Job details
Job type full-time
Full job description
Job-specific responsibilities
Harvard`s financial administration department (fad) is responsible for the stewardship of the university’s finances, including related business processes and technologyFad is dedicated to supporting the teaching and research mission of the university by providing outstanding financial services to the harvard community; by providing support, guidance and consultation; by working to ensure compliance with university and federal guidelines; by mitigating risk; and by promoting the financial health of the university.
The primary responsibility of the senior grant and contracts specialist (sgcs) in the office for sponsored programs (osp) will be to review and submit initial funding requests, continuations/progress reports, pre-proposals, resubmissions, supplements, principal investigator transfers into harvard university, and renewals originating from the cambridge campus.
The sgcs is an integral part of the research enterprise and manages the proposal submissions for a range of schools on the cambridge campusThis role will work in close partnership with faculty members and local research administrators and will be authorized to sign and submit on behalf of the president and fellows of harvard college.
Pre-award responsibilities include:
Proposal review and approval
Responding to sponsor requests
Will work directly with the principal investigators & collaborators and will interface with central administrative offices to ensure that the applications meet all university, school, and sponsor requirements
Other duties as assigned
The sgcs serves as primary customer service contact to clients (principal investigators, departments, sponsors, etc.) on a wide range of proposal development issuesThey partner with other members of osp to provide exceptional customer service in a dynamic environmentThey work as part of the proposal review and awards management team (pram) in the interpretation of advanced compliance issues and participate in strategic planning and special projects.
They are responsible for reviewing proposals and awards for compliance with sponsor terms and university guidelines.
The sgcs position requires a professional with solid sponsored research skills and a proven ability to lead and manage an array of projectsThe position requires planning ability, creativity, judgment, and the ability to meet varying needs and demands of a complex community that includes a wide variety of disciplines, faculty, staff, programs, projects, and sponsorsThey participate in the training and mentoring of new and existing pre-award colleaguesThey work closely with the department contacts and/or the principal investigator to address and resolve issues, will backfill as needed for the awards management team, and will participate in special projects.
The sgcs participates in the development and delivery of training materials and workshops and oversees the development and/or revision of university-wide policies and proceduresThey help develop business processes and procedures.
The sgcs works with the office of the general counsel, office of the vice provost, office of technology development, and other harvard offices as neededThey work as a member of a cohesive pre- and post-award office, providing well-rounded support.
The sgcs is responsible for quality control over proposal submissions and timely updates to the system of record to maintain accurate funding statistics.
Other duties as needed or required.
Typical core duties
May act as signatory for the university, to endorse, negotiate, and/or accept grants and awards
May function as a subject matter expert and/or project lead
Oversee such pre-award areas as: funding, searches, proposal submission, document tracking and reporting
Evaluate pre-award research administration procedures, recommend improvements
Provide technical advice for and problem resolution for a school/unit financial community on research administration
Act as the department representative at the school/university level
Provide staff mentoring and training
Ensure financial compliance with university policies and procedures and applicable federal and sponsor rules and regulations
Basic qualifications
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required
Minimum of 7 years’ relevant work experience
Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations
Additional qualifications and skills
Must have familiarity with the federal uniform guidance, far, nih policies and procedures, ecommons, nsf policies and procedures, fastlane/research.gov, and current issues in sponsored research administration
Ability to navigate and advise on various sponsor portals and their functionality
Must possess excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills
Solid computer skills required
The successful candidate will be an “expert” in the field of sponsored programs.
Will collaborate with managers and senior leadership of osp in the development of internal and external training initiatives
Proven ability to work collaboratively and independently in the management of multiple projects in a dynamic environment
Working conditions
Interview and onboarding activity for this position may be conducted via telephone & zoom video conferencing, based on the department’s current presence on campus.
If you accept our offer and join the team, your position will be based on our campus in cambridge, maHowever, due to the covid-19 pandemic, you will begin your work remotelyThe remote nature of this job is only temporary, and all remote work must be performed within the united statesWe currently expect that you will work remotely until fall, 2021Once the university and your supervisor determine that it is appropriate, you will be required to move your work location to the cambridge campus or a state in which harvard is registered as an employer as a condition of continued employment.
Financial administration department is currently developing hybrid workplace models which actively support remote work (within a harvard registered state) where business and team needs allowAny remote scheduling of your work, agreed to by your supervisor, will need to be in a state in which harvard is registered as an employer as a condition of continued employmentIndividual flexible and remote work options for this role will may discussed during the interview process.
Harvard will require covid vaccination for all harvard community members who will have any on-campus presenceIndividuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasonsMore information regarding the university’s covid vaccination requirement and exceptions may be found at the university’s covid-19 vaccine information webpage: http://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-information/.
Harvard continues to place the highest priority on the health, safety and wellbeing of its faculty, staff and students, as well as the wider communityInformation and details can be found via harvard’s coronavirus workplace policies website: https://hr.harvard.edu/corona-virus-workplace-policies.
Additional information
*for internal employees, this is a referral bonus eligible positionIf you are not sure how to submit a referral, contact your local talent acquisition member *
Please provide a cover letter with your application and upload as one document.
Please note:
Harvard university requires pre-employment reference and background screening.
We are unable to provide work authorization and/or visa sponsorship.
This position has a 90-day orientation and review period.
More about fad:
Fad is committed to an engaging and diverse culture, strong values, and client partnershipThe department is led by the vice president for finance (vpf), is comprised of eight reporting units:
Office of the controller
Office of finance and administration
Office of financial strategy and planning
Office for sponsored programs
Office of treasury management
Risk management and audit services
Strategic procurement
Capital planning and project services
For more about the financial administration department and its 8 reporting units, see: http://finance.harvard.edu
Diversity, inclusion & belonging:
Harvard`s commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is rooted in our belief in drawing on the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversityOur community strives to uphold these beliefs by honoring the rights, differences, and dignity of others and embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and valuesHarvard aims to foster a campus culture where everyone can thrive, a key to which is ensuring that we each experience a sense of inclusion and belonging.
Total rewards:
Harvard’s total rewards program is designed to attract, retain, and reward the performance of talented employeesAs a harvard staff member, you enjoy many perks that come with working for one of the top employers in massachusetts, including:
Flexible work environment: fad supports flexible work arrangements where business needs allow.
Time off: 3 - 4 weeks paid vacation, paid holiday break, 12 paid sick days, 12.5 paid holidays, and 3 paid personal days per year.
Medical/dental/vision: we offer a variety of excellent medical plans, dental & vision plans.
Retirement: university-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 3 years of service.
Tuition assistance program (tap): $40 per class at the harvard extension school and discounted options through participating harvard grad schools.
Harvard university employees credit union: our employees credit union provides a complete line of services for all your financial needsHttps://huecu.org
Transportation: 50% discounted mbta pass as well as additional options to assist employees in their daily commute.
Wellness options: a variety of programs and classes at little or no cost, including stress management, massages, nutrition, meditation, and complimentary health services.
Access to athletic facilities, libraries, campus events and many discounts throughout metro boston.
Learn more: https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards
Accessibility:
Harvard university it plays an important role in supporting harvard`s commitment by seeking to create, procure and deploy technologies that are accessible to all, including and especially those who live with disabilityHarvard welcomes individuals with disabilities to apply for positions and participate in its programs and activitiesIf you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact our university disability resources department.
Job function
Finance
Location
Usa - ma - cambridge
Job code
F1558p research admin iv pr
Sub-unit
-
Department
Office for sponsored programs
Time status
Full-time
Salary grade
058
Union
00 - non union, exempt or temporary
Pre-employment screening
Education, identity
Eeo statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.
