School of Medicine:

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation’s top medical schools. Ranked tenth among its peers, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where traditional barriers are low, interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced, and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve humanhealth locally and around the globe.

Comprised of 2,400 faculty physicians and researchers, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing and Duke University Health System create Duke Health. Duke Health is a world-class health care network. Founded in 1998 to provide efficient, responsive care, the health system offers a full network of health services and encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Primary Care, Private Diagnostic Clinic, Duke Home and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Occupational Summary

Manage grants and contracts personnel within the Research Administration Support Resource (RASR) group dedicated to assisting with pre- and/or post-award activities for sponsored research activities in departments with a large and diverse portfolio of grants and contracts. Oversee budget proposals and the monitoring of the resulting awards received for academic and research projects and programs. Support sponsored research activities including planning, analyses, and implementation of strategies to facilitate initiatives in negotiation and execution of research agreements by the applicable Duke offices. Interpret regulations and guidelines of multiple programs funding with complex and broad guidelines for spending. Develop, negotiate and maintain subcontracts under prime contracts. May submit electronic proposals and assists with problems.

Work Performed

Portfolio Management

- Directs and coordinates staff, systems and procedures related to processing of sponsor-supported contracts and agreements; manage daily activities of the grants and contracts group; develops goals and objectives for the unit.

- Plans and schedules work for the group ensuring proper distribution of assignments and adequate manning, space and facilities for subsequent performance of duties.

- Oversees pre-award and post award sponsored research activities for units with highly complex grants and contracts portfolios. Oversees the post- award review of extramural funding including government and non-government grants, foundation awards and contracts on behalf of the departments and its functional groups to assure institutional and sponsor compliance, budgetary appropriateness, and compliance of grant and contract awards to applicable governmental or other sponsor guidelines. Submits fiscal reports as required. Manages requests to re-budget when necessary.

- Facilitates contract communications, negotiations and interactions among various parties, in collaboration with the department(s) and OCRC/ORA.

- Develops new proposal processes, tools or activities, as appropriate, and mentors study team members on those activities.

- Analyzes data to identify trends and measure performance, both positive and negative.

- Evaluates effectiveness of improvement strategy through sustained monitoring of performance.

Clinical Research Management

- Meets regularly with individuals from PRMO, Compliance, Departments, CRUs, OCRC, ORA, and senior management to review progress and assist in improving organizational performance as it relates to the pre- and post-award clinical research administration processes.

- Identifies opportunities for improved performance for budget development; both internal cost assessments and sponsor budgets, and contract negotiations across departments.

-Contributes to the establishment of performance improvement priorities for departments, CRUs, and for the organization as a whole. Develops and implements strategies for enhancing research administration performance at Duke.

- Make recommendations and implement standard operating procedures and expectations for the RASR group in relation to Clinical Research Management. Interface with Grants and Contracts Managers in all RASR departments to operationalize these standards.

- Evaluate and identify organizational structures that will provide increased efficiencies for clinical research departments within RASR.

- Lead a Clinical Research Focus group within RASR, providing educational and institutional support for those RASR staff working directly with clinical research.

- Produces reports and presentations on performance improvement and compliance.- Participates, as necessary, in study initiation meetings to help facilitate internal cost assessment development and budget negotiations.

-Works with the Duke Office of Clinical Research, School of Medicine Finance, and Departments to assist in the continued implementation of the Clinical Research Management System and subsequent functions requiring unified oversight.

- Completes the review, approval, and sign-off of industry-funded Duke-as-a-site clinical research agreements. Ensures timely review and return of agreements to Departments. Interface with study teams, financial analysts, Research Practice Managers, and Financial Practice Managers to ensure appropriate SPS entry and adherence to institutional guidelines for industry-funded contracts, fund code extensions, and fund code requests. Answers all inquiries related to contract process from research community and central administration offices.

Administrative Management

- Participates in internal or external audits of department grants/contracts by providing information and documentation as requested and take appropriate action following audit reviews.

- Provides relevant information regarding background and/or processes that will be useful in the conduct of the audit, as necessary, based on work within department. Interfaces with Principal Investigators, Business Manager, Central Grants Administration, and/or granting agencies regarding contract interpretation and Sponsored Programs policies; assist with budget and contract negotiations and redistribution of grant funds.

- Establishes and maintains procedures and guidelines for grant administration to include the control of government furnished equipment and of invention and copyright agreements and the safeguard of classified materials and records.

- Supervises the day to day grants management, including: Reconciliation and analysis of monthly financial statements for the various Principal Investigators, monthly reporting, and submits reports to the Business Manager and Director of Central Grants Administration. Maintains communication with these Directors to report and address any grant- related administrative or compliance issue in a timely manner. Ensures all cost transfers are prepared with appropriate backup documentation.

- Develops, conducts and administers in-house and external compliance training initiatives including staff training, faculty training, with approval from Central Grants Administration. (RCC training is provided by Financial Services Compliance office)

- Initiates various personnel actions including hiring, performance appraisal, promotions, transfers, and vacation schedules for shared resource group.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Manage grants and contracts positions and support personnel for shared resource group.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training:

Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program. Research or grants education and/or certification is preferred.

Successful completion of the Research Administration Academy (RAA), Advanced Grants Management, Research Administration Institute (RAI) training, Duke Human Research Training (online), Budget Development and Negotiation Training, and Industry Funded Clinical Research—Process for Contracts is expected. Employees hired into this classification without the expected credentials will work closely with their manager to schedule and complete all training within a reasonable period of time (generally 12 months). Successful completion of all expected training will be an annual performance goal until complete.

Upon successful completion of expected training, the employee must maintain Research Administration Academy (RAA) certification, Advanced Grants Management (AGM), Research Administration Institute (RAI) certification by completing continuing education requirements.

Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification is preferred.

Experience:

Work generally requires five years of relevant grants and contracts experience.

Skills:

- Leadership skills.

- Innovative problem solving skills.

- Ability to coach and develop employees.

- Ability to build employee commitment through frequent feedback and meaningful performance evaluations.

- Demonstrated skills in analyzing data and formulating conclusions.

- Ability to learn changing technologies related to grants and contracts management.

- Full command of grants and contracts systems; requires solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Power Point).

- Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of the organization.

- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.

- Ability to create verbal and written reports.

- Comprehensive knowledge of federal rules and regulations relating to grant and contract activity and ability to apply knowledge to Duke University policies and procedures

- Knowledge of grant and contracts processes, systems and offices related to and/or involved in grant and contract submission and management

- Knowledge of responsible conduct of research, management of advanced compliance issues.

- Knowledge of processes and systems related to or involved in the management of cost-sharing and effort allocation.

- Experience with functions in SPS, R3, grants.duke, SES, iForms and eCrt and other related systems associated with assigned duties.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.