Senior Grant Administrator Specialist

Role Description

Supports Research Management with contracting and financial activities. Serves as a point of contact between Principal Investigators, Department Admins, and Research teams. Provides training to new hires and clients.

As a new member of the RSS team you will be required to:

• Complete all the necessary trainings required and recommended by the RSS Team Lead.
• Initially, work with RSS team members/mentors to assist with Pre-Award, Post-Award, Contracts and Finance assignments.
• Become familiar with the grant management system (Insight).
• Become familiar with Mass General Brigham policies and standard operating procedures.
• Research and answer inquiries from Department Administrators and PIs, and communicate institutional policy, procedure and documentation requirements.
• Transition to an independent RSS Grant Specialist with minimal supervision (usual with 3 a month period).

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assist Research Management teams and MGB entities with Pre-Award, Post-Award, Contracting and Financial activities.
• Independently take on client assignments with minimal supervision from the Team Lead.
• Build solid relationships with hospital Department Administrators during assignments at MGB entities.
• Act as a point of contact between the Principal Investigators, Department Administrators, and Research Management teams.
• Provide training to the client when needed.
• Participate in the Research Management Training program, acting as a trainer when needed.

Key activities may include:

• Train and mentor new team members on grant administration and service delivery.
• Support clients with interim staffing for their vacancies, or during high-volume and peak periods, including taking responsibility for the following:
• Proposal development, including coordination of collaborator documentation, entry into the Insight system, review of compliance information, and/or final submission to the central RM office, including development of complex Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs).
• Progress report and just-in-time preparation for submission to the central RM office.
• Conduct financial analysis of research funds to identify overspending, accelerated spending, subcontractor invoicing, salary charges, and spending patterns to ensure compliance with Sponsor and internal policies.
• Identify salary allocations to be submitted through Workday, ensuring expense is commensurate with actual effort on the project, and that all necessary justifications and backup are obtained.
• Oversee subcontractor collaborations both administratively and fiscally.
• Submit equipment requisitions through PeopleSoft with inclusion of all necessary justifications, including sole source or competitive bids as required.
• Submit journal entries to RM with inclusion of all necessary justifications and backup.
• Prior approval requests, including for a change of PI, a change in scope of work, extension requests, and re-budgeting requests.
• Collaborate across other Department personnel, including Administrative Directors, Administrative Coordinators, Research Assistants, and Laboratory Staff.
• Perform review and negotiation of terms and conditions for FDP templated for incoming/outgoing subawards and foundation awards, obtaining manager signoff.
• Conduct analysis of a client’s research operations, including:
• Identify areas for process improvement within a client’s research operations and work together with the client to implement changes.
• Identify areas where system or software changes could be leveraged.
• Provide overall project management for specific research initiatives.
• Train client personnel on aspects of the grant lifecycle, including (for internal clientele) Partners processes and Systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required and Master's Degree preferred.
• At least 3-5 years of grant administration experience required.
• Minimum of years of experience in a professional research administration setting (hospital, non-profit organization, or university) highly preferred.
• Experience in working across the entire research grant lifecycle (pre-award, post-award, research finance) highly preferred.
• Proficient in spreadsheets, databases, accounting, and other computer applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Extensive knowledge and resourcefulness with program administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal funding agencies supporting biomedical research.
• Experience with a broad range of award mechanisms, including grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements.
• Must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word.
• Good organization and coordination skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to make good judgments and resolve problems.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Differentials, premiums, and bonuses as applicable.
• Recognition programs designed to celebrate your contributions and support your professional growth.

Company Description

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.