Princeton University seeks a highly motivated, well-qualified individual to lead the Sponsored Research Shared Services program in the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA). The Sponsored Research Shared Services unit currently supports approximately 60 departments and centers across campus, with about 80 proposals and 50 agreement records entered and routed per year. The supported departments on average have 40 active awards (about $12.5 million dollars in sponsored funding) per fiscal year.

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager will be a proven expert in department-level research administration, and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Shared Services program, including a portfolio of departments, assisting faculty, researchers, and unit-level staff with a variety of pre- and post-award research functions who do not have a dedicated Grants Manager within their department. This position additionally manages and provides ad-hoc, short-term grants administration support services outside of their dedicated portfolio. The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager manages sponsored research proposal preparation and submissions at the department/academic unit level, as well as post-award requests and financial administration. This position collaborates with multiple stakeholders on and off-campus (i.e., at collaborating and sponsoring organizations), ensuring the overall effective coordination of the shared services program, research administration services, systems, policies, and processes.

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager will collaborate with relevant university offices, including staff in the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA), Sponsored Research Accounting (SRA), Procurement, Research Integrity and Assurance (RIA), Corporate Engagement and Foundation Relations (CEFR), and the Office of the Dean for Research (DFR).

Pre-Award Responsibilities

• Maintains the participating unit level service agreements (including regular/annual review of the agreements, and gathering of customer satisfaction information), exchanges feedback with the participating units as appropriate and ensures that the content accurately reflects each assignment;
• Monitors volume and complexity of the Shared Services portfolio, and ensures an appropriately balanced and resourced operation (i.e., no less frequently than quarterly reviews and reports on the proposal and funding metrics of the overall program and the units it serves);
• Manages the (currently three) Shared Services Grants Managers including, unit assignments, training, professional development, review of metrics and problem solving, ensuring a high level of service delivery;
• Prepares proposal documentation, including budgets and budget justifications, and assists with the collection of subaward documentation in accordance with sponsor requirements;
• Critically reviews proposal solicitations to ensure all proposal components identified in the funding opportunity announcement are completed at time of submission;
• Assists with the development and critical review of biographical sketch and current & pending (other) support documents;
• Identifies and mitigates compliance issues and business risks;
• Appropriately identifies, documents and ensures the fulfillment of cost sharing;
• Interfaces with the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and University Research Board (URB) as needed;

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager prepares and routes proposal submissions in Princeton University’s pre-award enterprise system, uploads narrative and other technical documents, as well as the budget, budget justification, and other administrative documents into appropriate granting agency proposal systems; shepherds proposals through all necessary approvals, including ancillary reviews; and works with the assigned Grants and Contracts Administrator (GCA) within ORPA, who reviews and submits the proposal on behalf of the university.

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager also ensures that agreements such as nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), data use agreements (DUAs) or other non-funded/non-financial and negotiated financial research-related agreements are timely routed to ORPA with appropriate contextualizing information.

Post-award Responsibilities

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager is responsible for assisting with post-award functions, as appropriate/needed and in collaboration with unit-level post-award staff and Finance Shared Services. Responsibilities may include general oversight of faculty sponsored research portfolios including multi-year, in-depth projections and advising of faculty based on these projections; preparation of requisitions and purchase orders in Prime Financials; review and approval of travel and other expenses in Concur and Prime Financials; monitoring spending, which may include monitoring of purchase orders, subawards, or the fulfillment of cost-share commitments; preparing revised budgets and budget justifications, cost transfer requests, no cost extensions and other prior approval requests; management of grant supported personnel expenses in Labor Accounting, including any personnel effort that is cost shared; effort certification; and for other post-award functions as needed.

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager is expected to communicate university and sponsor policies and regulations to the Shared Services team, department faculty and staff, ensuring departmental compliance to applicable laws, policies and procedures. In addition, the position serves as a liaison between academic units and university research administration offices. Close collaboration is expected with ORPA as well as with the Office of Finance and Treasury (OFT), especially Sponsored Research Accounting (SRA).

The Lead Shared Services Grants Manager is expected to participate in committees or working groups. The successful candidate must have a strong service orientation, good problem-solving abilities, effective oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with faculty, staff, students, and sponsors in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities. As a professional staff member, the Shared Services Grants Manager is an advocate for responsive, effective research administration.

• At least eight (8) years of grants management experience
• Knowledge of both federal and non-federal sponsors and best practices in working with a variety of funding agencies, including industry, foundations and foreign sponsors
• Knowledge of federal regulations (such as Uniform Guidance) and non-federal research administration principles, policies and procedures
• Understanding of compliance-related responsibilities including conflict of interest in research, as well as the IACUC and IRB process
• Experience using electronic proposal systems
• Fluency in internal and external systems that support research administration; interest in using technology to work more efficiently and intelligently
• Analytical expertise with strong accounting/financial/grants management background including multi-year projections, and cost-accounting standards
• Ability to analyze complex situations, identify workable solutions/alternatives and effectively balance customer service with regulatory compliance
• Experience with research administration in an academic setting highly desirable
• Strong oral and written communication skills; sound professional judgement; analytical problem solving ability; emotional maturity and ability to provide high quality service in a timely manner is required
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to take initiative and work independently, consulting with appropriate parties as needed
• Possess a high degree of personal integrity and discretion, solid decision-making skills, judgment and flexibility
• Intermediate or advanced Excel skills
• Fluency in Microsoft Word and Adobe Pro applications

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Princeton ERA, Huron (or other major university pre-award enterprise system) application, PeopleSoft Financial Systems, Concur and Labor Accounting
• Understanding of Princeton’s objectives, policies, organization and procedures
• Experience in sponsor programs administration at a “Research I” university highly desirable
• Experience managing a program or administrative unit
• Experience in personnel management

Education Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience