Grants and Contracts Administrator

Duke Careers

. Manage and oversee an assigned portfolio of complex grants and contracts .

Posted 10/28/2026full-timeRemote • North Carolina • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $61,026 - $98,838 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in managing complex grants and contracts, ensuring compliance with federal and university regulations, and developing accurate budgets. Proficient in project management and financial reconciliation, with strong communication skills to support faculty and principal investigators.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Grant And Contract ManagementBudget Development And ReconciliationFederal Regulations KnowledgeMS Office Suite ProficiencyResearch Administration Academy Completion

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Budget JustificationProposal DevelopmentFinancial ReportingData AnalysisCompliance MonitoringCost AssessmentProject ManagementEffort AllocationSPS ExperienceGrants Management Technologies

Soft Skills

Verbal And Written CommunicationProject PrioritizationInterpersonal SkillsAttention To DetailProblem-Solving

Tools & Technologies

MS Office SuiteSPSR3Grants.DukeSES

Certifications & Qualifications

CRA CertificationResearch Administration Academy Completion

Industry Keywords

Grants ManagementSponsored ResearchComplianceFinancial ProcessesClinical Research

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage and oversee an assigned portfolio of complex grants and contracts
Assist faculty and principal investigators with developing, preparing, and submitting grant and contract proposals
Ensure applications and contracts comply with agency and university guidelines, timelines, and deadlines
Enter and route proposals for review
Develop budgets and budget justifications; proof budgets for accuracy and inconsistencies
Prepare and submit grants and contracts through the pre-award process
Advise faculty and principal investigators on administrative proposal requirements
Support internal cost assessments, budget development, and sponsor budget negotiations
Prepare and review proposal elements including biosketches, justifications, and facilities and resources
Monitor proposal compliance and verify financial information and overhead rates
Review sponsored projects for compliance and institutional signatures
Manage assigned projects and financial portfolios
Reconcile monthly budget reports and identify or submit corrections, adjustments, and cost transfers
Manage budget, reporting, compliance, sub-recipient, revenue, overdraft, and project closeout activities
Advise faculty and principal investigators on budget adjustments, revisions, requirements, and deadlines
Maintain financial records according to retention guidelines
Monitor patient-care expense charging and revenue recording
Develop project management plans
Manage cost-sharing adjustments and sponsor payment tracking processes
Apply federal and university rules to manage sponsored-award effort
Submit reports to grants and contracts managers, divisional administrators, or business managers as requested

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree program generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree; no experience required for candidates with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a directly related field
Successful completion of required Duke financial services, accounting, sponsored research, compliance, human research, budget development, negotiation, and clinical research contract training within the first six months
Research Administration Academy (RAA) completion expected within 12 months if not already trained
Maintain certification(s) through continuing education requirements
Ability to analyze data and formulate conclusions
Ability to learn changing grants and contracts management technologies
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint)
Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with all organizational levels
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks simultaneously
Ability to create verbal and written reports
Knowledge of federal rules and regulations relating to research grants and contracts
Knowledge of Duke University grants and contracts policies, procedures, processes, systems, and offices
Ability to apply federal and university rules to effort allocation and costing for federally funded projects
Experience with or ability to perform required functions in SPS, R3, grants.duke, and SES
Understanding of financial processes, controls, and reconciliation
Advanced tier: 3 years of relevant experience, or 2 years for qualifying internal employees
Senior tier: 6 years of relevant experience, or 5 years for qualifying internal employees; CRA certification may reduce this to 5 years
Lead tier: 3 years of relevant experience, or 2 years for qualifying internal employees
RAA and/or AGM training requirements apply to advanced, senior, and lead tiers

Benefits

Comp & perks

Comprehensive medical and dental care programs
Generous retirement benefits
Family-friendly and cultural programs
100% remote work option for eligible approved states