Grant Management Specialist

Salary : $68,000.00 - $72,000.00 Annually
Location : Charlotte
Job Type: Full-Time Staff
Job Number: 202500051
Division: Academic Affairs
Department: Government Sponsored Programs and Research
Opening Date: 11/25/2025
Closing Date: 1/12/2026 9:50 AM Eastern

Responsibilities

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
The Grant Management Specialist is a key contributor to the success of the University's research and sponsored programs, overseeing the full lifecycle of grants, and contracts from identifying funding opportunities to post-award management and final closeout. Reporting to the Director of Government Sponsored Programs and Research this position provides high-level administrative and technical support to faculty and staff across disciplines, ensuring compliance and efficiency throughout the grant process. This is a grant-funded position that directly supports the University's mission to advance research, innovation, and academic excellence.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Job Functions

• Serves as a liaison to faculty and professional staff to meet requirements to initiate and develop proposal concepts, and applying methods to progress to submission of applications to various federal, state and local agencies.

• Provide technical assistance to fund seekers in all aspects of grant award acquisition, to include renewal requests and collaborations.
• Assist with providing technical assistance with preparation for grant submissions by guiding constituents to assure supporting documents to substantiate quality proposals are efficiently remitted.

• Assists faculty and staff in identifying organizations for collaboration as co-investigators to develop grant proposals to secure extramural funding to support university efforts in instruction, research and service.
• Assist in facilitating training in specialized areas to faculty and staff as appropriate, to educate, interpret or explain institutional, governmental and funding agencies' policies, regulations and rules as they pertain to program compliance, grant administration and proposal development.
• Staying abreast of institutional, governmental and funding agencies' policies, regulations and rules particularly all applicable regulations statues pertaining to government funding requirements in the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• Responsible for preparing and updating Grant Board Report

Pre-Award Responsibilities:

• Assist in the preparation and submission of grant proposals, ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.

• Serves as a liaison to faculty and professional staff to meet requirements to initiate and develop proposal concepts, and applying methods to progress to submission of applications to various federal, state and local agencies.

• Collect and review required documentation such as budgets, budget justifications, bio sketches, and other proposal components.
• Enter and track proposal submissions in internal systems.
• Help interpret funding opportunity announcements and communicate key requirements to stakeholders.
• Assist with electronic submission systems (e.g., Grants.gov, ASAP, Fastlane, Research.gov).

Post-Award Responsibilities:

• Support the setup and maintenance of awarded grants in financial systems.
• Monitor budget expenditures to ensure allowability, allocability, and reasonableness according to sponsor and institutional guidelines.
• Assist in processing award modifications, no-cost extensions, and budget revisions.
• Prepare and review basic financial reports and help reconcile grant accounts.
• Serve as a liaison between PIs, departments, and sponsors on award management matters.

Closeout Responsibilities:

• Ensure timely submission of technical, financial, and administrative reports required for grant closeout.
• Verify that all expenses are appropriately recorded and that any cost transfers are completed.
• Work with relevant offices to confirm that all compliance obligations (e.g., invention disclosures, equipment reports) are met.
• Support the closeout of subawards and ensure final payments and documentation are submitted.
• Assist with audit requests and the retention of grant documentation per policy.

ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Performs other duties as required to meet organizational needs.
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree preferred with 3-5 years' experience in grant administration working on projects funded by grants or contracts from the federal, state or local government in a public or private sector environment. Certified Research Administrator (CRA) preferred but not required.

Knowledge of policies and procedures regarding government (federal, state and local) grant and contract compliance and administration requirements, in particular, those in the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

Ability to implement training programs related to governmental research compliance.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects while working as part of a team.

Ability to keep abreast of the current regulatory environment governing the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research.

Ability to respond quickly to a variety of request and needs maintaining a balance of focus such as ensuring institutional compliance and providing service to faculty researchers and professional staff.

Computer literacy and experience with Microsoft Office Suite and Internet required.

Supplemental Information
To apply, please include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three supervisory references including the most recent supervisor.

Finalists for this position are subject to a background check. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history and identity check.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week including health care, dental, vision, retirement, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

Health Insurance Plans
The University offers two PPO Plans, one being a High Deductible Health Plan that are administrated by Healthgram and utilizes the Great West Health (GWH)-Cigna PPO network. A Wellness Premium discount is available to those that participate. A full vision benefit is included. Health insurance coverage becomes effective on the 61st day of employment.

Dental Insurance
The University offers dental coverage through Delta Dental of North Carolina. This coverage takes effect on the first day of the month following 60 days of continuous employment.

Life Insurance
The University provides a group term life insurance policy through The Standard with a value of one times the annual salary. This coverage takes effect on the first day of the month following 60 days of continuous employment.

Long-term Disability Insurance
The University provides each full-time employee with group long-term disability insurance through The Standard. This coverage takes effect on the first day of the month following 60 days of continuous employment.

Supplemental Policies
Supplemental life insurance and short-term disability, accident and cancer policies are available through Colonial and Aflac. Premiums for these individual policies may be paid through payroll deduction.

Retirement

To assist faculty and staff in planning for their retirement, Johnson C. Smith University provides a 403 (b) retirement plan utilizing TIAA that allows for supplemental and matching contributions. Enrollment in this plan is not automatic. Employees may elect a percentage towards supplemental contributions immediately. Eligible employees are required to make contributions in order to receive the University's matching contributions after one (1) year of service. The one-year waiting period may be waived if the employee participated in a TIAA retirement plan at a prior eligible institution (documentation required). A six-month waiver may also be available if the employee's most recent prior employer was a 403(b)-eligible organization (verification required). The University will match contributions on a dollar for dollar basis up to a maximum of 5% for eligible employees.

Sick Leave
Faculty and non-academic personnel accrue one paid day of sick leave for each month of employment the calendar year. Accrued but unused sick leave may be accumulated and carried over from year to year, up to a maximum of 60 days. Sick leave may be taken for the employee's personal illness, medical appointments or the illness of a parent, child or spouse.

Vacation Leave
Non-academic personnel earn one paid day of vacation leave for each month of employment during the calendar year. Administrative Officers and Non-academic personnel may accrue a maximum of 20 vacation leave days.

Bereavement Leave
Non-academic personnel will be granted up to three days of bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member.

Other Leaves of Absence & Holidays
Other leaves of absence including sabbaticals, leave for military and jury duty, educational and Family/Medical Leave are available for eligible employees. The University is closed in observance of 13 holidays.

Tuition Remission
Full-time employees who have completed six months of continuous service are eligible to enroll in a maximum of three semester hours at Johnson C. Smith University and will receive a discount of one-half of the tuition cost. If an employee qualifies for tuition remission, the dependent children of that employee may also receive the tuition discount for up to 18 credit hours. Through the Council of Independent Colleges Consortium employees and their dependents may also be eligible for a full tuition waiver at one of over one hundred participating consortium schools.

HealthPlex and Wellness Programs
The grant-funded facility is available to all employees during the hours of operation and a coordinator is on duty to train employees to properly operate the equipment and get the most out of their workout routine. The University also sponsors a variety of Wellness programs throughout the year for faculty, staff and students.

Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is designed to help employees and their immediate family members who are troubled by marital, financial, and emotional and substance abuse and other problems. Services provided through the EAP are strictly confidential and free of charge. University EAP services are provided through Atrium Health and The Standard.

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