Post-Award Specialist

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice: 

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.  

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence. 

Position Summary: 

BioSciences at Rice is home to undergraduate and doctoral degree programs in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. We are investigating fundamental properties of living organisms and impacts on the future quality of life on earth. 

The post-award specialist supports the Department of BioSciences at Rice with all aspects of post-award research accounting, grant and fund future spending projections, and reporting. The incumbent will provide deep and independent analytical and financial management of post-award research administration. This person serves as liaison between departmental faculty and Research Accounting. In addition to research grants, accounts to be managed for BioSciences faculty include faculty monies, University funds, and gift funds. This person is responsible for the administration of grants, funds, subs, and contracts of assigned faculty to ensure compliance with sponsoring agencies, the awards, and university policies. This position prepares various projections and financial reports for departmental faculty, the Departmental Chair, Executive Administrator, the Accounting Manager, and other entities and meets with said parties to present those reports/projections and their analysis.  

Ideal Candidate Statement:  

The ideal candidate for this position has a basic understanding of research administration and accounting practices in higher education. The position requires proactive judgment, responsiveness, initiative, and being able to manage multiple tasks while demonstrating excellent interpersonal and communication skills within and outside the department.  This role requires a detail-oriented, organized, and analytical professional who can work independently as well as in a team environment. 

Workplace Requirements:  

This position offers a hybrid work schedule after a probationary period. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. 

Hiring Range: The expected hiring salary range is $63,731 to $75,000 annually.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:  

• Bachelor’s Degree 
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.   
• Two or more (2+) years of related administrative experience 
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.     
• Skills:  
  • Intermediate knowledge of spreadsheet, email, and database software programs 
  • Working knowledge of research administration guidelines, regulations, and policies 
  • Detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills 
  • Analysis, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills 
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills 

Preferences: 

• Some research administration experience (i.e grant administration to various agencies such as NIH, NSF, DOD, DOE, DARPA, CPRIT, etc.) 
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, or finance 
• Experience in a higher education environment with proficiency in organizational financial analyses 
• Experience with iO 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while managing concurrent deadlines 

Essential Functions: 

• Manages post‐award administration for a portfolio of grants and contracts 
• Responsible for using financial forecasting tools to confirm that each Principal Investigator (PI) is solvent and can meet their financial obligations for the budget year. In addition, working with financial forecasting tools, identify available budget surplus, budget deficits, and burn rates for each PI and help them plan accordingly.  
• Gathers data and analyzes information to assist in recommendations and optimization of appropriate use of funding sources.  
• Monitors expense allocations, tracks balance, conducts variance analysis, and projects burn rate and future utilization.  
• Participates in account close out activities 
• Reviews, tracks, and monitors expenditures, including high-value / high-risk expenditures and cost-sharing commitments 
• Ensures Subcontract statements of work, budget, and budget justification are received and approved by the PI 
• Coordinates and reviews account setup; reviews, tracks, and approves expenditures; monitors budgets; provides data for financial and progress reports as needed 
• Responds to Accounting audit inquiries 
• Serves as a liaison with OSR, RCA, internal audit, funding agencies and organizations, subcontractors, institutes, centers, and other departments 
• Manages effort commitments of key project personnel 
• Performs all other duties as assigned 

Additional Functions: 

• Assists with administrative duties such as coordinating research-related travel, purchasing equipment and supplies, and scheduling meetings and events 

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.