Grants Manager

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Grants Manager A

Job Profile Title

Grants Manager A

Job Description Summary

Working in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (EDM) and the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism (IDOM), under the supervision of the Sr. Grants Manager, the Grants Manager will be dedicated to a group of investigators consisting of several faculty and their postdocs. The Grants Manager will handle both pre- and post-award activities and will be responsible for mentoring coordinator(s). The Grants Manager would be expected to lend expertise to questions or concerns brought to their attention by the mentee. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule with time being divided between working onsite and working remotely.

Job Description

Pre award: 

• Keep investigators apprised of proposal / report due dates.
• Review proposal instructions and work with the PI to collect and compile documents.
• Prepare proposal budgets using standardized templates, build proposals, mostly in PennERA; track submitted proposals.
• Work with the central Research Services office to facilitate contracts and amendments.
• Knowledge of PennERA and NIH eRA Commons will be required.
• Keep a written record of pre-award activity for each proposal.

Post award: 

• Manage assigned portfolios. Investigator accounts are primarily NIH, foundation, and industry awards or contracts. Typical federal awards include R01s, Fs and Ks. The Division and Institute also have a long-running P30 and T32.
• Follow established, documented process to set up new awards and funding increments, initiate and track subaccounts, and process closeouts at project end.
• Work with purchasing manager to initiate subcontracts when needed.
• Knowledge of Ben Financials will be required.
• Track post-award expenses and monitor subawards.
• Provide regular reports, analysis, projections, and guidance to PIs.
• Monitor salary allocations.
• Work to correct transactional errors if found.
• Prepare and submit invoices to non-federal sponsors if required.
• Comply with sponsor reporting requirements. Process carryforward requests.
• Keep a written record of post-award activity (i.e., notes) for each account.

In general: 

• Act as liaison between faculty and internal and external contacts.
• Analyze data and provide or assist with intramural reports as needed. These reports include semi-annual effort reporting and annual budget projecting.
• Promptly respond to inquiries and requests for review/approval of reimbursements or purchase/service orders involving accounts in your portfolio or to grant access for lab members to internal (core) spending. Attend regular meetings (usually remotely) to review accounts or other division business.
• Supervise and train support staff as needed. 

Job Responsibilities

• Preparation and submission of sponsored research proposals, including budgets, adhering to sponsor, university, and school regulations and procedures

• Provide grant-related assistance to investigators, including monthly grant reports.  Review award notifications to ensure compliance with expenditures and other requirements/restrictions.  Working with senior grant manager, help to provide financial analyses and guidance as it relates to the research portfolio.

• Set up accounts, subaccounts, and subcontracts. Initiate subcontract purchase orders and track processing. Interact with ORS contracts office in preparing project-specific contract language as needed.  Interact with sponsors and subcontractors, including contract negotiation.

• Monitor activity and expenditures on all accounts, including subaward and subcontract activity, and reconcile financial transactions in a timely fashion and in compliance with university and sponsor guidelines Monitor salary distributions and allocations to assure they are up-to-date and appropriate. Manage effort reporting for selected personnel.

• Responsible for the final reconciliation of grants prior to closeout.  Ensure that outstanding issues are resolved in closing out the grant in a timely manner and compliant with regulations and policy. Process all carryforward requests. Comply with sponsor reporting requirements.

• Maintain accurate records of sponsored-project activity.

• Supervise / train grant coordinators.

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

This position reports to the senior administrator within department and has a dotted reporting line to the PSOM Office of Research Support Services.

*Remote work is contingent upon efficient and effective performance of duties and may be temporarily or permanently discontinued according to operational needs. Remote staff must be mindful of their ethical obligations and are expected to be available and responsive during regular work hours and to interact regularly and work together with other staff as needed on various projects. Home offices should be completely furnished with the tools necessary to work safely, securely, and productively.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$65,628.00 - $64,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay