Senior Grants & Contracts Administrator

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Grants & Contracts Administrator at UL Research Institutes based in our Evanston, IL office.

The Senior Grants and Contract Administrator manages grants and contracts for Underwriters Laboratories Research Institutes (ULRI). The Senior Grants and Contract Administrator plays a leading role in the entire grants and contracts lifecycle, from proposal development, project submission to post-award management and project close-out, ensuring compliance with funding agencies' regulations, and facilitating effective communication between research teams, sponsors, and stakeholders.

As the Senior Grants & Contracts Administrator you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Coordinate the preparation and submission of grant and contract proposals and maintain an organized database of grants and contracts for tracking and reporting purposes.
• Review funding opportunities and ensure alignment with the organization's research priorities. Negotiate terms and conditions of awards and contracts with sponsors.
• Monitor compliance with sponsor requirements and reporting deadlines.
• Develop budgets for grant and contract proposals. Work with finance teams to track project expenses and ensure financial compliance. Monitor cost-sharing commitments and budget revisions as necessary and assist in the preparation of financial reports for sponsors.
• Stay current on federal, state, and local regulations related to grants and contracts, ensuring all research activities adhere to ethical and legal standards. Collaborate with legal counsel when necessary to resolve contractual issues.
• Manage the negotiation and execution of sub-awards and perform subrecipient monitoring.
• Draft amendments for no cost extensions and budget revisions using templates.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for sponsors, researchers, and program managers. Facilitate communication between research teams and funding agencies.
• Collaborate with program managers to ensure project goals are met.
• Provide guidance and training to staff on grant and contract policies and procedures.
• Identify potential risks and develop risk mitigation strategies, addressing issues related to grant and contract administration promptly.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of progress reports and deliverables.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Strong understanding of federal, state, and private grant regulations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in grant management software and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of financial management and budgeting principles.

Experience and Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, public administration, or a relevant field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in grants and contract administration.

UL has COVID-19 protocols and policies in place to ensure the safety of our employees, customers and clients. Effective November 1, 2021, the company mandates that employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment (except where prohibited by law), subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

• Mission: For UL, corporate and social responsibility isn’t new. Making the world a safer, more secure and sustainable place has been our business model for the last 128 years and is deeply ingrained in everything we do.
• People: Ask any UL employee what they love most about working here, and you’ll almost always hear, “the people.” Going beyond what is possible is the standard at UL. We’re able to deliver the best because we employ the best.
• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here as we eagerly anticipate the next innovation that our customers’ create. We’re inspired to take on the challenge that will transform how people live, work and play. And as a global company, in many roles, you will get international experience working with colleagues around the world.
• Grow & achieve: We learn, work and grow together with targeted development, reward and recognition programs as well as our very own UL University that offers extensive training programs for employees at all stages, including a technical training track for applicable roles.
• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagementare eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans. a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Additionally, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you can work with your manager on flexible working arrangements. We also provide employees with paid time off including vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer time off.

About UL Research Institutes

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, UL Solutions, advances our shared public safety mission. We fund our work through grants, the licensing of standards documents and the business activities of UL Solutions, which conducts testing, verification and certification, and provides training and advisory services, along with data-driven reporting and decision-making tools for customers around the world.

To learn more, visit UL.org