The Sponsored Projects Documentation & Compliance Coordinator ensures the transaction-level integrity and policy compliance of all sponsored grant expenditures within the department. Working with reports provided by central accounting and under the direction of the Business Manager, this position is responsible for the meticulous matching of receipts to ledger transactions, auditing documentation for sponsor invoicing, and enforcing university, state, and federal policies. This role serves as a vital operational bridge, working directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure they understand purchasing rules and provide the necessary documentation before issues arise.

Required Qualifications

• Education:

  • Associate’s degree (Business or a related field. A combination of a HS Diploma/GED + 2 years of direct admin experience may substitute for the required degree)

• Experience:

  • 1 year of direct experience in an administrative, compliance, bookkeeping, or coordinator role.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Detail-Oriented: Ability to spot missing documentation or policy violations across high volumes of transactions.

  • Policy Literacy: Ability to learn, interpret, and firmly but politely enforce UTK fiscal policies and federal grant guidelines.

  • Customer Service & Diplomacy: Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with busy faculty/PIs, helping them navigate policy requirements smoothly and efficiently.

  • Technical Comfort: Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive/SharePoint) and the ability to easily navigate digital document management systems.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree (Business or related field)

• Experience:

  • 1–2 years of experience working with grant documentation, receipt tracking, or financial compliance within a higher education or public sector environment.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Familiarity with University Systems: Basic knowledge of or experience navigating DASH (Oracle Cloud) or similar enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for document or transaction tracking.

  • Basic Knowledge of Grant Guidelines: Familiarity with federal grant documentation standards or 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) principles.

  • Problem-Solving & Reconciliation: Ability to independently cross-reference financial records against physical documentation to identify and resolve missing information.

Work Location

• Location: TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR06

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

About The College/Department/Division

Founded in 1988, CLEE is a recognized leader in adult learning, education, and workforce development, driving meaningful change in Tennessee and across the U.S. With a team that spans Tennessee and beyond, we collaborate with state and national institutions, early childhood programs, K-12 and post-secondary schools, service agencies, employers, and workforce organizations.

Our team’s passion to create change drives our innovation and excellence in all we do. This commitment fuels our work towards empowering every individual with limitless opportunities to thrive at all stages of life. We prioritize individuals from all backgrounds, with deep expertise in supporting people with disabilities and underserved populations.

Committed to staying at the forefront of emerging research, we partner with a wide variety of organizations, including those across the University of Tennessee system and beyond, to advance best practices in adult learning, education, and employment.

Transaction Auditing & Receipt Matching (35%)

• Review transaction reports provided by the university accountant and systematically match every ledger entry with its corresponding receipt, invoice, or packing slip.

• Conduct a detailed audit of each transaction package to ensure full backup documentation is present and meets sponsor-specific invoicing requirements.

• Package and organize verified documentation to accompany the invoices sent by UTK to Grant Sponsors, ensuring zero delays in university reimbursement.
  
  

Policy Interpretation & Course Correction (35%)

• Serves as one of the department's primary resources for PIs regarding purchasing documentation, helping track what can be spent on specific grants and how it must be spent according to established guidelines.

• Ensure all purchases strictly align with Federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), State of Tennessee regulations, and UTK fiscal policies.

• Proactively identify non-compliant items, unallowable expenses, or missing justifications on the ledger, and coordinate immediate course corrections (e.g., cost transfers, retroactive justifications) before sponsor submission.

PI Relationship & Project Alignment (20%)

• Collaborate closely with PIs to understand the specific scope and operational needs of their research projects.

• Guide and educate PIs and departmental staff on documentation requirements, explaining policy restrictions clearly and helpfully.

• Serves as a primary point of contact for PIs regarding purchasing rules, helping them navigate established guidelines to prevent unallowable expenses.

Team Collaboration, Cross-Training & Other Duties (10%)

• Maintain highly organized, audit-ready digital files of all matched transactions and receipts; support internal and external auditors by retrieving requested transaction packages.

• Participate in departmental cross-training initiatives to learn adjacent administrative functions and provide operational coverage for the team during peak periods or absences.

• Perform other related duties as assigned by management to support the overall mission and operational efficiency of the department.