Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist, Proposal Review Team

The Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP) is a department within Harvard University’s Financial Administration (FAD) that is focused on providing high-quality administrative and financial assistance to faculty and other University affiliates performing sponsored research. OSP works with researchers and schools across Harvard to help obtain and negotiate awards from sponsoring agencies, assist with grant proposal preparation, ensure compliance with federal regulations and University policies, provide financial support including financial reporting and billing and collection services, assist with audits, and promote knowledge of sponsored research administration throughout the University research community through training and other educational programs. The Senior Grant and Contracts Specialist (SGCS) on the Proposal Review Team reviews, approves as an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR), and submits initial funding requests, continuations/progress reports, pre-proposals, resubmissions, supplements, Principal Investigator transfers into Harvard University, and renewals originating from the Cambridge campus. As an integral part of the research administration enterprise, the SGCS manages proposal submissions for a range of schools on the Cambridge campus, working in close partnership with faculty and local research administrators. The SGCS is authorized to sign and submit proposals on behalf of the President and Fellows of Harvard College.  Job-Specific Responsibilities: Proposal Review Team Responsibilities • Review, approve, and sign proposals • Respond to sponsor requests • Work directly with Principal Investigators, collaborators, and department administrator colleagues and liaise with central administrative offices to ensure applications meet all university, school, and sponsor requirements • Other duties as assigned Customer Service & Compliance  The SGCS is the primary point of contact for Principal Investigators, departments, and sponsors on a wide range of proposal review and submission issues, partnering with departmental staff and other OSP staff to deliver excellent service in a fast-paced environment. As a member of the Proposal Review Team (PRT), the SGCS interprets advanced compliance issues, participates in strategic planning and special projects, and reviews proposals and awards for compliance with sponsor terms and University guidelines. Leadership & Mentoring   This role requires strong sponsored research expertise and a proven ability to lead and manage a range of proposal submissions, along with planning ability, creativity, and sound judgment to meet the varying needs of a complex community spanning disciplines, faculty, staff, programs, and sponsors. The SGCS may be asked train or mentor PRT colleagues, works closely with departments and PIs to resolve issues, backfills for other PRT team as needed, and contributes to special projects. Policy & Process   The SGCS may be asked to help develop and deliver training materials and workshops, and actively participate in the development and revision of university-wide policies, procedures, and business processes. Cross-Office Collaboration   The SGCS works closely with other Harvard offices as needed, e.g. Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the Office of Technology Development, Office of the General Counsel, functioning as part of a cohesive research administrative infrastructure that delivers well-rounded life-cycle research administration support. The role also ensures quality control over proposal submissions and timely updates to the system of record, to maintain accurate system data.  Basic Qualifications: Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.   For consideration, pl