Manager of Grants and Contracts, BRIDGES Engine

Power Innovation Through Strategic Funding & Compliance

Location: Huntsville, Alabama

Employment Type: Full-time | Exempt

The Opportunity

Every breakthrough innovation needs expert stewardship. As Manager, Grants and Contracts for the BRIDGES NSF Engine, you'll be the operational backbone of one of the most ambitious regional innovation initiatives in America, ensuring that federal funding flows smoothly, compliance is flawless, and every dollar drives measurable impact toward a sustainable bio-based economy.

This isn't just grant management. You'll be a strategic problem-solver and trusted partner to researchers, industry collaborators, and federal sponsors, often translating complex regulations into clear action, solving multifaceted challenges, and ensuring that the administrative excellence behind groundbreaking discoveries never goes unnoticed. You'll work at the intersection of compliance, finance, and innovation, making it possible for visionary leaders and researchers to focus on what they do best.

The position is shared with HudsonAlpha's Research Administration and Development (RAD) Team and requires the use of existing grants management systems and processes to ensure compliance. Based on funding for this role, some non-BRIDGES grant administration will be assigned.

What You'll Do

Grant Lifecycle Management

• Assist in the development and execution of funding strategies supporting BRIDGES and related large-scale research initiatives
• Coordinate with partners across academia, industry, government, and nonprofit sectors to strengthen proposals
• Review funding opportunities for eligibility and administrative requirements
• Communicate with funding agencies to clarify requirements and ensure proper proposal submission
• Develop, review, and finalize budgets with accuracy and attention to detail
• Coordinate, assemble, and submit complete grant proposals on time and in full compliance with sponsor requirements
• Communicate with subaward institutions to collect required documents and ensure timely submissions

Financial Oversight & Compliance

• Manage timelines, approvals, and submission of grant proposals, reports, and prior approval requests across multiple stakeholders
• Oversee award setup, financial tracking, reporting, and closeout processes
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of payments and financial transactions
• Review and approve subawardee invoices for compliance and alignment with budgets
• Negotiate and manage contracts, subawards, and partnership agreements that protect institutional interests
• Monitor grant activity to ensure compliance with all federal, state, and sponsor regulations, including NSF, OMB, and grant-specific requirements
• Maintain accurate metrics, records, and archives on research and funding activity to enable assessment of program growth and impact

Award Administration & Stakeholder Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact and daily manager for assigned grants and sponsored projects
• Provide award information to principal investigators and relevant staff and departments
• Manage award modifications, including prior approvals, carryover requests, rebudgeting, and changes in scope
• Ensure all requests are done in compliance with sponsor guidelines and institutional policies
• Coordinate and submit requests for award changes; ensure all requests are compliant with sponsor guidelines
• Assist researchers with non-financial report submissions as necessary
• Interact regularly with and provide high-quality customer service to faculty, researchers, and external collaborators
• Support effective project closeout and transfer processes
• Coordinates with HudsonAlpha Accounting to set up awards in the financial system

Compliance Leadership & Professional Development

• Demonstrate proficiency and knowledge of applicable grant regulations (NSF, DOE, USDA, OMB, etc.)
• Monitor compliance and regulation oversight for awards and recommend or implement corrective actions
• In coordination with the Compliance Office, monitor training requirements and ensure award personnel compliance with grant regulations
• Communicate sponsor requirements and federal training obligations to PIs, administrative staff, and leadership
• Attend meetings of professional research administrators and maintain a working knowledge of current HudsonAlpha and federal guidelines
• Stay informed of federal application and award guidelines, trends, and requirements
• Contribute to the development and revision of templates, guidelines, and research-related processes

About You

Experience & Education:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in pre- and post-award grants administration
• Significant experience with federal grant programs and multi-institutional awards
• Proven track record in submitting and administering awards from NSF, USDA, DOE, and private foundations
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, highly regulated, multi-partner environments
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to unify diverse stakeholders toward shared goals

Essential Skills & Competencies:

• Exceptional attention to detail with strong organizational and time-management abilities
• Advanced knowledge of sponsor rules, formats, guidelines, compliance requirements, and federal regulations
• Proficiency with electronic research administration systems (Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov, etc.)
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel (including budget formulas and data management), and Mac OS platforms
• Outstanding problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
• Proven leadership and communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to effectively balance competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Tact, diplomacy, and professionalism in interactions with researchers, sponsors, and regulatory agencies
• Ability to work with confidential data and demonstrated discretion in all interactions
• High business acumen and continuous improvement mindset

Physical & Work Environment

• Dynamic office setting with frequent engagement in meetings and collaborative work
• Travel for conferences, stakeholder convenings, and occasional federal agency interactions
• Flexible hours accommodating early mornings, evenings, and deadline-driven schedules
• Ability to remain in a stationary position (sit or stand) for prolonged periods (approximately 50% of the time)
• Prolonged and irregular working hours reflecting the demands of a high-impact, dynamic initiative

Join Us

Help ensure the administrative excellence that powers transformative science. Master complexity. Enable innovation. Drive impact.

Apply now and become part of the BRIDGES Engine movement.

This combined version emphasizes the strategic importance of grants administration while showcasing the exciting opportunity to fuel a region-changing initiative-positioned as a manager role with significant responsibility and impact!