Senior Grants And Contracts Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The mission of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is to advance the public’s health through learning, discovery and communication. To pursue the mission, the school produces knowledge through research then translates this knowledge into evidence that can be communicated to the public, policymakers, and practitioners to advance the health of populations.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager will support innovative research at the world’s leading public health research institution. Areas of research are focused across nine academic departments which include Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Molecular Metabolism, Global Health & Population, Health Policy & Management, Immunology & Infectious Disease, Nutrition and Social Behavioral Sciences. The Senior Grants & Contracts Manager may work primarily with one academic department, but will also have an opportunity to be exposed to research happening across the school.
The Senior Grants and Contracts Manager is an integral part of the research enterprise and manages the proposal submissions for a given department. They work in close partnership with faculty members and are responsible for proposal preparation and submission. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Pre-Award Services, they will work with all aspects of pre-award finances but will have some exposure to post-award management which may include setting up awards, managing contracts, endowments, and gifts. Faculty apply to a wide-range of sponsors including the federal government (e.g. NIH, EPA, DoD), foundations, industry, and international contracts from foreign entities. Some of the proposals are complex and may involve multiple subcontracts.

Pre-award responsibilities include:

• Provides policy guidance and assistance with all aspects of proposal development, administrative forms, sponsor-required certifications and representations, and compliance requirements
• Develops appropriate budget
• Works directly with the Principal Investigators & collaborators, and will interface with central administrative offices to ensure that the applications meet all university, school and sponsor requirements
• Performs application submission, ensuring deadlines are met
• Responds to sponsor requests and questions
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimal post-award responsibilities may be required. This is a pre-award focused role.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience, with 3+ years of those years in pre- and post-award management experience (both federal and non-federal), required; a combination of education and experience may be considered

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

The following job-specific skills and competencies are preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree, and/or Certified Research Administrator (CRA)
• Experience working with investigators on the management of complex research awards and working with a variety of sponsors
• Intermediate Excel skills
• Advanced working knowledge of research compliance issues & of key federal grant regulations
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Outstanding attention to detail
• Understanding of human subject use, animal use and other research compliance areas
• Problem solving skills and aptitude to be flexible

The following cultural competencies are also preferred:

• Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based difference within group environments
• Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Skills related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity
• Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and goals

ABOUT US

The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) supports the school’s mission by serving as a central resource for the research community through the provision of expertise and leadership in obtaining and managing research funds. It acts as the institutional representative of the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the administration of sponsored projects for the school. SPA is comprised of research administrators that work in partnership with faculty to review and submit proposals for funding and to ensure that proposals and then awards conform and are managed according to sponsor guidelines and University policies.

• Provides policy guidance and assistance with all aspects of proposal development, administrative forms, sponsor-required certifications and representations, and compliance requirements
• Develops appropriate budget
• Works directly with the Principal Investigators & collaborators, and will interface with central administrative offices to ensure that the applications meet all university, school and sponsor requirements
• Performs application submission, ensuring deadlines are met
• Responds to sponsor requests and questions
• Performs other duties as assigne