Grants and Contracts Management Officer (OGCA)

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Grants & Contracts Administration (OGCA) is seeking an accomplished research administration professional to serve as Grants and Contracts Management Officer. This senior position combines research administration expertise, leadership, contract and award negotiation, staff development, and institutional problem-solving in support of UAF';s externally funded research enterprise.

The Grants and Contracts Management Officer will provide leadership and subject-matter expertise in the administration of sponsored awards, contracts, subawards, and related agreements. The position will review and negotiate complex terms and conditions; interpret federal regulations, sponsor requirements, and university policy; coordinate legal, compliance, and institutional reviews; assist principal investigators and research administrators with complex sponsored project issues; and represent UAF in communications and negotiations with external sponsors and collaborating organizations.

The position also provides leadership to research administration staff, including workload management, training, mentoring, professional development, and resolution of particularly complex matters. As part of OGCA's management team, the Grants and Contracts Management Officer will contribute to research administration training, electronic research administration initiatives, procedure development, process improvement, strategic projects, and efforts to strengthen UAF's overall research administration infrastructure.

This is an opportunity for an experienced research administrator to have a significant institutional impact while working with a broad and diverse portfolio of research activities and sponsors.

You will thrive in this position if research administration is more than a set of rules to you. The strongest candidates will understand both the regulatory framework surrounding sponsored projects and the practical realities faced by researchers and research administrators trying to move complex work forward.

You should bring significant knowledge of sponsored research administration, including federal award requirements, 2 CFR 200, FAR, federal research terms and conditions, sponsor policies, contract and agreement terms, and other requirements affecting externally funded activities. Experience reviewing and negotiating contracts, grants, subawards, and non-standard award terms will be particularly important. The current position description specifically calls for expert knowledge of sponsored-project regulations and funding mechanisms and expert-level negotiation skills.

You should also be an experienced leader who is comfortable coaching research administrators, evaluating complicated situations, establishing priorities, balancing risk and service, and making well-reasoned decisions when the answer is not immediately obvious. Excellent writing, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills are essential.

The work requires someone who can move comfortably between the details and the larger picture. On any given day, you may be interpreting a difficult award clause, helping resolve a sponsor issue, coaching an analyst, advising a principal investigator, improving a process, contributing to institutional guidance, or helping leadership evaluate a broader research
administration challenge.

We are particularly interested in candidates who value continuous improvement, professional development, collaboration, thoughtful use of technology, and excellent service to the research community. Experience with electronic research administration systems and the ability to adapt to evolving federal requirements and sponsor systems will be valuable.

The existing position description identifies extensive research administration experience,
including leadership and contract administration and negotiation, and identifies professional research administration credentials such as CRA, CPRA, or CCM as preferred.

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in relevant field and six years progressively responsible experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Advanced degree preferred.

Position Details:

This position is located on the UAF Troth Yeddha' campus in Fairbanks, Alaska and flexible on-site/hybrid work arrangements may be considered in accordance with UA regulations. This is a full-time, exempt staff position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. New hires will be placed on the UA Staff Salary Schedule, Grade 82, based on education and experience.

This recruitment is open internally to current UA employees or those otherwise eligible to apply to internal postings.

Application review will begin on September 18, 2026.  To ensure consideration, please submit your application by 11:55 PM Alaska Standard Time on September 17, 2026.

The University of Alaska (UA) requires employees to work on-site based on operational and business needs. Hybrid and remote work arrangements may be considered only for positions specifically designated and advertised as eligible for hybrid or remote work. Any approved arrangement will be based on the position’s duties, operational needs, and the employee’s ability to effectively perform the work remotely.

📃To view the full list of job responsibilities, please click HERE.

☎️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Lee Ann Amerson, OGCA HR Coordinator, at [email protected]  or (907) 474-6664.

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Coalition of Alaska University Staff for Equity (CAUSE)-UAW.

*To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.  Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at [email protected].

The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution.  The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.  The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or [email protected] / 907-786-1214 or [email protected]. 

UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or [email protected].

UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online: https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing [email protected].