Associate Director of Post-Award
New Today
Position Description
The Office of
Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) supports the SU community in securing
and managing external funding for scholarship and programmatic initiatives; assisting
SU faculty and staff in advancing their scholarship, research, and creative
works; pursuing strategic initiatives; and furthering community engagement in
pursuit of these goals.
The
Associate Director (AD) of Post-Award is a newly created leadership role
responsible for overseeing post-award operations, including financial
monitoring, compliance, reporting, and award closeout. This position ensures
effective coordination of all post-award activities—such as budget revisions,
faculty payroll actions, and agency reporting—while serving as a key liaison
between faculty, university offices, and sponsors. This position will lead the
development of post-award policies and procedures grounded in best practices,
supervise the Grant Management Specialist, and chair the Grants Administration
Partners (GAP) working group. As a member of the ORSP leadership team, the AD
collaborates with the Director and Associate Directors of Research Development
(RD) and Pre-award to promote responsible stewardship, institutional
compliance, and efficient grant management.
This role
requires a proactive, service-oriented professional who takes initiative and operates
with a continuous process improvement mindset. This person must manage
competing demands and maintain a high attention to detail. Serving as a
resource of grants management for the ORSP team and for principal investigators
and other campus constituents, this individual must exhibit excellent
communication and customer service skills. The role requires someone who can
manage complex logistics, support research and reporting efforts, and
contribute meaningfully to the strategic goals of the ORSP.
This is a
full-time ( hours per week) position, eligible for full medical, vision,
and dental benefits. The salary range is $83,600 - $87,550 depending upon
experience. After an initial training period, this position is eligible for a
hybrid work arrangement.
Leadership
& Supervision (25%)
The AD of
Post-Award provides strategic oversight of post-award operations and directly
supervises the Grant Management Specialist. This position also leads
the Grants Administration Partners (GAP) working group, ensuring
timely execution of initiatives and fostering collaboration across campus
units.
The AD serves
as a key resource for faculty and staff, working closely with colleagues across
the university to uphold grant compliance, resolve issues, and promote a
culture of continuous improvement in research administration while maintaining
a high-attention to detail and a commitment to excellent customer service. This
role is instrumental in maintaining financial integrity, streamlining
post-award processes, and supporting the overall success of sponsored projects.
Supervise central grants management staff and support professional development.
Lead the GAP working group, ensuring completion of collaborative tasks and strategic initiatives.
Develop, update, and implement post-award policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, sponsor, and institutional requirements.
Draft and revise subaward and contractor process, agreement templates, and related documentation
Develop and provide relevant trainings and communications related to research administration best practices for our campus community
Award Set-up and Transition (15%)
The AD of Post-Award, in collaboration with the ADs of RD & Pre-Award and Grant Management Specialist (GMS), ensures a smooth transition from award acceptance to active management.
Coordinate with ADs of Pre-Award, review and negotiate awards and agreements
Set-up account in Workday and OneAegis systems.
Lead new award set-up and facilitate onboarding for project teams.
Draft and review contract agreements including subawards, in collaboration with University Counsel, to meet the needs sponsored projects activities.
•Serve as the primary sponsor contact for post-award matters.
Participate in team meetings to address post-award issues and coordinate sponsor communications, as appropriate
Financial
Management (40%)
The AD of
Post-Award holds primary responsibility for the financial management of all
active sponsored projects. This includes overseeing award setup, transaction
processing, payroll actions, corrections, budget revisions, financial
reporting, and closeout preparation. In collaboration with the ADs of RD and
Pre-Award, the AD of Post-Award ensures accuracy, compliance, and transparency
in all post-award financial activities, serving as a key resource for principal
investigators and university partners.
Monitor and reconcile grant accounts, including cost-share commitments.
Develop and implement process for financial projections of sponsored projects.
Develop and identify a process for ensuring timely resolution of financial discrepancies.
Provide regular and accurate budget updates to principal investigators and project support staff.
Oversee and direct the processing and approvals of sponsored projects transactions (payroll actions, procurement, invoice processing, etc.).
Monitor and manage subaward and contractor agreements
Facilitate meetings to review financial status, spending trends and projections, and required reporting.
Coordinate project rebudgeting and other project changes in collaboration with the PI.
Manage prior approval requests and sponsor communications as appropriate.
Lead the award closeout process, including early preparation to ensure timely and compliant closure.
Serve as ORSP liaison with university financial offices.
ORSP
Leadership (10%)
The AD of
Post-Award will join the ORSP leadership team alongside the Director and
Associate Directors of RD and Pre-Award to guide development and maintenance of
the infrastructure, resources, and best practices necessary to meet Seattle
University’s grant management goals and commitments. The AD provides strategic
and expert insights regarding grant and research administration and compliance.
Contribute as a thought partner to the ORSP leadership team to build research administration infrastructure.
Provide strategic leadership and feedback to Director in the ongoing improvement of ORSP services and processes.
Serve as a mentor for grants management aligned staff in ORSP and across campus.
Perform complex analysis, including historical synopsis, of grant finance and award data.
Propose new policies and procedures, and necessary updates to increase efficiency of grants management processes to the ORSP leadership team.
Engage regularly in opportunities for growth and development, including engaging in relevant listservs and professional organizations, as well as participating in relevant conferences and training.
Regulatory
Compliance (10%)
The ORSP is responsible for maintaining compliance with federal, state, and
local laws and regulations, sponsor guidelines and policies, and university
policies and practices. The Associate Director is responsible for ensuring
compliance throughout the sponsored project lifecycle.
Approve and negotiate terms and conditions for award agreements, contracts, and consulting agreements in consultation with University Counsel.
Consult with University Counsel and other campus regulatory offices (, Institutional Review Board, Biosafety, Student Financial Services) as needed.
Communicate compliance processes and protocols with Principal Investigators and grants management staff.
May act as sponsored-agreement related point of contact for state, federal and sponsor audits.
Remain up-to-date with current sponsor and government policies and regulations ( the uniform guidance, NSF PAPPG, etc.).
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in education, public administration, business, or a related or more years of experience in research administration or sponsored project management.
Experience in higher education or with federally funded research projects.
Strong leadership skills and demonstrated progression of responsibilities.
Strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills.
High attention to detail.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaborative tools (, Teams, Zoom).
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently and collaboratively.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree in a relevant field.
2 or more years of supervisory experience.
Familiarity and proficiency with Workday.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA).
Familiarity with federal agency reporting requirements and post-award financial processes.
- Location:
- Us
- Job Type:
- FullTime