to the Director of Finance and Administration, but will be expected to support all faculty and senior staff in the Institute. The Grants Administrator must be a detail-oriented, highly organized individual with a strong understanding of accounting and finance. As part of the grants team, the Grants Administrator will prepare a range of large and small research proposals, early career awards, from federal agencies as well as public and private foundations. Under the direction of the Grants Manager, the Grants Administrator will perform and aid with the following job functions as part of the grants team within the Autism Institute.

The Grants Administrator for the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute is responsible for all pre-award functions within the Institute, including the preparation and submission of grants, contracts, and service agreements, as well as post-award functions related to management of such sponsored projects. The Grants Administrator will work directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) and must be excellent at communicating and developing relationships. This position will be part of small project-focused teams and, at the same time, should be motivated and willing to work independently developing complex budgets, preparing involved grant applications, and generating financial reports. Funding agencies include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State of Pennsylvania, and various public and private foundations.

Essential Functions

• Pre-Award Responsibilities:
  • Prepare complex, multiple year budgets for federal, state, and private sponsors for grants, fellowships, and service contracts
  • Prepare salary budgets utilizing employee compensation rates, appropriate fringe benefit rates, and approved escalation rates
  • Advise PIs of budget restrictions and applicable indirect cost rates for various types of proposals
  • Advise investigators on sponsor’s instructions regarding the application, grant budget, allowable costs, and applicable indirect cost rates
  • Interact with PI’s on the preparation of both sponsor and institutional forms to ensure all submission documents are completed properly
  • Route grants and service contracts for signatures as per established deadlines
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive calendar that includes a schedule for developing grant applications in order to meet all Drexel University and sponsor deadlines
• Post-Award Responsibilities:
  • Request creation of new fund numbers appropriate to funding source and activity
  • Confirm that budget information is set up according to approved budget
  • Review rate and application of F&A costs for total budget and subcontracts as per sponsor’s instructions
  • Meet with PIs on a regular basis for a review of revenues, expenditures, available balances, and encumbrances on their sponsored projects
• Subcontract Responsibilities:
  • Track routing of subcontracts from initiation to full execution
  • Facilitate the submission and payment of invoices in a timely manner
  • Work directly with Subcontractor, PI and Post-Award Office to resolve issues
• Payroll and Funding Distribution Responsibilities:
  • Work with Principal Investigators to establish correct funding and effort of personnel for each sponsored project
  • Review funding sources for all employees on monthly basis; run payroll reports to confirm correct funding sources and labor distribution; investigate and resolve errors
  • Update funding changes each month per payroll deadlines and route proper paperwork
  • Maintain history of funding sources and labor distributions for all employees
  • Prepare retroactive salary reallocations and labor distributions
• Other Responsibilities:
  • Present quarterly reports to Principal Investigators which provide a detailed financial status of all active grants, inactive grants with outstanding issues, and expiring grants over next fiscal period
  • Provide input on policies and procedures related to grant submission and administration within the Institute as needed
  • Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• A minimum of 1-2 years of previous experience preparing complex multiple-year budgets and grant application

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration or related field or equivalent combination of experience, education, and training
• Familiarity with NIH funding mechanisms
• Familiarity with CDC, HRSA and other federal, state and local mechanisms for funding public health and/or medical research
• Knowledge of COEUS grants management software
• Familiarity with internal Drexel University financial management tools (Banner, Hyperion, COEUS, InfoEd, WebFinance, WebSalary)
• Experience within an academic environment or grant funded organization

Physical Demands

• Typically sitting at a desk/table

Location

University City

Additional Information

This position is classified as Exempt with a salary grade of K. For more information regarding Drexel’s Professional Staff salary structure, https://drexel.edu/hr/career/ducomp/salstructure/

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

Review of applicants will continue until a suitable candidate pool is identified.

Advertised: Nov 18 2020 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: Jan 31 2021 Eastern Standard Time