A strong internal candidate has been identified.
Salary Grade
Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary range available for this position at the time of its posting. The salary range is between $65,779 and $83,210, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.
Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.
Job Description
POSITION OBJECTIVE
The Co-Director of Pre-Award Services serves as a co-lead and Authorized Organizational Representatives within central research and sponsored project administration. As senior pre-award managers, Co-Directors are jointly responsible for the institutional review, approval, certification, submission, negotiation, acceptance, execution, and setup of sponsored-project proposals, agreements, awards, amendments, subawards, and related actions across university schools and colleges. Co-Directors maintain overlapping portfolios that may differently emphasize proposal review and submission, agreement and award review, or another area of Pre-Award operations based on organizational needs.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Maintain an active production portfolio. Direct with and support the daily work of assigned Pre-Award Analysts. Ensure Tier 1 assignments, departmental corrections, ancillary reviews, agreement and award activity, account setups, sponsor follow-up, and related matters ready for AOR action. Review relevant sponsor awards, agreements, approved budgets, project dates, funding amounts, restrictions, interface reports, PeopleSoft award-modification data, and internal Notices of Award as assigned. Resolve or direct correction of discrepancies before submission, execution, interface, or release. (50%)
- Serve as the primary institutional Authorized Organizational Representative and delegated signature authority for a portfolio of sponsored-project proposals, agreements, awards, amendments, modifications, subawards, and related actions. Exercise independent institutional judgment to approve, certify, negotiate, accept, execute, or submit sponsored-project actions within delegated authority; or escalate matters requiring additional institutional approval. Coordinate legal-review requests through the designated legal liaison and work with applicable compliance and administrative offices. (20%)
- Monitor and support workflows and quality controls within SPARTA, PeopleSoft, sponsor systems, and the shared work-tracking environment. Monitor proposal, agreement, award, account-setup, interface, and internal NOA activity to identify approaching deadlines, aging work, discrepancies, risks, and items requiring escalation. Collaborate with UTech, Post-Award, and applicable system-support teams to improve data accuracy, workflow continuity, reporting, and handoffs. (20%)
- Contribute to the development and implementation of standardized Pre-Award policies and Standard Operating Procedures. Serve as an expert resource for faculty, deans, department administrators, and ORTM staff on federal regulations, state rules, sponsor requirements, proposal submission, agreement and award requirements, and account setup. Assist with maintaining approved guidance, checklists, clause references, desk references, and training materials, and provide subject-matter expertise for educational programming coordinated by the designated operational lead. Recommend policy and process improvements to the Associate Vice President for approval. (5%)
NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Perform other duties as assigned. (5%)
CONTACTS
Department: Daily contact with the Associate Vice President for Research, the other Co-Director, assigned Pre-Award Analysts, and other ORTM staff. Regular contact with Post-Award leadership, the designated ORTM legal liaison, UTech, and applicable compliance and administrative offices.
University: Regular contact with faculty, principal investigators, research directors, management-center representatives, department administrators, Technology Transfer, Conflict of Interest, Export Control, Research Security, HRPP, IACUC, Information Security, Privacy, Compliance, and Post-Award.
External: Regular contact with federal and non-federal sponsors, grants and contracts officials, contracting and legal representatives, collaborating institutions, subrecipient organizations, and peers at other research institutions.
Students: Occasional contact with students and student workers as required.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
Direct supervisory responsibility for up to 2 Pre-Award analysts. Responsible for daily work direction, workload management, coaching, quality control, performance management, professional development, and cross-training. Coordinate with the other Co-Director to ensure consistent staff expectations, shared-queue coverage, and continuity of operations.
QUALIFICATIONS
Experience: 8 or more years of progressively responsible research administration experience at a major research university or academic institution, including substantial experience with proposal review and submission, agreement negotiation, award acceptance, sponsored-project compliance, account setup, and staff or workflow leadership.
Education: Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred. Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credential strongly preferred.
REQUIRED SKILLS
- Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, private-sponsor, and university requirements governing sponsored-project proposals, agreements, awards, and account setup, including Uniform Guidance, allowable costs, institutional commitments, contractual risk, research security, export control, and applicable compliance requirements.
- Expert operational knowledge of proposal review and submission, budget and F&A analysis, agreement review and negotiation, award acceptance, subawards, account setup, PeopleSoft Financials, interface controls, and internal Notice of Award review and release.
- Ability to evaluate and appropriately use emerging technology, automation, and data tools to improve review quality, accuracy, documentation, and operational efficiency while maintaining confidentiality, data security, and institutional controls.
- Proven ability to serve effectively within a central leadership team, build consensus across academic units, coordinate legal-review requests through the designated ORTM legal liaison, and partner constructively with applicable compliance and administrative offices.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to articulate sponsor, contractual, financial, and compliance requirements clearly; deliver difficult feedback with diplomacy; negotiate effectively; and guide investigators, administrators, staff, and sponsors through time-sensitive matters.
- Exceptional ability to manage a high-volume portfolio of proposals, agreements, awards, and account setups; balance competing deadlines; provide reciprocal AOR and analyst coverage; and maintain complete and accurate audit trails.
- Highly motivated with a customer-centric approach to supporting faculty and research administrators throughout the full Pre-Award lifecycle.
- Proficiency with SPARTA and PeopleSoft Financials and with applicable sponsor systems, including Grants.gov or system-to-system submissions, NIH ASSIST, Workspace, Research.gov, ProposalCentral, and other federal and non-federal platforms.
- Ability to maintain consistent attendance and engage effectively with colleagues, leadership, investigators, research administrators, and external sponsors in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
- Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
WORKING CONDITIONS
General office working environment.
Hybrid Eligibility
This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement up to two remote days per week at the discretion of the department. New employees may begin a hybrid schedule upon approval from the supervisor, successful completion of an orientation period and signing the remote work checklist certification form.
EEO Statement
Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.
Reasonable Accommodations
Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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