Career Center

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Department of Medicine: Metabolism has an outstanding opportunity for a Program Operations Specialist.

This position will be responsible for overseeing the division’s research and administrative operations at the VA. This includes oversight of the NIH-funded P30 Diabetes Research Center (DRC) grant as well as basic research grants ensuring compliance with complex Federal, State and University requirements. The Diabetes Research Center (DRC) is one of 16 DRCs sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to promote basic, translational, and clinical research on diabetes and related metabolic disorders. To accomplish this goal, the Center is organized around biomedical research cores and an Administrative Core that also administers the Enrichment Program and the Pilot and Feasibility Program (P&F). This position will be responsible for overseeing the management of the Enrichment Program and the Pilot and Feasibility Program, including the overall financial operation ensuring compliance with complex Federal, State and University requirements. This position will supervise staff (currently one staff member), reports to the Division Administrator and works closely with the faculty and staff in the DRC, UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, division, the Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and affiliate institutions in an effort to build and maintain effective working relationships and research processes that are vital to our mission. This position has responsibility to review proposals for accuracy and feasibility, to identify resource and space needs required for successful implementation, to communicate compliance requirements, to establish deadlines and communicate documentation requirements, to provide ongoing financial or other status updates and to ensure that accomplishment and appropriate reporting of deliverables.

The role of the Program Operations Specialist (POS) is to manage the program operations of the NORC, as well as a portfolio of division research grants and clinical studies in the UWMDI. As such, s/he exercises substantial responsibility and utilizes specialized knowledge of the research, education and program objectives ensuring strategic goals and extramurally funded award aims are met. Must work independently, take initiative, prioritize matters, and accomplish a broad spectrum and volume of work.

The University of Washington is a world-renowned research institution. Competent research administrators are essential to ensuring that the proposal and award management processes run smoothly and that all research is conducted in accordance with sponsor and University guidelines. This position will provide research administration expertise and guidance to investigators and leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

60% Research Administration

1)Pre-Award Management: Provide management of grant proposals, including preparation of eGC1s and determining and communicating proposal requirements to all participants, setting proposal timeline, and coordinating the development of subcontracts. Educate and lead faculty in pre-award operations and processes. Create basic and complex budgets that involve multiple departments and multiple institutions. Ensure proposals are consistent with federal laws and regulations, sponsor agreements, submission requirements, and University-specific policies and procedures.
2) Post-Award Management: Independently manage multiple sponsored projects assuring that all transactions are allowable, allocable and reasonable.  Review and approve daily financial transactions related to assigned research projects. Prepare monthly budget reports utilizing multiple financial and record keeping systems to perform analyses of sponsored projects, forecast future needs/expenditures, and communicate status and progress to principal investigators.  Collaborate with faculty to develop a strategic financial plan which ensures optimal use of available funds. Responsible for the management of complex faculty salary distributions, NIH cap cost sharing, and Workday cost allocation changes for faculty, staff, and graduate students. Review Faculty Effort Certification Reports for faculty members on a bi-annual basis. 
                                          
20% Operations

•In partnership with Director and Division Leadership to develop protocols and guidelines for the usage of UW finances and resources at the VA within federal and gift/endowment guidelines.
•Analyze fiscal data, forecast projections, and prioritize expenditures, activities, and work schedules.
•Review and authorize potential purchases and monitor expenses.
•Manage multiple small grants awarded by the Institute to UW faculty and students.
•Establish and administer sub-budgets, to meet State, University and granting agency compliance and tracking requirements.
•Oversee direct report in production, editing and maintenance of website, brochures and informational materials.
•Communicate with students, staff, and general public regarding Institute events, programs, and requests for speakers, including discussion of content and policies.
•Plan and attend meetings, public seminars and special events.  Events include, visiting speakers/faculty, public receptions, faculty development conferences, professional and public lectures, professional networking activities, and local and national conference calls.
•Collaborate with donors and off-campus organizations in cooperative efforts and jointly sponsored seminars including the Diabetes and Metabolism Seminar Series.    
        
20% Personnel Management

Supervise 1 full-time staff member - including but not limited to: hiring, training, directing priorities, coordinating workload, staff development, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, ensure the correct and proper maintenance of personnel files, including vacation/sick leave records and related supporting documents.  Ensure appropriate record confidentiality is maintained in compliance with University policy and state and federal regulations.

Lead Responsibilities:

This position provides input and expert guidance to Division Head, Division Administrator, Center Director, and Principal Investigators.  This position works closely with all central division administrative and research administration/fiscal staff with delegated authority to assess processes and systems and address workload allocation as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervise 1 full-time staff members

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelors degree in business administration or related field AND three years related work experience

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

•Familiarity with pre- and post-award grant and contract processes for both Federal and non-Federal sources.
•Experience working in research administration with substantial responsibility for grant proposal development,
•including complex budgets and subawards.
•Significant experience with NIH and foundation proposals.
•Experience interacting with faculty, department and division leadership in project management.
•Demonstrated ability to manage priorities to meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
•Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
•Supervision experience.

DESIRED:

•Familiarity with UW policies and procedures, particularly regarding research proposal preparation and management and financial management.
•Experience working with UW central operations (OSP, IACUC, HSD, GCA, etc.)
•Experience with UW systems including SAGE, Ariba, Workday and MyFD.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

This is a full-time position that may require work outside of standard operating hours to meet grant deadlines.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.