Grants Specialist

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Department of Global Health was established in 2007, bridging the schools of Medicine and Public Health, with a mandate to harness the expertise and interdisciplinary power of all UW schools and colleges. Our mission is to improve health for all through research, education, training, and service; to understand and address the causes of disease and health inequities at multiple levels; and to collaborate with partners to develop and sustain locally-led, quality health systems, programs and policies.

Driven by tremendous interest among both students and faculty, the Department has grown explosively to more than 400 graduate students and hundreds more undergraduates. We have more than 380 faculty and 1,000 staff working on projects across 130 countries with our deepest ties in United States, Kenya, Uganda, Peru, Mozambique, India, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua. At the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence.

The Department recognizes that disparities in health around the globe stem from inequity. The Department encourages and supports the multiple identities of staff, faculty and students including, but not limited to, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, culture, spiritual practice, geography, mental and physical disability and age. The Department strives to become a local, national, and international leader in developing and maintaining increased representation and recognition of each of these dimensions of diversity among its faculty, staff, and students.

This position will sit in the Global Center for the Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents, and Children (Global WACh) that is based in the University of Washington Departments of Global Health, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Pediatrics. Our mission is to make scientific discoveries, cultivate leaders, and bridge disciplines to advance the tightly connected health and well-being of women, adolescents and children.

Global WACh brings together expertise in maternal health from the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, neonatal and child health expertise from the Department of Pediatrics, and vast experience working in infectious disease, health metrics and evaluation, education, clinical research, and service delivery within the Department of Global Health. These disciplines combine under a methodology that views women, children, and adolescents as three populations interconnected along a shared life course.

The Department of Global Health has an outstanding opportunity for a full-time Grants Specialist (1.0 FTE). The Grants Specialist will perform a crucial role on the Global WACh team supporting the Center's pre and post award activities. The Grants Specialist leverage detailed knowledge of University regulations governing grants and familiarity with requirements of funding sponsors to review, filter, and guide grant and contract applications and post-award grant management.

Global WACh seeks Grants Specialists who are passionate about coordinating complex projects, impeccably detail oriented, a creative problem solver, and delivers with excellence on a deadline to support our growing portfolio of research conducted in partnership with diverse funders. Successful candidates will bring a high level of organization, excellent communication skills, and an acute ability to diagnose problems and proactively develop solutions to address them. The positions will be based full-time in Seattle, Washington and will report to the Global WACh Grants and Program Manager.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Post Award Budget Management & Coordination (65%)

Provide post-award support including grant management, budget monitoring and projection calculations for a portfolio of grants with Global WACh. Specifically:

Serve as the point of contact and Global WACh resource for post award requirements for faculty and staff on assigned grant portfolios.

As delegated by the PIs, serve as primary point of contact with sponsors on award requirements and submissions. Serve as the contact with the Offices of Sponsored Programs and Grant and Contract Accounting for the establishment of new and existing awards.

Review notice of awards and contracts and assure all project team members understand award requirements, terms, and conditions of award.

Track all post-award requirements, including reporting requirements, reapplication deadlines and other sponsor requests.

Meet with principal investigators on a regular basis to present and report on the financial status for each project; present and discuss potential problem areas.

Monitor compliance with funding agency regulations through regular review of award budgets as part of the reconciliation process.

Advise principal investigators on their payroll compliance and budgetary requirements for their grants and contracts. Based on results from monthly budget reports, advise principal investigators and provide short and long term personnel projections related to research funding.

Review all budget expenditures and charge requests to ensure compliance with the approved budget, researcher and/or program team approval, Uniform Guidance, and verify that purchases do not require prior approval.

Ensure applicable award documentation (including approvals, amendments, modifications, etc.) as well as any communications with the sponsor or any other Federal or regulatory office (including prior approvals, change in scope, etc.) are maintained and updated in project files.

Participate in the award close-out process by completing the GWACh closeout checklist and coordinating with relevant UW and sponsor resources to ensure timely close-out.

Pre-Award Grant Application Submission Management & Coordination (25%)

Lead all aspects of the pre-award submission process for assigned grants, specifically:

Interpret grant funding opportunity announcements (FOA's, RFP's, RFA's, etc.) and serve as an expert on funder requirements, orienting and training personnel on requirements.

Review RFAs and populate Asana task management tool with all award application components, provide relevant templates to PIs and other staff and track timelines and requirements throughout the pre-award process.

Lead development and write required budgets and budget justification documents for applications and in response to sponsor requests, assuring accuracy and alignment with funding sponsor requirements, including facilitation of F&A waivers where appropriate.

Coordinate grant submissions deadlines with internal/external collaborators.

Review all application components for compliance and submit final applications.

Complete and submit electronic funding sponsor forms and UW internal forms with 100% accuracy and resolve all non-technical issues occurring during the approval process.

Ensure filing of all relevant documents post-submission.

Establish budgets for awarded grants and transfer the management to the post award lead on the award.

Operations & Communication Support (10%):

Enter award status, deadlines, human subjects' status, and reporting data across the Global WACh grants portfolio into an internal dashboard.

Notify team members of upcoming deadlines and provide appropriate templates and supplemental documents as needed.

Maintain common filing system for all pre- and post-award grant management.

Ensure sites for faculty CVs, support, and biosketches are current and serve as the point of contact to research staff requests for this information.

Participate in UW trainings and meetings around sponsored projects.

Work with team members on the Global WACh Operations Team to review operational processes and create new SOPs as needed.

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree or equivalent AND three to five years of experience in grant management OR equivalent education/experience.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Master's degree in related field

Experience working with academic researchers on sponsored project grant proposals

Experience with project management tools, like Asana or Trello

Familiar with UW and/or federal regulations and compliance

Familiarity with UW administrative systems- experience in SAGE or Work Day a plus

Interest in global health research

High proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Highly organized with superb attention to detail and ability to see projects through to completion

At least two years' experience in a role developing budgets, performing basic fiscal management, or submitting grants to federal or non-federal sponsors

Work experience in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple demands, establish priorities, and meet firm deadlines on complex projects

Ability to operate in situations of uncertainty and trouble-shoot challenges demonstrating appropriate judgment and critical thinking

High degree of professionalism and diplomacy; ability to work across cultures and remain personable, professional and organized under stressful situations

Maintain a customer service oriented mindset when finding solutions to problems that might arise

Excellent written and verbal communications skills with demonstrated experience communicating across teams to meet shared goals

CONDITITONS OF EMPLOYMENT

This position operates in a deadline-driven environment and may occasionally require extended hours. The position will be asked to work regular work hours M-F (8-5PM) but does require participation in remote conference calls and meeting that may occur during the early morning (typically between 5-8 am) and late evening (typically 8-10 pm) in order to accommodate the time zones of the countries where GWACh works.

Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.

These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.