Grants & Contracts Specialist I

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A Brief Overview
Responsible for administration of various incoming and outgoing agreements under sponsored projects.

Assist in generating and tracking all types of agreements (sub-awards, professional services agreements (PSAs), outgoing consulting agreements (OCAs) etc.) and modifications to and from organizations under various funding agencies. Under supervision, issue and accept various agreements and modifications. Maintain a strong customer-service oriented environment. Assist in implementing polices and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with sponsor rules and regulations as it relates to sub-awards. Assist in providing formal and informal training to departmental employees, investigators, and staff on internal and external systems, operations, and processes.

What you will do

• Responsible for institutional oversight of various incoming and outgoing agreements (sub-award, PSA, etc.) under sponsored projects for assigned Divisions, Departments and Programs.
• Coordinate administrative aspects of sub-awards under sponsored projects.
• Liaise with other departments across the institution, as necessary, on the administrative aspects of sub-awards.
• Understand the landscape of each investigator's sponsored projects funding, their collaborations inside and outside CHOP, and the overall funding situation of the assigned portfolio.
• Maintain records for proposals, incoming and outgoing subawards, just in time requests, and all other aspects of sub-award administration.
• With assistance, ensure that agreements and modifications to subaward or outgoing consulting agreement reflect sponsor guidelines and institutional interest and policies.
• Maintain up-to-date information including entering sub-award data, transitioning through various states, and setting deadlines for progress and final reports.
• For small departments and with supervision, issue, negotiate, and accept various agreements and modifications.
• Assist in the preparation of subawards, PSAs, and OCAs.
• Facilitate negotiation of all subawards and modifications.
• Assist investigators and departments in communicating with prime or sub organization, collaborators, and others about the conduct of subawards, PSAs, and OCAs.
• Maintain strong customer-service environment.
• Work as a team with colleagues across the Research Institute to provide seamless service to investigators.
• Develop professional relationships with principal investigators, technical staff, division administrators, etc…
• Assist in covering portfolios when team members are out of the office.
• Refer customers to knowledge experts in other departments when appropriate.
• Engage in professional development and take advantage of educational opportunities.
• Manage subaward team general email address and phone line.
• Ensure partner organization contacts are up-to-date.
• Assist in adding new contacts or organizations as needed.
• Explain importance of compliance to CHOP as a whole and consequences for the hospital for non-compliance by individual investigators and staff.
• Provide institutional oversight on subcontract acceptance, subcontract issuance, etc.
• Follow CHOP policies such as Subrecipient Monitoring, Conflict of Interest, Principal Investigator Eligibility, Cost Sharing, Indirect Cost Waiver, Program Income, etc.
• Guide investigators and staff on what is compliant, what is acceptable, and is appropriate, while at the same time support the scientific program to its fullest extent.
• Contribute to the development of policies and procedures, education and training programs, enhancement of our electronic research administration system, [eSPA], etc.
• Participate in institutional initiatives related to process improvement.
• Provide formal/informal training to departmental employees, investigators, and staff on internal and external systems, operations, and processes.
• Other duties as assigned. Occasionally will be required to work beyond regular daily business hours to meet deadline requirements.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree - Required

Experience Qualifications

• At least one (1) year experience in contract review and administration. Required
• At least one (1) year providing sponsored project management services on NIH and other federally funded grants. Preferred
• Administering agreements. Preferred
• Financial management experience. Preferred
• Experience in academic, research, or hospital/healthcare environment. Preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstration of success in a front-line service-oriented position, involving extensive customer contact and relationship building
• Basic knowledge of policies and regulations governing federal funding and accompanying compliance issues
• Knowledge of principles of grantsmanship/contract management and sponsor proposal and award policies and procedures (particularly those of the NIH)
• Ability, especially under pressure, to be professional, courteous, and tactful in dealing with investigators, administrative staff, funding agency contacts, prime and sub-awardee organizational representatives.
• With assistant from GCS Manager or GCS II, ability to establish clear priorities and multi-task in a high-volume setting responsive to externally generated deadlines
• Ability to work with minimum direction and guidance within a service-team environment
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines in a fast-paced academic environment
• Excellent computer skills, particularly word processing and spreadsheet software (Microsoft Word and Excel)
• Basic proficiency in pre-award databases
• Experience in and knowledge of the management of NIH grants and other sponsored projects funding
• Solid skills in distilling complex compliance issues so they are understandable to the lay audience
• Effective verbal and written communication skills due to interaction with investigators, Department Heads, and regulatory agencies.
• Solid customer-service skills, and in conjunction with guidance from manager, work to find and implement creative, compliant solutions to satisfy customer needs

Licenses and Certifications

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) - Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) - upon hire - Preferred

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine. Learn more.

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SALARY RANGE:

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

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