Grants Business Manager: College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies - UTK

The Grants Business Manager serves as the college's primary business professional for sponsored projects, financial operations, and business administration within the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS). Reporting directly to the Director of Finance, Administration, and Operations (DFAO), this highly visible position provides leadership and oversight for grants and contracts administration while supporting college-wide unit-budgeting, financial planning, reporting, and operational excellence. The role extends well beyond traditional grants management by serving as a strategic financial partner to the DFAO that is responsible for maintaining the fiscal integrity of the college, improving business processes, and ensuring sound stewardship of university and sponsored funds.

As a trusted partner to the DFAO, the Grants Business Manager plays a critical role in supporting one of the university's fastest growing and most innovative colleges. The position exercises independent judgment in managing the full lifecycle of sponsored projects, gift administration, financial reporting, budget development, forecasting, financial dashboards, and compliance activities while providing quality assurance over college financial operations. The successful candidate will proactively identify financial risks, resolve complex issues, strengthen internal controls, and develop efficient business processes that support the college's continued growth and strategic priorities. This position collaborates extensively with faculty, staff, university leadership, ORIED, sponsors, and external partners to ensure exceptional customer service, operational effectiveness, and compliance with university, state, federal, and sponsor requirements.

The ideal candidate is an experienced business manager with strong expertise in grants administration, financial management, budgeting, and higher education business operations. This individual possesses exceptional analytical and organizational skills, sound financial judgment, and the ability to manage multiple complex priorities with accuracy and professionalism. The successful candidate thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, anticipates challenges before they arise, continuously seeks opportunities to improve operations, and is committed to providing outstanding financial stewardship, operational excellence, and strategic support that advances the mission and long-term success of CECS.

Grants & Sponsored Projects Administration

• Manage the full lifecycle of sponsored projects from proposal development through post-award administration and closeout.
• Coordinate with faculty, principal investigators, ORIED, sponsors, and external partners to ensure compliant and successful grant administration.
• Monitor sponsored project budgets, labor distributions, reporting, compliance, and allowable expense tracking.

Financial Planning & Business Operations

• Support college budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and expense management and tracking.
• Maintain financial data, budgets, positions, and reporting in DASH (HCM and EPM).
• Develop and maintain financial dashboards, Chart of Accounts (COA), activity codes, and other financial management tools.

Financial Compliance & Internal Controls

• Ensure financial accuracy, compliance, and fiscal integrity through quality assurance reviews, reconciliations, internal controls, and fiscal year-end activities.
• Investigate and resolve financial discrepancies while ensuring compliance with university, state, federal, and sponsor requirements.

Contracts, Gifts & Financial Partnerships

• Administer contracts, gifts, sponsorships, and other externally funded agreements from initiation through financial closeout.
• Coordinate contract preparation, financial reporting, invoicing, expense tracking, and stewardship with university and external partners.

Operational Leadership & Process Improvement

• Serve as the primary business operations resource for CECS financial and administrative functions.
• Provide functional guidance for procurement, financial operations, assets, inventory, and administrative processes.
• Develop and improve financial procedures, operational workflows, and business processes that support college growth and operational excellence.

Reporting, Analytics & Strategic Support

• Prepare financial reports, dashboards, and data analyses that support leadership decision-making and strategic planning.
• Assist the DFAO with special projects, financial initiatives, and other strategic priorities.

Professional Development

• Maintain expertise in university policies, sponsored projects administration, and financial management through ongoing professional development and required training.
• Perform other duties and special assignments as assigned.

Required Qualifications: 

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of experience in sponsored projects administration or a related financial management role. 

• Demonstrated experience in sponsored project accounting, contract management, budgeting, and accounts payable. 

• Experience ensuring compliance with federal, state, sponsor, and institutional regulations, including post-award financial oversight, labor distributions, and fiscal reporting. 

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, principal investigators, and administrative partners, preferably within a higher education environment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of financial, bookkeeping, and accounting principles, procedures and systems

• Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports

• Advanced computer skills including ability to quickly learn new software systems

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel

• Ability to work individually and in a team environment under stressful and time-sensitive conditions

• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet time-sensitive deadlines

• Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills

• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituents both within and outside the University

• Ability to use tact and discretion when dealing with a variety of issues

• Ability to protect and maintain confidential information

• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Independent decision-making abilities

• Detail-oriented and have high level of initiative

• Proficiency in interpreting federal regulations. Knowledge of federal regulations related to externally funded sponsored programs and the requirements of state, federal, private, and non-profit funding agencies.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree

Experience:

• Five+ years of progressively responsible experience in sponsored projects administration or a related financial management role. 

• Demonstrated experience in proposal development and submission, sponsored project accounting, contract management, and developing, analyzing, forecasting complex, multi-year budgets, and accounts payable. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough understanding of higher education practices and UT & ORIED policies and procedures. 

• Experience working in a central research office or college at a research university

• Proficient in using sponsor specific submission systems

• Experience reviewing sponsored programs contracts

• Experience working in an inter-disciplinary setting 

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN, UTK Campus

• Onsite 

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR11

• Anticipated hiring range: $65,000-75,000, depending on experience

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before 8/28/2026

About the College: 

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is at the forefront of changing the future of higher education. It is a first-of-its-kind college created to meet the needs of students seeking a customizable degree path in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science that leads to rewarding careers upon graduation. CECS offers timely, innovative, student-centric degrees, minors, and stackable certificates at both undergraduate and graduate levels that address the future talent gap and expose students to experts and disciplines from across campus through a cross-cutting curriculum. CECS utilizes strong industry partnerships to ensure students gain relevant skills and real-world experience, offering for-credit internships and multi-disciplinary projects. CECS emphasizes the cohort experience where students learn and interact with fellow students from across campus and disciplines, allowing them to learn from one another and work together to solve real-world problems.

Who We Are:

We are a small team of energetic, adaptable, and hardworking individuals committed to educational initiatives that will lead to meaningful careers for our students and a positive impact on society. Every member of our team is a valuable collaborator, driven entrepreneur, and proficient multi-tasker dedicated to working together to find innovative approaches to achieving our shared goals. We are fast-moving and growing. Our work is constantly evolving to meet changing needs.