Manager, Post Award Operations

Hourly Pay Range:

$43.38 - $67.24 - The hourly pay rate offered is determined by a candidate's expertise and years of experience, among other factors.

Position Highlights:

• Position: Manager, Post Award Operations
• Location: Evanston, IL
• Full Time
• Hours: Monday-Friday, [hours and flexible work schedules]

A Brief Overview:
The Manager, Post-Award Research Administration leads the daily operations of the post-award function within the Office for Sponsored Programs, overseeing the financial and administrative management of sponsored awards from award setup through closeout. The Manager supervises post-award staff, ensures compliance with award terms and conditions, federal regulations including 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), and Endeavor Health policies, and partners with the Director, Office for Sponsored Programs, Finance, Office of Clinical Research and research compliance colleagues on financial reporting, audit readiness, subrecipient monitoring, and process improvement.

What you will do

Team Leadership and Operations:

• Supervises the day-to-day work of Post-Award Specialists, including hiring, onboarding, training, workload distribution, coaching, and performance evaluation.
• Establishes and monitors service standards and quality benchmarks for award setup, invoicing, financial reporting, and closeout, and reports metrics to the Director, Office for Sponsored Programs.
• Develops, documents, and continuously improves standard operating procedures for the post-award lifecycle.
• Serves as the escalation point for complex award management issues, including cost transfers, deficits, disallowances, and sponsor disputes.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and strengthen internal controls
• Mentor junior analysts and provide technical guidance

Award Management and Financial Oversight:

• Manage a portfolio of complex grants and contracts.
• Oversees award setup, including review of terms and conditions, account establishment, budget loading, and communication of restrictions and reporting requirements to investigators and departments.
• Oversees preparation and submission of financial reports, invoices, including Federal Financial Reports (FFRs).
• Monitors award expenditures for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness, and oversees review of cost transfers, effort certification, and rebudgeting actions.
• Oversees subaward financial management, including subrecipient risk assessment, invoice review, and subrecipient monitoring in accordance with Uniform Guidance requirements.
• Directs timely award closeout, including final financial reports, final invoices, property and invention reporting coordination, and account inactivation.
• Conduct detailed budget-to-actual reviews and forecast spending trends
• Review and approve financial transactions for compliance
• Prepare and review sponsor financial reports and invoices
• Lead grant closeout and audit support activities

Compliance, Audit, and Training

• Ensures post-award practices comply with 2 CFR 200, sponsor terms, cost accounting standards, and institutional policy, and monitors regulatory changes affecting award management.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for the annual single audit, sponsor audits, and internal reviews related to sponsored awards, coordinating documentation and corrective action plans.
• Partners with finance, research compliance, and contracting colleagues on effort reporting, service center rates, and residual balance policy.
• Develops and delivers training for investigators, research staff, and department administrators on award management, allowable costs, and sponsor requirements.
• Performs other related duties as assigned. This description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities and duties performed.
• Analyze financial impacts to the general ledger and institutional financial statements
• Advise investigators and department leadership on grant financial management

What you will need:

• Education: Bachelors Degree Accounting Required Or Bachelors Degree Finance Required Or Bachelors Degree Business Administration/Management Required
• Experience: 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in grant accounting, sponsored programs administration, or research finance. Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial reporting. Experience managing complex federal, state, foundation, and industry-sponsored awards.
• SKills: Advanced Excel and financial analysis skills. Demonstrated ability to interpret sponsor regulations and institutional policies. Healthcare, higher education, or research administration experience.
• Preferred Qualifications; Advanced knowledge of Uniform Guidance and federal grant compliance. Experience supporting external audits and financial statement preparation. Experience leading projects, training staff, or improving financial processes.

Benefits (For full time or part time positions):

• Premium pay such as shift, on call, holiday and more based on an employee’s job (For eligible positions)
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
• Career Pathways to Promote Professional Growth and Development
• Various Medical, Dental, Pet and Vision options
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking
• Wellness Program Savings Plan
• Health Savings Account Options
• Retirement Options with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Community Involvement Opportunities

Endeavor Health is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system committed to providing access to quality, vibrant, community-connected care, serving an area of more than 4.2 million residents across six northeast Illinois counties. Our more than 25,000 team members and more than 6,000 physicians aim to deliver transformative patient experiences and expert care close to home across more than 300 ambulatory locations and eight acute care hospitals – Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights) Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) – all recognized as Magnet hospitals for nursing excellence. For more information, visit www.endeavorhealth.org.  

When you work for Endeavor Health, you will be part of an organization that encourages its employees to achieve career goals and maximize their professional potential.

Please explore our website (www.endeavorhealth.org) to better understand how Endeavor Health delivers on its mission to “help everyone in our communities be their best”. 

Endeavor Health is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please refer to the main career page for more information.

At Endeavor Health, we are united by a shared commitment to working together to create a culture of connection and belonging—each of us bringing different skills and experiences as we deliver safe, seamless, and personal care. Every person, every time. We are committed to fostering an environment where all team members can be their best, learn, and pursue excellence together.

EOE: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets, VEVRRA Federal Contractor.