32005BR
Job Title:
Internal Only SPAR Grant Manager
Department:
Office of Research
Primary Campus:
University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
Job Description:
40% - SPAR Leadership, Oversight, and Approval
Guides and directs activities for assigned Grant Coordinators and Grant Officers, including billing set up in FITC, timely sponsor invoicing, quarterly FFRs, manual event completion and close out, and final invoicing.
Manages cross-functional activities of research administration staff, including oversight of all compliance related functions.
Trains staff in sponsored project billing, including compliance and allowability, functional accounting, and financial management skills, including optimizing the use of systems and reporting.
Works with staff to maintain compliance with all appropriate sponsored project guidelines.
Evaluates opportunities to enhance existing processes and provide improved service to client units.
Coordinate with and ensure resources are available to support Sponsor subject matter expert (SME) to support excellent sponsor relations.
Ensures service needs are met or exceeded, based on established performance metrics, and regular assessment of team workload assignments.
Resolves disputes and takes corrective action.
Oversees staff work and ensures procedures are consistent with policy, federal, state and university guidelines. Provides second-level review of transactions when appropriate for accuracy and compliance.
Serves as escalation step for outstanding AR. Compiles and brings issues to leadership as appropriate.
Addresses audit findings to improve compliance and accuracy of sponsored project accounts receivable activities.
Works with additional research administration and fiscal staff, as necessary, on all external compliance audits.
Shares progress reports and status updates with the Associate Director, Award Management as needed or requested.
Informs Associate Director of service or staff issues and necessary steps needed or taken to address them.
Prepares narratives and statistical reports.
20% - Process Improvement and Special Projects
Leads, implements or serves on workgroups to identify and improve processes for AMS, KU Office of Research and KU as a whole. This may include the following:
Working with AMS Process Improvement and Training Committees as needed to implement process design changes or system updates.
Collaborations with units beyond AMS for process improvement, training, ongoing campus-wide process support or other projects.
Policy Development and Dissemination/Training
Partners with KUCR staff to develop and present information and training sessions on post- award policies and procedures and award management techniques. Provides information in a variety of formats, including individual training, workshop @type sessions, and seminars to PIs and other interested staff as requested.
Coordinates with KUCR on the interpretation and communication of post- award policies, systems, procedures, and programs.
15% - Federal Drawdowns
Responsible for completion of bi-weekly federal drawdowns with National Science Foundation and United States Department of Education, National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies where system drawdowns are a requirement for institutional reimbursement.
Potential assignment of invoice and reporting for awards with high security requirements (Example: Department of Defense or Maryland Procurement Office).
Train SPAR team member as backup for drawdowns for other federal agency billing/reporting/drawdowns using systems such as the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), reporting in Grant Solutions, etc.
15% - Problem Resolution
Answers sponsored project accounts receivable-related questions for the areas served to assist customers, colleagues and staff. Assists with questions escalated from Grant Coordinators or Grant Officers.
Escalates questions and problems as appropriate to the Associate Director or other research administration or central offices.
10% - Team Performance Management
Conducts 1:1 meetings and team meetings, supporting and providing professional development opportunities, ability to create a collaborative and welcoming team culture, etc.
Resolves disputes escalated by Grant Officers and Coordinators.
Provides meaningful annual reviews of assigned staff and takes responsibility for all work produced, training, and development of assigned staff during the life of their employment.
Provides training, mentoring and coaching as needed to ensure staff success or to correct staff performance issues. In conjunction with Human Resources (HR), identifies and implements appropriate performance improvement actions if necessary.
Req ID (Ex: 10567BR) :
32005BR
Disclaimer:
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
Work Schedule:
M-F 8a-5p
FLSA Status:
Administrative
Conditions of Employment:
Contingent on Funding
Contact Information to Applicants:
Jessica Johnson Webb
jeslea@ku.edu
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree or higher in business, accounting, or related field plus two (2) years related professional-level work experience, OR a high school degree/GED plus a minimum of six (6) years of related work experience.
Experience writing training materials, creating PowerPoint presentations, or drafting policy as demonstrated by application materials.
Experience working within the PC/Windows environment including MS Word and MS Excel as evidenced by application materials.
Previous experience that required analytical and problem-solving skills, as outlined in application materials.
Excellent written communication skills and attention to detail as demonstrated by application materials.
Employee Class:
U-Unclassified Professional Staff
Advertised Salary Range:
$73,000
FTE:
1.0
Preferred Qualifications:
One (1) year of supervisory experience.
People and team management experience as evidenced in application materials.
Prior experience in sponsored project billing as shown in application materials.
Previous experience that required knowledge of applicable federal, state, and other sponsor regulations related to sponsored projects, including Uniform Guidance as evidenced in application materials.
Experience working with research administration software applications as shown in application materials.
Experience with process mapping and process improvement as evidenced in application materials.
Experience that required analytical and problem-solving skills to research and analyze complex data to develop accurate reports, identify valid solutions, forecast consequences of proposed action, and implement a course of action as shown in application materials.
Position Overview:
The Office of Research Award Management Sponsored Project Accounts Receivable (SPAR) Grant Manager provides leadership, direction, and oversight for all billing and accounts receivable activity on awards funded by federal, state, and private funds. This position manages the day-to-day sponsored project accounts receivable activities and supervises SPAR staff performing invoicing, reporting and research administration tasks and working closely with investigators, other research administrators and central office staff.
The position uses knowledge of award management, award reporting, and accounting best practices and KU financial systems, policies, and processes to provide sponsors with accurate and timely invoicing to ensure efficient reimbursement to the institution. This full-time position is also responsible for building relationships with the units and PIs served, supervising the daily post-award research administration business processes and supporting a culture centered on delivering excellent customer service.
This position ensures that SPAR Grant Officers and Grant Coordinators provide timely and professional services that support or enhance the research accounts receivable (AR) service goals of the client units and of the University of Kansas as a whole. This position is responsible for management of AR on a dynamic, complex research award portfolio.
The Grant Manager makes decisions on duty assignments to ensure that the method of processing post-award research administration transactions is compliant with University, State and Federal Guidelines. This position is also responsible for establishing and monitoring internal control procedures.
This position reports to the Associate Director, Award Management. It is the Grant Manager's duty to work with the Associate Director and Director, Research Administration to implement strategic plans for improving processes and services. The Grant Manager is accountable for ensuring the implementation of research administration policies and processes and that staff are adequately trained and provided with mentoring and coaching as necessary.
This position is designated as fully remote, meaning most activities will be performed from an agreed- upon off-campus location. Some in-person activities will be required on occasion such as required trainings, PI meetings or all-staff meetings, etc.
Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.
Reg/Temp:
Regular
Application Review Begins:
09-Feb-2026
Anticipated Start Date:
16-Mar-2026
Additional Candidate Instruction:
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
Resume.
List of three (3) professional references.
Only complete applications will be considered.
Application review begins Monday, February 9, 2026 For consideration, please apply no later than Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Job Family:
Administrative/Management-KUL
Work Location Assignment:
Telework
