About the Department:

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) is Mason's largest college, offering 27 undergraduate majors, 56 minors, 9 doctoral degrees, 26 master's, and 16 graduate certificates. CHSS faculty and students are highly active in research, with external research funding to the college averaging $15-$20 million annually. CHSS prepares students exceptionally well for economically successful and civically engaged lives.

About the Position:

The Manager, Post Award Administration assists the Director, Finance and Research Operations in the day-to-day operations, administrative management of staff throughout the college performing post-award activities, and provides approvals and compliance oversight for CHSS sponsored projects research activities. CHSS Finance & HR supports 20 departments and programs, 11 chartered research centers, and has annual research expenditures of approximately $18M and 200 active grants. This position supervises two CHSS Post-Award Research Administrator positions.

Responsibilities:

Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university's plans and vision and communicates them to subordinates; organizes workflow and ensures that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks; monitors employee productivity and provides constructive feedback and coaching; receives complaints and resolves problems; maintains timekeeping and personnel records; passes on information from upper management to employees and vice versa; prepares and submits performance evaluations; hires and trains new employees; ensures adherence to legal and university policies and procedures and undertakes disciplinary actions if the need arises.
Manages a portfolio of research projects within the college and have primary responsibility for the following roles: reviews and approves grant personnel labor actions (permanent and temporary positions) initiated by RAs, to include funding change labor approvals, ePAF approvals, and uploads reviews and approvals; tracks and monitors CHSS faculty and staff effort charged to grants, reviews and approves GMUF cost transfers, closeout and billing procedures, reviews awarded grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, assists and advises PIs and research administrators on appropriate post award financial management, approves and monitors more complex research activity payments initiated by PIs or RAs such as petty cash/human subject gift card incentives, participant support payments and equipment purchases, runs CHSS post audit compliance reviews and ensures appropriate corrections are made when necessary.
Monitors research center post-award RA activities that include: award review and assists set-up with OSP, sets up payroll distributions, subcontract request initiation and monitors invoices, monitors award budgets and expenses, prepares award financial reports, prepares and assists with award modifications, processes expense corrections (journal vouchers and labor reallocations), reviews and facilitates payroll certification process for federal awards, reconciles externally sponsored projects, assists with other post-award research activities as needed.
Works with the Director, Finance & Research Operations to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal regulations for post award research matters such as cost share, PI effort, payroll certifications, reconciliations, post-audits, RCR training, COI completions and other post award compliance issues.
Assists the Director to hire, train, supervise, and evaluate staff performing post-award research administration (including non-direct RA reports assigned to departments). Provides guidance to CHSS post award RAs and the department/center RAs as appropriate.
Works collaboratively with the CHSS Pre-Award Research Administration team and OSP to ensure smooth transitions of proposal submissions to executed awards. Represents the college regarding post award matters with OSP and Fiscal Services.
Required Qualifications:

Master’s degree in related field; or a combination of related education and work experience;
Significant demonstrated and relevant professional experience in research administration;
Demonstrated strong fiscal background with experience in financial accounting and reporting;
Knowledge of federal rules and regulations relating to research grant and/or contract activity;
Knowledge of policies, processes, and offices related to grant/contract post-award management;
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively; and
Ability to analyze data and formulate conclusions, with excellent problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications:

Experience working in a higher education/university environment in research administration;
Experience with grant related management software systems;
Research administration certification; and
Advanced skills and abilities to supervise, manage, and oversee professional development of sponsored research staff.