Grants and Contracts Administrator I, II, III, or Senior

Position Function:

This position serves as a member of a team of professional and support staff in the Office of Sponsored Projects who provide university-wide leadership in the development and administration of sponsored projects. Specifically, the Grants and Contracts Administrator I, II, III, or Senior will assist in providing services such as proposal review and endorsement, agreement negotiation, award acceptance and authorization, and limited post-award research services in accordance with university, federal, and sponsor regulations, policies, and procedures. Rankings and qualifications within levels (I, II, III, Senior) are based on education and experience.

Employees hired into Intermittent positions are limited to working no more than 720 hours per fiscal year.

Salary Grade: Level I: 14; II: 14; III: 15; Senior: 16

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance and support for faculty, staff, and administrators in the preparation and submission of grant and contract proposals.
• Review proposals to ensures all applications comply with state and federal laws and abide by policies and procedures established by Mississippi State University and sponsoring agencies guidelines.
• Review budgets for correct calculation of expenditure categories such as salaries, percent effort, salary adjustment increases, fringe benefits, tuition, materials, equipment, subcontracts, and F&A.
• Review other proposal elements such as budget justification, biosketch, current and pending support, conflict of interest, collaborators and other affiliations, etc. for consistency, accuracy, and completeness.
• Submit proposals on behalf of Mississippi State University.
• Assist with negotiation on behalf of the university all grants and contracts awarded to MSU and obtain signature of authorized organizational representative.
• Verify compliance with research regulatory matters such as IACUC, IRB, IBC, COI, export control, etc.
• Coordinate the execution of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and subawards.
• Submit no-cost extensions, budget revisions, change in scope of work, change in PI, etc.
• Monitor and update assigned tickets.
• Monitor assigned sponsors for updates to policies and ensure changes are communicated to campus.
• Act as a liaison between faculty and staff with various sponsors.
• Know policies and procedures applicable to assigned duties.
• Provide guidance, training, and support for departmental staff.
• Perform similar or related duties as assigned or required.

Minimum Qualifications:

Grants & Contracts Administrator I:
Bachelor's degree in a related field and one year of relevant experience

Grants & Contracts Administrator II:
Bachelor's degree in a related field and Three years of relevant experience. For promotion, experience must include at least 2 years at the preceding level.

Grants & Contracts Administrator III:
Bachelor's degree in a related field and Five years of relevant experience. For promotion, experience must include at least 2 years at the preceding level.

Senior Grants & Contracts Administrator:
Master’s Degree, Ph.D., or Juris Doctor and a Professional Certification related to Research Administration (CRA, CPRA, CFRA, or PMP). Five years of relevant experience. For promotion, experience must include at least 2 years at the preceding level.

Substitution for Education: Two years of experience may be substituted for a master’s degree for the position of Senior Grants & Contracts Administrator

Substitution for Experience: Additional relevant education may substitute for experience for the position of Grants & Contracts Administrator I.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to analyze budgetary line items for compliance with budget guidelines.
• Ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Information research skills.
• Database management skills.
• Organizing and coordinating skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Spreadsheet, database, and word processing skills mandatory.
• Knowledge of mathematics.
• Ability to provide technical advice and information to faculty and staff in area of expertise.
• Knowledge of federal, state and/or community funding sources and mechanisms.
• Records maintenance skills.
• Knowledge of grant funding policies and procedures and applicable local, state, federal and university regulations.
• Knowledge of the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and standard cost accounting.
• Ability to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgments.
• Attention to detail.

Supervisory Responsibility
Does not have supervisory responsibility.

The above essential duties and responsibilities are representative of major duties in this position. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job. Not all of the duties may be assigned to a position.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

1. No unusual physical requirements.
2. Requires no heavy lifting, and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
3. Frequent - Externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; irregular hours may be anticipated; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.
4. Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.
5. Job requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 10 pounds.
6. Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.
7. Hearing requirements: Heavy telephone contact requires ability to hear and respond to telephone conversations.

Instructions for Applying:

Apply online.

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, gender identity, status as a U.S. veteran, and/or any other status protected by applicable law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or [email protected].

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or [email protected]. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.