Grants Manager

Civil and Environmental Engineering has an outstanding opportunity for a Grants Manager to join their team.   

Reporting to the Administrator, the Grants Manager is responsible for exercising independent judgment and has delegated decision-making authority for funds management and contract administration.  This position is responsible for problem solving, prioritizing and multi-tasking of assignments, requests and report deadlines.  The role is fast-paced and often requires responding to deadlines with short lead times. 

Key Responsibilities 

Pre-Award: 40% 

• Manage preparation and submission of all competitive and non-competitive grant proposals for submission to granting agencies, including multi-million dollar, multi-university and multi-department center proposals.   

• Develop complex budgets and other administrative sections of grant and contract proposals and prepare non-engineering sections of grants for both incoming and outgoing research awards. 

• Submit proposals and award documents through SAGE.  

• Guide faculty through internal UW deadlines to ensure timely submission of proposals.  

• Facilitate timely adherence to sponsor deadlines such as proposal deadlines, progress report deadlines, and request extensions, supplements, or revisions as needed.   

• Deliver required components related to administration and operations aspects in a timely manner and ensure that other teams are informed of relevant deadlines and requirements.   

• Interact with staff of the UW Office of Sponsored Programs as well as academic offices.  Prepare and route electronic and paper forms to resolve related questions. 

• Provide advice and interpretation of funding agencies regulations as well as UW policies and procedures to Principal Investigators and other project personnel.   

• Ensure compliance with federal, state and UW policies, procedures and regulations.  

• Facilitate the review and processing of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Intellectual Property (IP) agreements related to research awards and purchases.  

• Collaborate with industry donors and partners to help guide industry gift funds through the appropriate Allen School and UW offices. 

 Post-Award: 40%  

• Provide administrative support for faculty, staff, and graduate/undergraduate students.  

• Independently interpret and implement state and federal administrative policies and procedures.   

• Manage complex fiscal accounting records for all funds supporting the research groups, including federal, private foundations, state matching funds, gifts and subcontracts. 

• Initiate, approve, process and monitor expenditures.   

• Develop long-range forecasts and spending plans.  Periodically meet with the faculty to present the financial status. 

• Independently interface with funding agencies.   

• Write and submit required fiscal reports and revised budgets.   

• Assure technical progress reports are submitted by deadlines: anticipate upcoming deadlines; give all involved personnel notice of requirements; help draft portions of the report; and coordinate data prepared by research personnel for reports. 

• Assess both the short and long-term implications of budget expenditures and advise researchers of compatibilities and/or conflicts. 

Program Compliance and Policy: 20% 

• Ensure compliance with sponsor, federal, state, and university laws and regulations.  

• Monitor new laws and directives and develop compliance policy or procedures. Keep program investigators, staff and senior management informed. 

• Identify and assess compliance and risk management issues.   

• Develop policies or procedures to manage issues and implement as appropriate to reduce audit risk. 

• Follow established sponsor and UW post award fiscal compliance guidelines to ensure all expenditures are allowable and allocable to sponsored research budgets. 

• Ensure the sponsored research project operational and deliverable requirements are met. 

• Ensure the UW financial management systems and controls for maintaining compliance with all applicable organizational policies and procedures, regulations, and donor requirements are in place and followed. 

• Ensure compliance with human subject and animal research requirements. 

• Ensure compliance with ECCs and Payroll Account Adjustments.  

• Initiate cost transfers, journal vouchers and reverse expenditures.  

• Collaborate with PIs, grants managers, and other department administrators on UW campus and worldwide. 

• Meet reporting requirements. 

• Lead, develop, train on all policies and procedures related to the administration of financial management functions, both pre-and –post award across all components to manage systems that will safeguard compliance with all institutions, local, state and federal regulations regarding grant and contract financial management and reporting.   

• Establishes systems and process improvements, such as forms, budget reporting templates, and complex tracking tools.    

• Train and advise staff regarding sponsor compliance and policy requirements on all grant expenditures which include significant and complex expenditures, travel, purchasing, and large equipment orders. 

Required Qualifications 

 To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you met both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below.  Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as license, certification, and/or registration. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Program Management or related field and four years of research administration or higher education, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.   

• Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager.

Additional Qualifications

• Demonstrated fiscal management experience.  

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, problem solve, take initiative, set priorities and handle multiple projects efficiently and effectively.   

• Proven experience working in a deadline driven environment.   

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.   

• Effective interpersonal skills to interact with diverse groups in a team environment.  

• Proficiency with use of computers, experience with Excel, email and Internet systems. 

• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Familiarity with University of Washington policies and procedures, particularly grants and contracts.  

• Familiarity in a research, technical and/or grant funded environment.  

• Experience with UW systems: SAGE, Workday, Award Portal, etc.  

• Experience managing grants from federal agencies including National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, Department of Transportation, WSDOT, and NIH. 

About the Team 

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is an academic department within the College of Engineering with over $30M in annual expenditures. The department maintains an internationally recognized research program with six research areas, numerous academic programs, and multiple research and testing laboratories spread across five different buildings.  

The department serves over 800 students annually, and grants bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees. As of January 2026, the department has 35 faculty, 11 postdoctoral scholars, and 45 staff.