Description

Position Overview

The Office of Research Award Management Grant Manager provides leadership, direction, and oversight for all sponsored awards funded by federal, state, and private funds, including financial administration, adherence to federal, state and university compliance guidelines, and meeting reporting requirements. This position manages the day-to-day post-award research administration activities and supervises post award research administration staff performing award management tasks and working closely with investigators, other research administrators and central office staff. This full-time position is responsible for building relationships with the units and PIs served, supervising the daily post-award research administration business processes, interacting with SSC finance and HR on post-award related issues, and supporting a culture centered on delivering excellent customer service.

This position ensures that award management Grant Officers and Grant Coordinators provide timely and professional services that support and enhance the research goals of the units served. The Grant Manager is expected to maintain successful relationships and frequent communication with Directors, Chairs and PIs of academic or research units. The Grant Manager makes decisions on duty assignments to ensure that the method of processing post-award research administration transactions is compliant with University, State and Federal Guidelines. This position is also responsible for establishing and monitoring internal control procedures.

This position reports to the Associate Director, Award Management. It is the Grant Manager's duty to work with the Associate Director and Director, Research Administration to implement strategic plans for improving processes and services. The Grant Manager is accountable for ensuring the implementation of research administration policies and processes and that staff are adequately trained and provided with mentoring and coaching as necessary.

This position is designated as fully remote, meaning most activities will be performed from an agreed-upon off-campus location. Some in-person activities will be required on occasion.

Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

Job Description

50% - Grants Administration Leadership and Post Award Oversight and Approval:

• Guides and directs activities for assigned Grant Coordinators and Grant Officers.
• Manages cross-functional activities of research administration staff, including oversight of all compliance related functions.
• Trains staff in research administration, including compliance and allowability, functional accounting, and financial management skills, including optimizing the use of systems and reporting.
• Works with staff to maintain compliance with all appropriate sponsored project guidelines.
• Evaluates opportunities to enhance existing processes and provide improved service to client units.
• Coordinate with and ensure resources are available to support Sponsor subject matter expert (SME) to support excellent sponsor relations.
• Coordinates with leaders of academic departments or research centers.
• Ensures service needs are met or exceeded, based on established performance metrics, and regular assessment of team workload assignments.
• Meets with assigned departments and centers on a quarterly and as-needed basis.
• Addresses unique concerns or needs of assigned departments and centers.
• Resolves disputes and takes corrective action.
• May perform research administration transactional and analytical work for the units served, including approval of staff-initiated actions. May serve as a back-up as needed to evaluate and adjust employee workloads based on needs of unit and serve as a resource for staff.
• Oversees staff work and ensures procedures are consistent with policy, monitors relationships with assigned departments and centers to ensure award post-award project management complies with federal, state and university guidelines. Provide final review of budget and matching fund information for accuracy and compliance. In general, a beginning level employee is not able to engage in complex financial approvals that have been reviewed or prepared by him or her without the Grant Officer's secondary review for a period of at least one year. Highly complex or sensitive interactions with sponsoring agencies require the Grant Officer's approval in all cases.
• Addresses personnel needs of the staff by working with central units to promote post-award research administration training and hires new employees.
• Addresses audit findings to improve compliance and accuracy of transaction processing.
• Works with additional research administration and fiscal staff, as necessary, on all external compliance audits.
• Shares progress reports and status updates with the Associate Director, Award Management as needed or requested.
• Informs Associate Director of service or staff issues and necessary steps needed or taken to address them.
• Prepares narratives and statistical reports.

20% - Problem Resolution:

• Answers post-award-related questions for the areas served to assist customers, colleagues and staff. Assists with questions escalated from Grant Coordinators or Grant Officers.
• Escalates questions and problems as appropriate to the Associate Director or other research administration or central offices.

20% - Process Improvement / Special Projects:

• Leads, implements or serves on work groups to identify and improve processes for AMS, KU Office of Research and KU as a whole. This may include the following:
  • Working with AMS Process Improvement and Training Committees as needed to implement process design changes or system updates.
  • Collaborations with units beyond AMS for process improvement, training, ongoing campus-wide process support or other projects.
  • Policy Development and Dissemination/Training
    • Partners with KUCR staff to develop and present information and training sessions on post award policies and procedures and award management techniques. Provides information in a variety of formats, including individual training, workshop type sessions, and seminars to PIs and other interested staff as requested.
    • Coordinates with KUCR on the interpretation and communication of post- award policies, systems, procedures, and programs.

10% - Team Performance Management:

• Conducts 1:1meetings and team meetings, supporting and providing professional development opportunities, ability to create a collaboration, inclusive team culture, etc.
• Resolves disputes escalated by Grant Officers and Coordinators.
• Provides meaningful annual reviews of assigned staff and takes responsibility for all work produced, training, and development of assigned staff during the life of their employment.
• Provides training, mentoring and coaching as needed to ensure staff success or to correct staff performance issues. In conjunction with Human Resources Management (HRM), identifies and implements appropriate performance improvement actions if necessary.

Required Qualifications

1. Master's degree and two years of related experience or a bachelor's degree and five years of related experience or a high school diploma and 7 years of related experience.
2. One year or more of supervisory experience.
3. Experience writing training materials, creating PowerPoint presentations, or drafting policy as
   demonstrated by application materials.
4. Experience working within the PC/Windows environment including MS Word and MS Excel as
   evidenced by application materials.
5. Previous experience that required analytical and problem-solving skills, as outlined in application materials.
6. Excellent written communication skills and attention to detail as demonstrated by application
   materials.

Additional Candidate Instruction

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
1. A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.
2. Resume or curriculum vitae.
3. Contact information for three (3) professional references.

Application review begins Thursday, 4/30/2026, and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or using the Title IX online report form and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or using the Title IX online complaint form.