Sr. Grants & Contracts Specialist

The Sr.
Specialist, Grants & Contracts in PreAward will guide and assist principal investigators, administrators, and staff across the University with all phases of the preaward grant process, from identification of appropriate funding sources through proposal review and submission.
Sponsored proposal activity averages $100 million per year.

What You'll Do:


Supports the development and revision of complex proposals that involve technical challenges such as extensive collaboration across colleges; significant cost sharing, especially from third parties; and multiple partnerships requiring a number of subcontracts.
In staffing such proposals, provides expertise in deadline-orientated project management that includes establishing timelines, roles and responsibilities, and communication channels, leading to timely and successful proposal completion.
Communicates extensively with external partners, providing expert guidance in the preparation of subcontract proposals and the documentation of third-party cost sharing commitments.
Establishes and monitors timeline for submission.
Initiates communication with program/grants officers at funding agencies to resolve questions as they arise, and involves other DePaul offices and experts, as needed, to resolve issues and facilitate proposal development.
Develops the project budget in consultation with the PI, and completes routing forms, as needed.
Supports the PI in responding to sponsor queries on submitted proposals and preparing budget revisions and just-in-time information, as requested by the sponsor, as well as supplemental funding requests as requested by the PI.
Drawing on an extensive knowledge of university policies, sponsor guidelines, and federal regulations, performs detailed technical reviews of complex proposals to identify those areas that need to be revised prior to proposal submission.
In many cases this includes complex issues of interpretation and implementation of tiered agency standards and requirements, as well as a detailed analysis of DePaul materials including the ability to link proposal narrative , SOWs and milestones to costed budget elements and sponsor requirements.
In consultation with the PI, reworks proposals to address problem areas, with a focus on obtaining optimum conditions for both the University and the PI.
After reviews and revisions are completed, determines and coordinates the process of institutional review and approval with academic and or administrative units as dictated by each proposal.
Determines which project team members are subject to FCOI Certification and secures such certifications.
Serves as AOR, approving and submitting proposals to agency's on behalf of the University, submission, and establishes an electronic record of the submission in BlueSky Grants.
In the case of Advancement submissions (private foundations/corporations) releases institutionally approved submissions to Advancement for transmittal to funding agencies.
Conducts specialized searches of funding opportunities at the request of PIs, centers and institutes, and colleges, resulting in annotated lists of opportunities that reflect a broad knowledge of grant programs at federal and state agencies.
Updates ORS PreAward website and disseminates information on select funding opportunities to University clientele monthly.
Also updates University Research website content on a quarterly basis, in some cases coding updates using HTML
Working with the PI, Office of the General Counsel, and other DePaul offices such as Restricted Accounting and Risk Management, coordinates review of proposed grant/contract agreements and negotiates proposed changes on behalf of the PI and the university, resulting in a proposal submission with optimal contract terms and conditions in areas such as intellectual property; payment terms; reporting requirements; and risk management.
Generates Nondisclosure agreements and PreAward PO actions on behalf of the University.
Maintains a mastery of grant policies , procedures, submission systems and regulatory requirements-especially those that pertain to proposal development and submission-at a wide range of federal, state, municipal, and private/non-profit agencies and public charities.
In 2021, this included maintaining such skills with over 120 distinct agencies.
Provides 1:
1 and group training to faculty and staff on all aspects of the PreAward process.
No direct supervisory duties, but assists other less junior PreAward Grants and Contract Specialists and ORS Office Assistant on an as needed basis.
During proposal review, this position will ensure grant administrative and fiscal compliance with both external funding agencies and internal DePaul policies and procedures.
Sponsored project proposal activity averages $100 million per year.
Position is integral to insuring budgets for federal and private submissions are adequately costed and University sharing of costs for research, service and education projects is not under or overstated.
This position formally endorses proposals to external agencies as the institutional AOR( Authorized Organizational Representative), and represents the University in preaward negotiations with funding agency officials.

What You'll Need:

Master's degree preferred, and at least 5 years of experience in grants administration, with a focus on responsibilities comparable to the ones listed above; excellent organizational skills and extensive experience coordinating a variety of activities in a timely, prioritized manner required; demonstrated ability to attend carefully to detail while under time pressure required; excellent organizational, writing, analytic, verbal and written communication skills required; mastery of Microsoft Office suite (i.e.
Microsoft Word and Excel) required; demonstrated ability to develop complex proposal budgets required; established record of success as a Grants and Contracts Specialist, or in a similar position, required.
Experience working in a university setting strongly preferred.
Ability to travel between Loop and Lincoln Park campuses.
Ability to work at a computer for long periods of time daily.
Mastery of federal and non-federal funding agency policies and procedures (e.g., OMB Uniform Guidance, and NSF, NIH, ARI, AFOSR, ONR, NCPS and DED Grants Policy Manuals);
Knowledge of research and financial compliance issues, including human subjects, animal care, conflict of interest, intellectual property, export controls, and cost sharing.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collegially in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; Demonstrated ability to make decisions, be self-motivated, and work independently;
Demonstrated ability to handle large, complex proposals with a minimum of supervision;
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion;
Skill in editing written materials on scientifi.