Grants And Contracts Specialist - 40798 University Staff
University of Colorado Anschutz Department: Ophthalmology Job Title: Grants and Contracts Specialist Position #00852034 Requisition # 40798 Job Summary: The Department of Ophthalmology has an opening for a full-time University Staff (Research Services Senior to Principal Professional) Grants and Contracts Specialist. Reporting to the Program Manager of Research Finance and Administration, this position serves as a key resource for the administration of post-award grants and contracts and provides financial, compliance, and research administration support for the department's sponsored research portfolio. Core responsibilities include supporting Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the post-award lifecycle by monitoring budgets and expenditures, performing financial reconciliations and forecasting, processing effort and funding transactions, preparing sponsor invoices, coordinating subrecipient monitoring activities, maintaining award documentation, and supporting award modifications and closeout activities. The position is also responsible for ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and institutional, federal, and state regulations while leveraging institutional systems and reporting tools to support accurate financial stewardship and decision-making. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented research administration professional with experience in sponsored projects administration, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to interpret complex sponsor guidelines, financial data, and regulatory requirements. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to customer service, collaboration, continuous process improvement, and sound fiscal stewardship within a complex academic medical research environment. Key Responsibilities: Senior Professional Grant and Contract Administration (70%) Work collaboratively with the Program Manager of Research Finance and Administration to provide comprehensive post-award financial administration for sponsored grants and contracts from grant setup through closeout, ensuring compliance with sponsor terms, federal regulations, and University policies. Monitor effort reporting and conduct routine reviews of payroll and other research-related expenditures to ensure costs are accurately allocated, allowable, and appropriately recorded; initiate and process corrective actions as needed. Review expenditures for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and compliance with sponsor, federal, and institutional requirements. Prepare and submit requisitions, payment vouchers, and sponsor invoices in accordance with grant and contract terms; track invoices, sponsor payments, receivables, and outstanding balances. Monitor award budgets, projected balances, deficits, carryforward needs, rebudgeting requests, reporting deadlines, and closeout requirements, proactively identifying and communicating potential issues. Prepare and process funding distributions, Journal Entries (JEs), Payroll Expense Transfers (PETs), and other financial transactions; reconcile subcontract and consultant invoices and resolve discrepancies. Coordinate subrecipient monitoring activities, including processing subaward agreements and amendments, collecting risk assessment documentation, and reviewing invoices for compliance, allowability, and progress against scope of work. Process award modifications and amendments, including funding changes, period-of-performance extensions, and revised terms and conditions, while ensuring internal systems and financial records are updated accurately. Compliance, Reporting, and Systems (20%) Monitor awards and projects to ensure budget compliance, accounting accuracy, appropriate expenditures and revenue activity, and adherence to sponsor, University, departmental, federal, state, foundation, and institutional requirements. Extract, analyze, validate, and maintain proposal, award, financial, and research administration data using systems such as InfoEd, CU Data, PeopleSoft, A2E, and other institutional reporting tools. Maintain complete, organized, and audit-ready grant records and documentation in accordance with federal, sponsor, and institutional retention requirements. Collaboration, Communication, and Process Improvement (10%) Support research finance leadership to advance strategic initiatives through process improvement and the implementation of AI, automation, and data-driven solutions that strengthen research administration, operational efficiency, and compliance. Principal Professional performs all Senior Professional responsibilities with greater independence and complexity, plus the following additional duties: Grant and Contract Administration (70%) Perform all Senior Professional grant and contract administration duties with limited supervision, exercising independent judgment on complex financial and compliance matters; serve as a subject matter resource for Principal Investigators (PIs) and departmental research administration staff. Assist the Program Manager with financial forecasting, budget variance analysis, and interpretation of financial activity to support faculty decision-making and research leadership planning. Support pre-award activities as needed, including preparation of Other Support documentation, Just-in-Time (JIT) submissions, and communication of sponsor deadlines. Compliance, Reporting, and Systems (20%) Perform all Senior Professional compliance, reporting, and systems duties with greater depth and independence. Independently interpret and apply federal regulations, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and agency-specific requirements; serve as the departmental content expert on regulatory and compliance matters for faculty, staff, and central offices. Collaboration, Communication, and Process Improvement (10%) Perform all Senior Professional collaboration and process improvement duties at an elevated level. Partner with research enterprise leadership and key university stakeholders to advance strategic initiatives, implement scalable process improvements, and leverage AI, automation, and data-driven solutions to enhance research administration, operational efficiency, reporting, and compliance. Lead the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs); mentor and provide guidance to junior staff and colleagues on research administration practices, compliance requirements, and system tools. Work Location: Hybrid this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings. Why Join Us: The Department of Ophthalmology is housed in the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus. This state-of-the-art facility is one of the largest eye centers in the country and serves not only patients in the Rocky Mountain region but also patients all over the world. The technological innovations conceived and developed by departmental faculty have changed the practice of eye care throughout the world. Our educational programs train the next generation of leaders in ophthalmology. Our specialists have developed national and international reputations for excellence in routine and complex ophthalmic care. We have invested heavily in tracking our clinical outcomes and we are proud that our clinicians perform at the highest levels in their respective fields. The mission of the Department of Ophthalmology is to be a nationally recognized department of ophthalmology by providing exemplary patient care founded on educational leadership, innovative research, and high ethical standards. Why work for the University? We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including: Medical: Multiple plan options Dental: Multiple plan options Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours) Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual) Holiday Days: 15/year Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage . Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications: Senior Professional Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, healthcare administration, research administration, or a directly related field from an accredited institution. A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year for year basis. Two (2) years of professional experience in finance, accounting, budgeting, business operations, grant and research administration, contract management, clinical trial finance, or a related field. Principal Professional Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, healthcare administration, research administration, or a directly related field from an accredited institution. A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year for year basis. Three (3) years of professional experience in finance, accounting, budgeting, business operations, grant and research administration, contract management, clinical trial finance, or a related field. Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply complex financial, administrative, and regulatory requirements with limited supervision. Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Preferred Qualifications Experience with business operations and finance/accounting administration in an academic healthcare institution. Experience in Pre-Award and Post-Award grants and contracts administration in a research or healthcare setting. Experience managing grant budgets, invoicing, payment tracking, revenue reconciliation, and grant closeout. Experience preparing financial reports, budget projections, reconciliations, and spending forecasts for faculty or leadership. Experience supporting award setup, rebudgeting, progress reports, Research Performance Progress Reports, no-cost extensions, financial reports, award modifications, and closeout processes. Experience interpreting and applying policies from a variety of funding structures, including federal, state, foundation, industry-sponsored, institutional, and clinical trial funding. Experience with University software applications such as EPIC, OnCore, CU Data/m-Fin, A2E, InfoEd, PeopleSoft Finance, PeopleSoft HCM, CU Marketplace, Concur Travel and Expense, Smartsheet, Power BI, MyBI, ePERS, or similar systems. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel. Experience developing financial forecasts, budget reports, reconciliations, and financial dashboards. Experience supporting procurement, vendor payments, travel expense reporting, journal entries, payroll expense transfers, personnel funding entries, and funding changes. Experience in accounting, finance, grant administration, research administration, or related administrative work involving independent portfolio management and financial analysis. Progress toward Certified Research Administrator credential or interest in pursuing certification. Competencies: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution. Outstanding customer service skills. How to Apply: For full consideration, please submit the following document(s): A letter
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