Lead Grants Manager

The Lead Grants Manager is part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) team at Vanderbilt University and is a key individual contributor responsible for coordinating and managing all pre-and post-award activities across OVPRI, particularly its central office and departments, centers, and institutes. This position works with faculty, students, staff, and the Research Development and Support team (RDS) to prepare and submit sponsored funding applications for OVPRI and to coordinate the subsequent contracts or award funding and other post-award processes for successful proposals. Reporting directly to the Senior Assistant Provost for Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) and Compliance, the Lead Grants Manager should have strong attention to minute detail and strong ability to work within strict deadlines; the ability to learn new concepts and systems and to serve as an expert resource for grants managers across the institution on a variety of pre- and post-award grants management concepts and issues. This position also quires a high degree of understanding of university policies and procedures, along with state and federal regulations and related audit requirements. #VUrecruitIND

This position will be located in the Nashville, TN, area.  It will be hybrid with an expectation of being in the office at least 3 days per week (or more, depending on business needs).

About the Work Unit:

The goal of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation is to promote Vanderbilt’s distinctive research culture, which aspires to improve the human condition through path-breaking discovery and innovation. In addition to overseeing the university’s research portfolio, the VP-RI also oversees the implementation of the university’s new future vision and trans-institutional strategies and works closely with the Provost, academic Deans, Vice Provosts, and faculty at large to advance the quality of research and scholarship university-wide. The Office develops strategies and provides services to enhance extramural support for research from all sources including corporate, foundation, federal, and philanthropic; advance a cohesive and vibrant trans-institutional research agenda; and build strategic partnerships around shared priorities in research. The VP-RI works with a broad range of University stakeholders, including faculty and others, in advocating for the research and scholarship missions of all disciplines at Vanderbilt.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

• Manage all pre-award grant activities for the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation’s central office and OVPRI’s other departments, centers, and institutes.
  • In cooperation with the Research Development and Support (RDS) team, prepare and assemble grant proposals and contracts in compliance with sponsor, university, and federal guidelines, operating under strict deadlines in coordination with the Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) office, and applicants, including faculty and staff.
  • Conduct extensive monitoring of requirements, deadlines, and time management for responses to Program Announcements/Requests for Applications or general application submissions in a highly proactive manner. Assist with multiple applications for multiple applicants and departments under unwavering agency and internal deadlines.
  • Work and train in a collaborative manner with the Principal Investigator (PI), other collaborative research institutions, and in conjunction with the RDS and SPA offices throughout the application process to achieve a professional proposal document for submission.
  • Develop, review, and submit grant proposals in the Vanderbilt Electronic Research Administration (VERA) system to ensure that all proposals are appropriately entered and approved internally.
  • Assist RDS and PI to assemble applications in accordance with internal deadlines to ensure timely submission to sponsor, tracking confirmation of submitted applications via SPA and agency submission portals.
  • Maintain up-to-date biosketches, current and pending support, and other frequently used documentation for all eligible PIs throughout OVPRI and work with outside departments to obtain biosketches and other grant documents as requested.
  • Independently prepare draft budgetary allocations in accordance with sponsor guidelines and expense factors.
  • Present, edit, and finalize recommended budget for next grant application year and progress reports, as well as respond to other finance-related questions from sponsors, in partnership with PI and central offices.
  • Review budgeted direct cost items for Uniform Guidance compliance and other agency, industry, or foreign government guidelines for accuracy, accountability, reasonableness, and consistency.
  • Responsible for working with PIs for just-in-time submissions, reconciliation of proposed budgets to actual award funding changes, assignment of effort costing in Oracle as confirmed by the PIs for themselves and their lab staff, and communication to other departments or consortiums on their budget or effort allocations on OVPRI-based projects.
• Manage all post-award grant activities for the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation’s central office and OVPRI’s other departments, centers, and institutes.
  • Responsible for new, competing, or revised grant applications in preparing initial, final, and extended period budgets, including indirect cost calculation.
  • Reviews budget details with PI, including personnel, effort allocated, and overall expenses, ensuring consistency with agency regulations and Research Finance policies and guidelines.
  • Ensure that awards and budget adjustments are recorded properly.
  • Serve as a manager on effort certifications for grants to ensure effort is recorded and approved in the ecrt system
  • Responsible for other post-award grant activities, including processing retroactive cost transfers for all unallowable transactions; requesting, monitoring, and reviewing subcontract invoices; monitoring approaching end dates for all grants; quarterly forecasting; and managing the financial aspects of no-cost extensions and close-out activities for a grant/contract projects.
  • Uses excellent professional judgment to evaluate the appropriateness of expenditures and possesses the maturity and confidence to address questionable transactions either directly or by escalating them, if needed.
  • Maintain an extensive understanding of the university’s chart of accounts and departmental use of Project Portfolio Management POET structure, as well as university and departmental policies and procedures.
• Serve as a resource across OVPRI and has a broad and in-depth knowledge of the grants landscape.
  • Keep abreast of new/updated agency policies, procedures, deadlines, and timeframes of new initiatives and coordinates communication across the supported departments, centers, and institutes.
  • Provide PI information on websites/forms for submitting new animal or IRB protocol requests, annual surveillance forms, salary-only approvals, rebudgeting, no-cost extensions, etc.
  • Manage non-application aspects of human resource management relative to personnel costing and effort management, annual fiscal budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and general office/administrative aspects of operation as assigned.
• Serve as an expert resource for grants managers across the institution on a variety of pre- and post-award non-financial grants management concepts and issues.
  • Attends all necessary training offered by SPA and/or Research Finance, in addition to monitoring online/published applicable materials (e.g., NCURA newsletter, NIH online updates, internal Vanderbilt guidelines) and assists in sharing information with departments/colleges.
  • Keep abreast of new/updated external agency policies and/or procedures and coordinates communication with the SPA Team to provide training or tools to departments/colleges.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert in SPA to assist with onboard training of new departmental/college personnel who will be assisting faculty with proposals and awards.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Senior Assistant Provost for Sponsored Programs Administration and Compliance.

Education and Certifications:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent professional training and experience is required.
• A master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.
• A Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification is strongly preferred.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 8 years of experience in grant application preparation for agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF, DOD, etc.) is required.
• Strong organizational & analytical skills
• Resourceful and detail-oriented
• Excellent interpersonal written & oral communications skills
• Ability to plan, develop, and coordinate multiple projects
• Ability to work both as a member of a team & independently
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (including Word and Excel)
• High proficiency in Adobe Professional, including forms creation, editing, and conversion of documents.