Sponsored Projects Office, Senior Research Administrator

Job Type: Full-time

JOB TITLE: Sponsored Projects Office, Senior Research Administrator

SUPERVISOR: Director, Sponsored Projects Office

Pay Grade Range: $64,376- $103,064

Starting Salary Range: $70,000-$85,000

Overview: 

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. We are dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. To learn more, visit gmri.org.

The Sponsored Projects Office (“SPO”) at GMRI is a unit which provides embedded sponsored projects support to GMRI’s programmatic functions (Research, Education, Community, Climate, and Ventures). The Sponsored Projects Office Senior Research Administrator will work under the supervision of the Sponsored Projects Office Director to support GMRI’s sponsored projects portfolio. The Senior Research Administrator will assist GMRI principal investigators with the development of budgets, budget justifications, and administrative components of proposals; review proposals for compliance with internal and external guidelines; and submit final reviewed proposals to various sponsors, including federal and some private (industry or foundation) funders. 

Responsibilities/Tasks:

Proposal development responsibilities include:

• Read and comprehend funding opportunities to determine feasibility, eligibility and appropriateness

• Provide guidance and support to principal investigators regarding proposal requirements, compliance matters, and submission protocols

• Develop proposal checklists and internal deadline schedules to track proposal progress

• In coordination w/ principal investigators, develop proposal budgets and budget narratives in accordance with GMRI, state/federal, and sponsor policies

• Assist principal investigator with creation, collection, and review of supplementary required documents, including biosketches, Current & Pending documents, subrecipient budgets and personnel documents, letters of commitment, etc.

• Review, proofread, assemble, finalize and submit externally sponsored proposals 

Other General Responsibilities:

Management and administrative responsibilities include:

• Support opportunity monitoring efforts, helping to identify funding opportunities for federal support and distributing them to relevant GMRI programs for consideration. 

• Maintain complete and accurate files of grant proposal activity

• Coordinate acceptance of new awards, including review of budgets and proposed scopes of work

• Coordinate with principal investigators and finance team for regular (monthly) review of project expenditures to ensure allocability, reasonableness, and necessity of costs

• Coordinate with principal investigators and finance team to create and issue subawards and contracts, elevating to SPO Director for review and/or guidance on unusual issues/terms

• Maintain tracking systems for current subawards and consultant agreements

• Coordinate other activities including submission of programmatic reports, rebudgets, and requests for no-cost extensions

• Raise potential concerns involving grant budgets, compliance issues and other key issues regarding grant administration

• Work with the Finance team to monitor expenditures against proposal budgets, supporting rebudgeting when necessary

• Recommend improvements to internal processes and practices, working collaboratively to implement changes

• Maintain proposal budget templates ensuring current fringe and indirect rates are being used

• Communicate and uphold proposal submission policies

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• 4-5 years federal proposal submission and grants administration experience within a nonprofit or academic setting

• Experience interpreting funding opportunity guidelines and preparing proposals for submission to major funding agencies

• Demonstrated experience in the review, submission, and processing of federal grant proposals

• Proficiency with federal proposal submission portals including research.gov, NSPIRES, and the grants.gov workspace

• Proficiency with Excel, budget development, contracts and subawards

• Working knowledge of Uniform Guidance 

• Excellent attention to detail, outstanding customer service, and strong communication skills

• Ability to manage a high volume of work and competing deadlines in a fast-paced work environment with frequent interruptions and changing and competing priorities 

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• CRA (Certified Research Administrator) or CPRA (Certified Proposal Research Administrator)

Diversity and Inclusion:

Gulf of Maine Research Institute has a long-standing policy and commitment to providing equal access and equal employment opportunities in all terms, conditions, processes, and benefits of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. GMRI's employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Applicants and employees are encouraged to voluntarily self-identify their race/ethnicity, gender, disability status and veteran status to assist GMRI in fulfilling various data reporting requirements of the federal government. This self-identification is completely voluntary, will be kept confidential and separate from your application data, and used only to meet federal reporting requirements. Providing or declining to provide this information will not result in adverse action of any kind.

Salary and Benefits:

Gulf of Maine Research Institute offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary: $70,000-$85,000

Application Instructions:

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the successful candidate has been selected.