Grants Manager

Do you want to help enable and advance groundbreaking research through facilitating proposal development and award management? Do you enjoy a position that is always changing and rarely stale? Are you looking to apply your problem-solving skills combined with a strong attention to detail to support faculty research on a historic campus? If so, Princeton University's Electrical and Computer Engineering department is recruiting a Grants Manager to join its team.

The Grants Manager (one of four in a highly collaborative environment) will report to the Business Manager. You will serve as backup to the other three Grants Managers when they are out of the office, or will assist in times of high volume. As a grants manager, you will need to understand the basics of research administration and then apply that knowledge to situations differently. Agility, creativity, and persistence are other key skills needed for this role. Additionally, you will supervise a faculty assistant who supports the same group of faculty. 

If you are someone who is very detail orientated, who has excellent interpersonal and communication skills, unwavering grit and a relentless perseverance, enjoys problem solving, and can handle multiple tasks under pressure and deadlines, then you have the right skill set and attributes to make an immediate impact on multiple research projects with high profile faculty. The position offers an ever-evolving environment where staleness is a rarity. You will have the opportunity to regularly work closely with colleagues associated with research administration, the Office of Project and Research Administration, Sponsored Research Accounting, as well as with faculty, student/postdoctoral researchers, and technical staff in Princeton’s Electrical and Computer Engineering to enable, accelerate, and leave an indelible mark on the pursuit of scholarly research in a historic academic setting.

A flexible or remote work arrangement will be considered for candidates with the appropriate background and experience.

Proposal Development and Award Management

• Collaborate with an assigned group of faculty to develop the various components of sponsored research proposals, ensuring compliance with university policies and funding agency guidelines.
• Review biosketches, current and pending, and collaborator documents in consultation with faculty using SciENcv and ORCID
• Develop budget and project timeline
• Facilitate the administration of awarded grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other transactions.
• Reconcile grants monthly and process journals
• Create custom graphs, burn rate projections, and reports as needed
• Review and approve purchase orders
• Provide projections for these awards and manage overall portfolios (sponsored and non-sponsored awards).
• Submit effort support information for their groups’ salary support.
• Manage and maintain summer salary and effort for faculty, as well as effort certification.

Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure compliance with reporting requirements by assisting with the timely submission of progress reports, financial reports, and others as needed.
• Stay updated on funding agency guidelines, federal regulations, and university policies pertaining to sponsored research awards.
• Manage audits and site visits related to grants activity for an assigned group of faculty.
• Provide input for the evaluation and recommendation of operational efficiencies and improvements to department grants administration.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise, support, and develop one faculty assistant, who supports the same portfolio of faculty.
• Meet regularly, and provide feedback on work. Look for opportunities to develop skills and talents.
• Submit annual performance appraisal.
• Review and approve flexible work requests.

Professional Development:

• Collaborate with grants managers to expand knowledge base and skills necessary for supporting larger, more complex grants (cost share, subawards, fabricated equipment) and larger faculty portfolios.
• Maintain current knowledge of sponsor and university rules and regulations by attending relevant training and professional development opportunities within and outside the university.
• Assist Business Manager and Senior Manager for Finance and Administration in projects as needed.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; high attention to detail partnered with the ability to think and execute strategically.
• Highly effective organizational and project management skills.
• Exercise independent judgment to plan and prioritize diverse workload, takes initiatives, and is self-motivated.
• Superior interpersonal skills across a variety of communities (students, faculty, staff, administration).
• Demonstrated ability to gather, analyze, interpret, and present data (quantitative and qualitative) for varying constituencies and purposes.
• Intermediate or advanced Excel skills.
• Superb organizational skills and ability to work proactively on multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong background in budget development, account reconciliations, financial analysis and reporting; solid understanding of accounting concepts and procedures.
• Must be able to work under pressure to coordinate and meet deadlines for multiple proposal submissions with acute accuracy.
• Curiosity and willingness to seek out answers and information.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in managing and administration of sponsored research and grant proposals and familiarity with Uniform Guidance regulations and federal compliances
• Knowledge of NSF, ONR, DOE, DARPA, NIH, AFOSR guidelines
• Prior work experience in higher education or related field
• Experience with University Financial systems (PRIME, PeopleSoft, Concur) is a plus
• Supervisory skills a plus

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