As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Department of Epidemiology has an outstanding opportunity for a Program Operations Specialist.  The Program Operations Specialist is responsible for managing pre- and post-award activities for sponsored research projects in the Department and provides program administration and management of grants and contracts in support of multiple faculty members. This individual is responsible for proposal development for grants and contracts submitted to diverse funders and supporting department faculty in managing complex portfolios of finances.

The Program Operations Specialist will serve as a liaison between Epidemiology faculty and UW departments including the Office of Sponsored Programs, Grant and Contract Accounting and other campus offices relevant to sponsored research. The individual in the position is a strategic partner in the programmatic components of the faculty they support, ensuring that all funding sources are managed in a manner that conforms with sponsor, institutional, and departmental policies. The role is critical to the long-term success of the Department’s sponsored research efforts, as well as associated compliance with School and University policies.

Pre-award Responsibilities

• Work strategically with Epi faculty members to identify and apply for grants that support current and future research initiatives. Working with department faculty, other campus units, and collaborative/subcontract institutions, prepare complex proposal budgets and compile sponsored required data/documentation for grant proposals.

• Ensure successful proposal submission and ensure compliance by exercising independent judgement interpreting and applying sponsor, UW, federal and state policies, rules and regulations with grant/contract preparation and implementation.

• Obtain, review, and maintain documentation related to cost share report.

• Manage the proposal process from start to finish ensuring that all sponsor requirements are adhered to; create all administrative proposal documents, upload all proposal documents via sponsor websites, and obtain verification of successful application transmittal to sponsor.

• Review and approve proposals for the department where Epidemiology faculty, staff or resources are involved or when Epidemiology is the organization receiving the funding.

Post-Award Administration

• Serve as resource to faculty, staff, fellows, and students for University award processing procedures and funding agency award guidelines.

• Serve as the primary liaison with sponsors, subcontractors, and other UW units.

• Effectively manage and administer multiple research awards. Manage budget revisions and continued funding on multiple complex budgets including federal, foundation, contracts, subcontracts, and University sub-budgets.

• Interface directly with UW units, funding agencies and subcontractors managing invoices, supplements extensions, annual renewals, fiscal reports, and compliance.

• Monitor deadlines and assist Principal Investigators with deliverables for awards such as progress and financial reports; develop budgetary and administrative documents as required.

• Participate in the award close-out process by creating financial and other administrative documents, track programmatic deliverables by Principal Investigator, and coordinate and communicate with relevant UW and sponsor resources to ensure timely close-out.

Financial Reporting and Communications

• Prepare regular financial reporting for sponsored projects in respective principal investigator portfolios.

• Meet with principal investigators on a regular basis to present and report on the financial status for each project; present and discuss potential problem areas. In tandem with the Grants and Finance Manager, maintain electronic “faculty dashboard” financial summaries and other complex reports related to faculty activity; this involves complex analysis related to extramural support.

• Monitor compliance with funding agency regulations through regular review of award budgets as part of the reconciliation process.

• Establish and maintain account management procedures including preparation and/or approval of monthly budget reports and ensure accurate monthly reconciliation of expenditures with UW accounting systems such as MyFinancialDesktop and relevant grant award requirements.

• Analyze and develop cost saving strategies, provide analysis and recommendations as needed.

Assist with implementation of necessary changes, following sponsor guidelines and requirements.

Compliance and Budgetary Requirements

• Advise principal investigators on payroll compliance and budgetary requirements for staff supported by their grants and contracts. Based on results from monthly budget reports, advise principal investigators and provide short and long term personnel projections related to research funding.

• Develop and manage internal systems to track faculty effort compliance and cost share reports.


As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Research Administration, or related field

• Minimum 3-4 years of experience in research administration, including pre-award proposal submission, and post-award administration of federal grants. Prior experience should include completing grant applications, complex budgets, sub-awards, negotiating effectively with sponsors, and monitoring research budgets post-award.

• Experience with federal sponsors such as NIH, DOD, and CDC, as well as nonfederal sponsors such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Ability to synthesize and communicate budget and policy information to scientists.

• Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive administrative issues.

• Demonstrated attention to detail and proven ability to manage multiple projects in an organized, thorough and timely fashion against pre-determined goals and deadlines.

• A proactive ability to problem solve and communicate with a desire to improve systems.

• Demonstrated ability to organize complex tasks.

• High proficiency in MS Office Suite (including Word, Excel, and Outlook), in addition to the ability to quickly learn and apply new or unfamiliar technologies.

• The capability to work remotely.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

• Prior experience in basic science and/or clinical research program in a large academic institution.

• Working knowledge of UW policies and procedures, particularly related to grant processing, and experience working with staff from UW operational offices (e.g., OSP, GCA, ISC, etc.)

• Prior experience with UW systems and databases, specifically SAGE, Workday, MyFinancialDesktop, UW Profiles, and Enterprise Data Warehouse.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.