Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Grants and Contracts Administration

The Grants and Contracts Manager leads research administration activities within a unit; establishes and measures performance standards; allocates resources in order to achieve service objectives; manages workflows and communicates goals to employees throughout the organization; ensures unit operations, policies, and procedures align with strategic plans; and provides expertise related to research portfolio growth, complex agreement negotiations, or multi-disciplinary award administration.

• Direct research administration activities within a college, research unit, or research division; or lead a team within a central research administration office
• Develop processes and procedures for pre- and post- award activities including proposal and award processing/closing, negotiations, project implementation, identifying funding opportunities, and consulting with faculty and research teams; recommend and implement process improvements
• Manage a team of research administration staff including hiring, assigning work, managing workflow volume and deadlines, ensuring quality of service, and creating development opportunities
• Oversee University wide research administration programs related to research compliance
• Provide expertise with complex, multi-disciplinary proposals and negotiating complex agreements; develop training tools and resources
• Identify and collaborate with faculty to resolve issues including compliance, project deliverables, fiscal management, and reporting
• Foster relationships with stakeholders including colleges within the University research community, partnering central units, external sponsors, and regulatory organizations
• Exercise signature authority to submit, negotiate, approve, and revise agreements, documents, and proposals on behalf of the University
• Contribute to the unit’s research strategy including reporting methods, performance indicators, operational efficiencies, compliance practices, and research portfolio growth; represent the interests of the research administration unit throughout the University; collaborate with research directors, executives, and academic administrators to develop strategic plans
• Responsible for maintaining compliance with internal policies and external regulatory institutions including government organizations, interpret and apply policy changes to unit operations; educate staff, investigators, faculty, larger research community, and administrators on business practice changes

Level:

– Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 13
• Minimum – $86,300.00
• MidPoint – $107,900.00
• Maximum – $129,500.00