Research Coordinator- College of Social Work Office of Research Administration-UTK

The College of Social Work Office Research Administration (CSWORA) within the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a research center that works with federal grants, government, nonprofits and across university departments. This position reports to the Director of Budget, Finance & Operations (BFO) in the Business Office. CSWORA is in a growth phase on multiple levels not just in terms of dollars but sponsors, contracts, and employees which all require strong financial management knowledge and this position is a key part of that. This position is expected to share the pre-award and post-award duties with the BFO with minimal guidance. We are looking for a motivated individual with a positive attitude who will use their financial expertise for accuracy, financial health and to deliver superior service to principal investigators (PI) and the overall research team. This position will prepare complex, multi-million dollar budget proposals requiring expert skills in interpreting and applying sponsor guidelines, uniform guidance, university and fiscal policies. Activities require a high level of critical thinking to anticipate issues in financial compliance or organizational resources/structure and resolve them. This position is expected to be professional, clearly communicate information to various levels of staff to ensure all required documents are submitted timely.

Pre-Award

• Act as a liaison with university research administration (ORIED and DRA), collaborating institutions, subcontracting entities and with other departments regarding all levels of grant development and submission
• Review sponsor guidelines, identify key requirements for all grant submissions, ensure compliance with Request for Proposal, track deadlines and communicate those to PIs
• Work with PIs to prepare accurate, appropriate and compliant budgets, budget justifications, submissions timelines, checklists of requirements, planning meetings and other required documentation for grant submissions
• Submit grants through Cayuse working with central research office all the way to sponsor receiving proposal
• Collaborate with PI for a smooth transition from pre-award covering project overview, types and time frame of all expenditures and any related compliance matters with sponsor or university policies.
• Attend all levels of meetings and participate in professional development to obtain the latest information regarding finance or research related matters
• Work with BFO on process improvement, development of procedural documents and training PI’s and other staff on process, policies and responsibilities
• Reviews award when it comes to ensure consistency with proposal and any financial terms & conditions.

Post-Award

• Monitors budgets and financial deliverables in line with award document including variance analysis
• Monitors, documents and audits expenses for reasonableness, allocability, consistent treatment and allowability
• Work with central research office to resolve issues with contracts, invoicing, costs or other discrepancies
• Utilize excel to update budgets and forecast costs in a visually digestible way for PI
• Meet with & advise PIs to review expenses, spending trend, areas that need attention, sponsor approvals and forecast through end of project.
• Coordinate with BFO on personnel forecasts and updating personnel projections in assigned project forecasts
• Process all award actions across all projects with appropriate documentation
• Approve Order Request Forms
• Completes all schedule of final charges during the closeout process of each project
• Monitor invoicing across projects and prepare (i.e. Milestone) project invoices
• Participate in year-end activities as needed

Other Activities:

• Work within the research business office and across project teams to develop innovative solutions to budget and compliance issues including developing standard operating procedures
• Maintain financial documents according to the research business office file structure and university retention periods.
• Audit transactions across all projects ensuring accuracy with documentation and coding, budget, compliance and reasonableness
• Support faculty travel, purchases, contract submissions, and invoicing on sponsored projects and internal awards in compliance with UT policies and procedures.
• Procure and support office and research supplies, track orders, reconcile receipts, and ensure purchases align with budget/grant guidelines.
• Conduct monthly reconciliation of departmental ledgers, manage and reconcile department PCard.
• Ensure adherence to UT policies and guidelines, applying UT policies consistently and staying informed of updates to university procedures to maintain operational excellence
• Resolve administrative problems by proactively identifying and troubleshooting administrative issues, and proposing solutions aligned with UT practices.
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or related field
• Experience: 3 years accounting/finance/business administration experience with one year experience related to pre and/or post award activities on sponsored projects, Intermediate Skills in Microsoft Excel
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Pre and post award activity knowledge with sponsored research
  • Ability to produce and present financial forecasts and proposed budgets, use for Excel budget management and forecasting
  • Ability to advise on time sensitive compliance and budget matters
  • Knowledge of interpreting and applying federal regulations relative to sponsored research.
  • Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and leadership skills to deal effectively and tactfully with personnel at all levels

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: 2 years of experience directly related to pre and/or post award activities on sponsored projects, Extensive knowledge of Uniform Guidance

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of University of Tennessee policies, procedures and software systems (i.e., IRIS, Cayuse) -Knowledge of higher education financial practices
• Ability to create financial models & dashboards in excel

Work Location

• Position has the possibility of being remote but may require travel to the State of Tennessee on occasion

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 11
• Anticipated hiring range: $68,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7 days from posting.

Interested individuals should provide (1) a cover letter addressing professional experience relevant to each required and preferred qualification, (2) a resume, and (3) complete contact information for 3 professional references.

About The College/Department/Division

The College of Social Work Office of Research Administration’s Mission is to facilitate and support the research efforts of the faculty, students and research staff in the college and research centers. The office supports investigative research activities by advising about funding opportunities, assisting with the development of proposals, developing budgets, supporting post-award grant management, ensuring proposals and projects comply with university, agency, state and federal guidelines and serving as a liaison with the UTK Office of Research Innovation and Economic Development.