Grants Manager

Would you like to join a rapidly growing department at the forefront of computing? Our faculty are leading research efforts in artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Their research is shaping the future of computing technology that will impact many aspects of society. Does this sound exciting to you? Would you like to join this effort and support their research? If so, read on!

What You’ll Do

The Grants Manager in the Department of Computer Science assists faculty in identifying and applying for grants. Computer Science manages $70M in grant funding. Don’t worry – you’ll be working with two other grants managers! Currently, there are about 50 active faculty members with a hiring rate of about 3 per year. The Grants Manager is involved with all aspects of pre and post-award tasks, including:  

• Monitors all sponsored accounts, including cost-sharing accounts, and prepares budget forecasts three times a year for departmental faculty.
• In addition, the Grants Manager is responsible for developing plans to meet funding challenges, reconciling project accounts, reviewing and submitting all proposals in ERA, assisting SRA with internal audits, & maintaining a detailed working knowledge of changes in systems or in the grant application process, accounting process and compliance.
• The Grants Manager is a senior financial manager working directly and independently with the Department Manager, the Department Chair, Princeton University Grants Managers, other outside institutional financial administrators as well as government and non-government sponsor personnel.
• The Grants Manager serves as a resource for faculty, students, and staff on policy and procedural questions related to grants management and financial controls.
• This position must possess a firm understanding of academic research, government funding agency practices, compliance, and university and departmental policies.
• The Grants Manager is also responsible for organizing, submitting, and updating non-funded agreements and data-sharing agreements through the ERA system. 100 proposals are submitted annually.

• Advise faculty and provide projections with actual updates to determine overall funding as well as appropriate spending of individual grants. This includes updates on grant closings, projections, grant extensions, rebudgets, support for students and post-docs, etc.
• Advise faculty on hiring post-docs and graduate students and sustainability over the course of years based on current and pending funds. 
• Pre-award Grant Administration: Prepare budgets and submit through ERA based on discussion with faculty and requirements of program announcement.
• Assemble and review all required proposal documents. 
• Submit proposal documents through ERA and appropriate sponsor systems (Grants.gov, Fastlane and Workspace, Proposal Central) or directly to funding agency/ foundation by deadline. 
• Verify Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and E-verify is completed for those charged to sponsored research which is required by Princeton and multiple federal Ensure Foreign Influence policy is followed.
• Communicate allocation plans to department administrators (as appropriate). 
• Assist faculty with effort certification and ensure timely submission.
• Coordinate collaborative projects and sub-awards.
• Assist faculty as needed in collecting information and submitting reporting, as required by award.
• Prepare and submit cost transfer documentation when needed.
• Manage close out of awards.
• Process journal entries. 
• Manage and maintain summer salary effort for faculty.
• Approve invoices, purchase orders, travel vouchers, reimbursements and credit card activities on all sponsored projects.
• Analyze and ensure spending and justifications are in compliance with regulations and policies.
• Work closely with Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA), with no-cost extensions, new awards, prior approvals, non-funded agreements, subcontracts, and consultant agreements.
• Work with Sponsored Research Accounting with invoicing and monthly reporting to ensure university and sponsored research regulations are followed.
• Communicate changes to the faculty.
• Work solely and directly with Sponsored Research Accounting and both internal and external auditors regarding audits and providing adequate justifications for costs selected during the audit process.
• Work with the Department Chair, Managers, Graduate and Undergraduate Administrators as well as faculty in the department on a variety of topics and tasks. 
• Communicate with outside institutional, industrial and governmental grants managers, administrators and faculty as a professional representative of Princeton, regarding proposal submissions, budgets, spend plans as well as incremental funding and reporting. This includes major corporations (Chan Zuckerberg, Prospecta Labs, Facebook, Intel, Simons Foundation and Sloan), major institutions including but not limited to UCLA, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Emory University, Columbia, UPENN, Duke, Harvard, UMich, University of North Carolina, and USC as well as governmental agencies (NSF, NIH DoD, DARPA, LBL). 
• Create and maintain Sponsored Project files, including record retention as required by Princeton and Federal and non-Federal sponsors.
• Assist students and post-docs with Concur reimbursements, and reconcile departmental credit card.
• Attend training classes when available to maintain in-depth working knowledge of grants administration.
• Work closely with current Grants Managers, this Grants Manager will effectively provide departmental support during the other Grant Managers’ absences (and possibly under a heavy workload).
• Attend training on university policy, federal agency rules and compliance. 

Essential Skills/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• 5+ years of grants management experience
• Knowledge of federal agency grant proposal submission guidelines and portals
• Competency with grant accounting
• Excellent analytical, communication and organizational skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Flexibility and ability to work in a team environment
• Able to multi-task and switch tasks seamlessly
• Work with a variety of people including faculty, administrators, staff, students as well as outside individuals with a high level of tact, professionalism and confidentiality as a representative of Princeton University.

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:

• Must be able to work under pressure to coordinate and meet deadlines for multiple proposal submissions with acute accuracy.
• Administer tasks consistently and efficiently.
• Ability to triage and problem solve.
• Possess knowledge and resources to promote a productive outcome in a variety of tasks and responsibilities. 
• Experience and fluency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Professional disposition and aptitude. 

Why Join Computer Science?

• Princeton benefits – check them out here
• Join a dynamic department that is rapidly growing
• Work with a team of motivated professionals dedicated to supporting faculty and students
• Support faculty working on cutting-edge research in the field of computing

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS