Contracts & Grants Officer

About This Role

Kansas State University Olathe (http://olathe.k-state.edu) invites applications and nominations for a new Contracts and Grants Officer to join our team and provide comprehensive support to faculty and staff throughout the lifecycle of grant funding.

The Contracts and Grants Officer will be integral in facilitating the pre-award and post-award processes, ensuring smooth financial administration, compliance, and communication with funding agencies at the K-State Olathe campus. This position will provide administrative support and budget management for awarded grants including award setup, budget tracking, subaward management, and reporting. The position will report to the K-State Olathe Director of Business and Finance Services and collaborate closely with the Associate Dean of Faculty, Research, and Administration to enhance workflow and grant management processes. This position will be a 12-month appointment with hybrid work opportunities.

K-State Olathe is particularly interested in individuals with demonstrated experience in collaborating broadly and working as a team member across disciplines. Highest consideration will be given to candidates who possess grant management experience in an academic setting.

Pre-Award Functions:

• Assist with complex, multi-year budgets for grants, including federal, state, and industry-sponsored projects. Apply appropriate fringe benefits and indirect funds and ensure compliance with sponsor and university guidelines.
• Advise faculty on sponsor instructions related to application preparation, allowable expenses, and budget restrictions.
• Work with external collaborators to obtain budget documents for subawards and consultants.
• Coordinate proposal submissions through systems ensuring that all documents meet sponsor guidelines and deadlines.
• Collaborate with the Kansas State University Office of Sponsored Programs and other university departments to route grants for internal approvals.

Post-Award Management for PI and Departmental Support:

• Examine award terms and conditions, review with PIs, and ensure the project complies with sponsor requirements throughout its lifecycle.
• Prepare monthly financial reports for PIs, provide expenditure forecasts, and maintain accounting records for all awards.
• Reconcile assigned accounts against the campus ledger monthly and address discrepancies.
• Coordinate personnel and purchasing activities (e.g., budget adjustments, journal requests, travel reimbursements) ensuring alignment with award terms.
• Coordinate with PI, HR, and finance to process funding changes for all assigned units.
• Prepare and submit appropriate forms to adjust funding, ensuring compliance with payroll deadlines.

 Campus Liaison:

• Communicate with the Kansas State University Office of Sponsored Programs and provide generated reports and data from the K-State Olathe campus on a reporting schedule.
• Manage all sponsor interactions concerning no-cost extensions, carryforwards, budget adjustments, and renewals.
• Complete and submit all necessary financial, property, and invention reports; oversee the project close-out process.
• Assist with sponsor audits in collaboration with the university’s research administration and fiscal affairs teams.

Other Responsibilities:

• Attend professional development workshops and stay current on university and sponsor policies.
• Maintain documentation in accordance with sponsor and university retention policies and recommend process improvements to ensure compliance.
• Other duties as assigned.

About Us

Kansas State University launched the Olathe campus in April 2011, as the third and newest campus of Kansas State University. K-State Olathe is in Johnson County, Kan., which is part of the Greater Kansas City metro area. The campus embodies a unique vision jointly developed with regional community, government, industry, and university stakeholders for higher education partnership in an urban, innovative, industry centric and knowledge-based environment.

The campus is a strategic partner of the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle, which provides dedicated funding through a 1/8-cent sales tax to K-State Olathe and two other educational and research partners. The region has a diversity of industries ranging from trade, transportation, utilities, professional and business services, and health and education. Major companies include Cerner, Garmin, Merck, John Deere, Burns and McDonnell, and Black & Veatch. In addition, the Olathe campus sits in the middle of the Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan, Kan., to Columbia, Mo., and has the highest concentration of animal health and food companies in the world. The $1.2 billion National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) is finishing construction and commissioning at the Manhattan campus adjacent to the K-State Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), which will further strengthen partnerships, regional growth and economic development.

The Olathe campus has a mandate in research and education and currently offers programs at the master’s and doctoral levels in urban foods - horticulture, veterinary biomedical sciences, adult education, school counseling and more. Growth of educational offerings at the campus will continue to evolve to meet workforce and industry demands through a variety of credit and non-credit bearing programs that address technical as well as transferable skills. Faculty and instructors at K-State Olathe represent a combination of resident and non-resident, full and part-time experts, and adjuncts from the industry/government sectors. There also are 10 laboratories in research areas currently ranging from food sciences to post-harvest physiology of fruits/vegetables.

Kansas State University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, paid time off – vacation, sick, and holidays. To see what benefits are available, please visit: https://www.k-state.edu/hcs/ benefits.

Worksite Option

This position is eligible for hybrid worksite. Work is performed partially remote and partially on employer premises or designated assignment location. This role is expected to work on-site approximately three (3) days a week. Remote work is granted at the discretion of the direct supervisor. Additional details about potential hybrid work in this role can be discussed during interviews.

An employee who is working remotely must reside within the United States in order to comply with all federal and state laws, filings, or tax requirements. Remote work agreements are required for all flexible work arrangements and are subject to review.  Review K-State’s remote work policy details for more information.

What You'll Need to Succeed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a bachelor's degree and five years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:​

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Accounting, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of experience in pre-award and post-award management in a research or academic environment.
• Familiarity with federal grant regulations (e.g., USDA, NIH, NSF) and university financial management systems (e.g., PeopleSoft, Hyperion, COEUS).
• Experience managing multi-year budgets for sponsored projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and complex formulas.
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with a team.

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents:

• A letter of interest
• Resume
• Contact information for three current professional references.

Application materials must be submitted online to be considered. https://www.k-state.edu/hr/careers/

For questions regarding the position, please contact Greg Tammen, Communications and Marketing manager, gtammen@ksu.edu, (913.307.7311). For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Roberta Robinson, Human Resources manager at robertar@ksu.edu (913.307.7316).

Screening of Applications Begins

Screening begins on March 17, 2025 and continues until filled.

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range

$75,000 - $85,000