Senior Grant Administrator

Job Summary

The Senior Grant Administrator manages all phases of research grant and contract administration for an assigned portfolio of investigators, programs, and research activities. The position serves as a senior resource to faculty and program leadership, providing expertise in proposal development, budgeting, sponsor requirements, financial management, compliance, and post-award administration. The role supports complex sponsored research activities, independently resolves administrative and financial issues, and ensures compliance with institutional policies and sponsor requirements.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Pre-Award Administration

• Manage preparation and submission of research proposals, including budgets, budget justifications, application materials, and required institutional documentation.
• Review sponsor guidelines and advise investigators on application requirements, deadlines, allowable costs, and institutional policies.
• Ensure proposals are complete, accurate, compliant, and submitted according to sponsor and institutional requirements.
• Coordinate with investigators, research leadership, finance, central research administration, and external collaborators to address proposal-related issues.
• Support complex proposals involving multiple investigators, institutions, subawards, or funding mechanisms.

Post-Award and Financial Management

• Manage sponsored awards throughout the project lifecycle, including award setup, budget monitoring, financial reporting, modifications, renewals, and closeout.
• Monitor expenditures against approved budgets and identify financial risks, projected overruns, and funding shortfalls.
• Prepare financial analyses, forecasts, reconciliations, and reports for investigators and program leadership.
• Identify cost-sharing opportunities and develop solutions to potential fiscal issues.
• Coordinate grant closeout, including final financial reconciliation and resolution of outstanding transactions or discrepancies.
• Support progress reports, renewals, and continuation applications.

Compliance and Award Management

• Maintain complete and accurate grant and contract records in accordance with institutional, sponsor, and regulatory requirements.
• Interpret and apply sponsor terms and conditions, institutional policies, and applicable research administration requirements.
• Review transactions for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency with approved award terms.
• Identify compliance concerns and work collaboratively with investigators and institutional offices to resolve issues.

Leadership and Operational Support

• Serve as a departmental subject matter expert for grant and contract administration.
• Provide guidance and training to investigators, program staff, and junior grant administration staff.
• Train and orient new team members on grant management processes and systems.
• Independently troubleshoot complex administrative, financial, and sponsor-related issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve grant administration workflows, standardize processes, and increase operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field required; Master's degree or professional certification (e.g., CPA, CGMA) preferred.
• 3–5 years of research administration experience required, preferably in an academic medical center, healthcare organization, university, or research-intensive environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex sponsored research portfolios and both pre- and post-award activities preferred.
• Thorough understanding of grant accounting principles, federal regulations, and grant management best practices.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting techniques.

Skills/Abilities/Competencies

• Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of research sponsor and institutional funding policies and guidelines.
• Proficiency in spreadsheet, database, accounting, and grant-management applications.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and reconciliation skills.
• Ability to work accurately with large and complex financial datasets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and independently resolve complex issues.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced research environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with investigators, administrators, finance teams, and institutional leadership.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated, resourceful, and able to take initiative, including knowledge of resources to answer questions and find required data and information.

Working Conditions

This is a hybrid role (onsite 3x/week at Assembly Row, Somerville, MA) Monday through Friday, eastern business hours required. Remote workdays require a stable, secure, quiet, and HIPAA-compliant workspace.