Job Posting Title:
Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist
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Hiring Department:
Charles A Dana Center
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
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Earliest Start Date:
Nov 02, 2026
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
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Location:
PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS
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Job Details:
General Notes
May require occasional evening or weekend work to meet sponsor deadlines.
Purpose
The Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist serves as the grant and contracts administrator for the Dana Center. The role prepares and submits proposals, agreements, and contracts through OSP and VPCFO to sponsoring agencies; manages payment vouchers, purchase orders, invoices, and deposits in DEFINE and related systems; serves as the point of contact for sponsors, Principal Investigators, vendors, and University offices; and supports the Finance Team with accounting policies, records, and administrative needs.
Responsibilities
Grant & Contract Administration
- Function as grant and contracts administrator for the Dana Center.
- Work with Dana Center staff to prepare and submit proposals, agreements, and contracts for submission to prospective sponsoring agencies and organizations.
- Review request for proposals (RFP) solicitations
- Grant proposal guidelines (Federal, Foundations, and State agencies)
- Service Agreements (Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Interagency, etc.)
- Utilize internal university systems and external sponsor programs throughout the proposal and contracting process.
Sponsor & Stakeholder Liaison
- Serve as point of contact for sponsors, Principal Investigators, training sites, and service providers, and act as departmental liaison supporting the management of proposals, contracts, awards, and other agreements with:
- University Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP)
- Vice President of Chief Financial Operations (VPCFO)
- Office of Accounting and Purchasing offices
Financial & Payment Operations
- Initiate and finalize the Payee Information Form (PIF) process with new vendors/consultants to acquire a university EID and initiate the payment procedures.
- Maintain clear communication with external vendors/service providers throughout the payment process.
- Process Purchase Order encumbrance requests, amendments, and cancellations through the Point Plus System.
- Complete invoice payment processing for service agreements, sub-awards, consultant, and other payment types using the DEFINE accounting system.
- Manage various Smartsheet internal requests relating to payment vouchers and contracts and grants processing.
- Audit and approve departmental travel vouchers in the DEFINE system as the 2nd of 2 initial approvers, checking for accuracy, compliance with Action Plan Budgets, and UT accounting policies.
Accounting Policy & Finance Team Support
- Collaborate, develop, and/or create plans, manuals, and departmental policies for accounting and administration.
- Provide support to the Finance Team, Operations, and Chief Operating Officer as needed.
Records Management
- Maintain electronic records of supporting documents for fully executed contractual agreements and grant awards on the Dana Center server.
Organizational Culture & Other Duties
- Participate in processes and activities designed to establish an organizational culture that supports learning, collaboration, and collective responsibility.
- Help enhance professional relationships, satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness.
- Perform other related functions as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- At least five years of experience in the preparation, processing, and monitoring of grant and contract proposals and awards.
- Demonstrated experience working with federal, state, foundation, or other funding agencies, and the ability to interpret and apply sponsor guidelines.
- Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage multiple, competing deadlines in a high-volume office environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently as a self-starter, as well as collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
- Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
(Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.)
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with AmeriCorps, national service programs, or other federally funded workforce/education initiatives.
- Experience with UT Austin's DEFINE accounting system, UT Research Management Suite (UTRMS), or comparable enterprise financial/research administration systems.
- Experience preparing or approving payment vouchers within an institutional accounting system.
- Master's degree in public administration, nonprofit management, business, or a related field.
Salary Range
Working Conditions
- Standard office environment; may require repetitive use of a computer keyboard and extended periods of sitting.
Required Materials
Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates being considered for the position.
- Resume/CV
- 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
- Letter of interest
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.
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Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
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Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.