Pre-Award Systems Manager - Office of Research Services
University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Pre-Award Systems Manager - Office of Research Services
Job Profile Title
Data Analyst C
Job Description Summary
The Office of Research Services Pre-Award Administration team facilitates the grant application and award negotiation process for faculty and staff researchers at Penn.
Pre-Award services at Penn is managed via a dynamic team approach. The team provides support by serving as subject matter experts, reviewing proposals and submissions, negotiating and accepting awards and subawards, and performing non-financial post-award functions such as no-cost extensions and re-budgeting requests. The team also supports material transfer and non-monetary agreements related to research.
The Pre-Award Systems Manager promotes the Office of Research Service's mission of providing excellent customer service for research projects with an overall focus on high levels of quality of work and departmental interaction.
The Pre-Award Systems Manager will serve as primary Pre-Award manager of technical/electronic sponsored research systems and communication portals utilized by the Pre-Award team. This position will administer and proactively monitor and manage Penn's central agreement administration systems, processes, and related documentation.
The role will work within the Pre-Award team to ensure timely and accurate service in intake, assignment, and monitoring of contracts and awards for a range of sponsor agencies, research activities, and award requirements, including both funded and ancillary non-monetary agreements.
The role will promptly respond to questions and inquiries related to Penn's Pre-Award research administration systems and develop and deliver training materials related to said systems. The position will serve as point of contact for initial intake of awards and agreements from sponsoring agencies, managing workflows and accurately assigning agreements to Pre-Award contract negotiators.
With training and support, the Manager will assist Pre-Award contract negotiators by preparing and managing ancillary sponsored research agreements; and will work effectively and collaboratively with ORS to provide the highest level of professionalism and customer service in an independent, self-directed manner.
The role performs data analysis and assists with design of complex data models based on ORS requirements. The role identifies and resolves required information flows and content issues, and transforms requirements into data designs, models and reports.
The role will perform analyses, development and evaluation on large databases and large complex installations and will provide reporting and decision support systems consultation.
Job Description
Job Responsibilities
System Management, Updates, Improvements and Reporting:
- Serve as primary Pre-Award manager of technical/electronic sponsored research systems and communication portals, including:
- Research Inventory System (RIS)
- Contract negotiation software (LegalSifter)
- Contracts mailbox in Outlook
- Pre-Award functionality in PennERA
- Consult with Pre-Award team and IT teams to identify, recommend and implement system improvements and upgrades.
- Test and document solutions and enhancements to ensure feasibility and operational efficiency.
- Provide day-to-day operational support of systems listed above.
- Monitor system issues and work with Information Technology teams and vendors to resolve them.
- Provide support for reporting functions out of systems used by Pre-Award.
- Triage customer support issues and assign to the appropriate team or resolve.
- In collaboration with central IT system administrators, design and execute functional test schemes to be used in testing system updates, verifying results and data in systems.
- Contribute to the development of new and revised training materials and user documentation. Ensure that documentation is accurate, updated in a timely manner and leverage various technologies and programs to support end user and diverse customers across Penn.
- Deliver periodic, scheduled training to departmental staff and ORS on system use.
Manage and Administer RIS Help Desk Functions in the ORS Support Portal:
- With training and support, gain full proficiency with the ORS Support Portal tool and serve as the primary contact for Pre-Award to monitor and triage RIS help tickets within established timelines.
- Accurately complete initial intake/review of tickets.
- Assign tickets to self or to other Pre-Award staff for action within established timelines to support customers and service delivery metrics.
- Proactively monitor Open and Pending tickets in RIS Dashboard.
- Generate weekly service reports and meet regularly with and advise management on trends and issues that need resolution.
- Within established timelines, respond to and resolve RIS access requests and other system-related questions from Penn investigators and business administrators.
Internal Communication and Relationship Management:
Serve as central Pre-Award point of contact for initial intake and appropriate direction of questions, needs, and administrative issues relating to sponsored research awards and agreements. Coordinate with Pre-Award and other ORS colleagues to help maintain appropriate flow of information. Communicate with department/school business administrators and grant managers to ensure service needs are met. Collaborates with internal team of pre-award colleagues to manage workflows. Addresses or appropriately refers issues or needs of university divisions and departments to appropriate ORS contacts.
Manage Contract Administration and Assignments:
In collaboration with Pre-Award Team and Contract Administration Team (CAT):
- Administer and proactively monitor and manage Penn's central nonmonetary agreement administration system (Research Inventory System, or RIS) and queues.
- Accurately maintain and update RIS agreement templates for Pre-Award team's use.
- Ensure Pre-Award staff have appropriate levels of access to RIS functions and monitor usage and troubleshooting/problem solving in a timely manner.
- Ensure that Penn investigators (PIs) and departmental administrators (BAs) can access and submit requests in all of the RIS modules.
- Partner/liaise with Penn's central IT group to monitor system and overall administration of the RIS system. Escalate and proactively inform team of issues with workflows, communications, etc.
Administer funded agreement, non-monetary agreement (NMA) and fee-for-service (FFS) assignment processes:
- Use Contracts mailbox in Outlook to intake funded agreements to be assigned.
- Assign funded agreement to appropriate CAT and Subaward Administration Team (SAT) members on a daily basis.
- Use RIS system to intake NMAs and FFS to be assigned.
- Assign NMAs and FFS to appropriate CAT and SAT team members on a daily basis.
- Accurately log funded agreements, NMA, and FFS assignments on internal Pre-Award Contracts Worksheet.
- Liaise with representatives from other Penn central offices to resolve assignments for complex situations
Contract Preparation:
With training and support, manage a defined portfolio of ancillary sponsored research agreements.
- Support Pre-Award CAT and SAT teams by preparing initial drafts of ancillary agreements, generating from standard university templates for review and signature by CAT negotiators.
- Support CAT and SAT teams by managing and track non-monetary agreements such as material transfer agreements, data use agreements, confidentiality agreements, and data use agreements, to ensure timely execution.
- Identifies trends or patterns that result in data quality issues. Monitor administrative and financial data for accuracy, create audit reports.
- Make recommendations to improve systems design, data entry and processes to ensure accurate data. Develop reports, presentations as necessary
- Work with leadership to identify and develop metrics for all aspects of activities, transactional, strategic, and projections.
- Support the development of key metrics that may be used by the highest level leadership for strategic planning and budgeting
- Develop dashboards to provide snapshots of key data. Disseminate reports and metrics to users
- Development of new training materials
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
- Strong organizational skills required.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required.
- Solution oriented with a high sense of quality, attention to detail, accuracy, efficiency, and meeting tight deadlines.
- Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently, demonstrate attention to detail and a proactive work style.
- Experience with institutional or enterprise-based administration systems is preferred.
- Exceptional financial, analytical, and modeling skills.
- Experience with the University of Pennsylvania financial systems preferred.
- Advanced user skills with Excel and other Microsoft programs and computer systems.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and accurate.
- Able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Demonstrated organizational and prioritization skills, along with the ability to work within tight and often conflicting deadlines.
- Must be flexible, show effective judgement, discretion and have the ability to handle confidential financial matters.
- Work effectively in a highly matrixed and decentralized environment with the ability to navigate through ambiguity and demonstrate appreciation and support for diversity, inclusion and belonging in a constantly evolving academic/higher education environment.
Please include a cover letter and resume with your online submission
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Division of Finance
Pay Range
$51,824.00 - $80,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.
Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.
Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits
- Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
- Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
- Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
- Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
- Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
- Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
- Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
- University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
- Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
- Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
- Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
- Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Franklin-Building/Pre-Award-Systems-Manager---Office-of-Research-Services_JR00094448
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