College of Engineering and Computer Science:
As Florida's premier engineering and technology university, UCF is among the nation's largest producers of engineering and technology talent. The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science offers students a world-class education and research opportunities alongside unrivaled partnerships with industry leaders such as L3Harris Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Duke Energy, Siemens, Walt Disney World and NASA. Focused on addressing society's biggest challenges, faculty and alumni are national leaders in energy, aerospace, computer vision, cybersecurity, transportation, health care and the environment, areas of focus that will drive the college's future growth. UCF is the nation's No. 1 provider of talent to the aerospace and defense industries, and the college is home to the national champion student cyber defense team and one of the nation's top computer programming teams.
The Opportunity:
The Contracts and Grants Specialist III will provide pre-award support for the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS). including faculty from CRCV, SMST and AMPAC. This position is responsible for delivering timely, high-quality, and coordinated research administration and customer service to faculty and research staff across these units. The Contracts and Grants Specialist requires the ability to manage a high volume of complex, multi-PI projects involving a wide range of external sponsors.
Responsibilities:
Ensure that proposals are accurate, complete and in full compliance with sponsor and university policies, procedures, and requirements. Including reviewing final proposal for accuracy of tables, figures and reference citations.
Develop all non-technical documents including budget and budget narrative, responsible for uploading application package to various sponsor systems (e.g. NSF, NIH, NSPIRES,etc.) and HRS System to System.
Assist CECS (plus CRCV, SMST and AMPAC) faculty in interpretation and clarification of sponsor guidelines and FAQs; review required sponsor forms, assurances and certifications; collect all pertinent data for the compilation of proposal components for accuracy and compliance.
Coordinate with research collaborators (e.g., subcontractors, consultants, evaluators, vendors, etc.) to ensure their commitment and eligibility, and that all proposed financial documents (e.g., subcontract budget, vendor quotes, etc.) are current, accurate and complete.
Ensure that supporting research documents, HRS smart form, special considerations (e.g. budget, cost share, release time, space needs etc.) are reviewed and approved by appropriate University officials (e.g. Chair, Dean/Director, etc.) as required.
Interprets and implements university and college policies and procedures and recommends policies and procedures to develop and improve research administration.
Develop and modifies template language for proposals and reviews any formalized grant/contract modification requiring re-budgeting or revised scope of work, including Just In Time requests.
Maintain confidential information and performs all other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's or Master's degree and 4+ years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219. Click here for more information.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience submitting proposals in federal portals such as NSF, NASA and Grants.gov.
Experience with DARPA proposal submissions and state entities such as FL DEP and FDOT.
Experience building budgets for research proposals.
Knowledge of federal regulations such as Uniform Guidance and FAR clauses.
Experience in a Higher Education, preferably within a College of Engineering.
The most successful candidates may possess the following qualities:
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a high-volume and fast-paced environment.
Ability to work independently.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?
As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.
Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:
Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
Retirement savings options
Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
Flexible work environment
And more…For more benefits information, view theUCF Employee Benefits Guide.
Dive into ourTotal Rewards Calculatorto discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.
Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.
Department
College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) Dean's Office
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
Type of Appointment
Regular
Expected Salary
$56,030.00 to Negotiable
Job Posting End Date
09-26-2025-12-00-AM
As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.
UCF is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.
If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 407-823-1336 or email [email protected].
For general application or posting questions, please email [email protected].
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