Principal Contracts and Grants Officer

The Department of Contracts and Grants is excited to announce an opening for a Principal Contracts and Grants Officer (Contracts and Grants Administrator III) at our University Park Campus (Credit Union Building). This pivotal role involves collaborating with faculty, university offices, and external funding agencies to streamline information exchange and provide essential services and training related to pre- and post-award administration of contracts and grants, as well as complex compliance requirements.

As a Principal Officer, you will engage with faculty and staff across USC, playing a key role in supporting our investigators from proposal development through to award closeout. Our department ensures that all grants and contracts uphold USC’s standards for academic freedom, research ethics, and fiscal responsibility. We pride ourselves not only on being subject matter experts but also on proactively developing training programs and innovative tools to enhance compliance and management of awards across our departments and schools.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of officers, providing guidance and professional development.
• Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with school representatives, central unit representatives, faculty, and staff.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer service inquiries, ensuring concerns are effectively addressed.
• Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements in alignment with university policy for various sponsors, including industry, non-profit, local government, federal, and international entities.
• Provide comprehensive post-award administrative support, including expenditure approvals and compliance with reporting requirements, while coordinating submissions to sponsors.
• Troubleshoot and resolve pre- and post-award administrative issues related to sponsored projects.
• Liaise with funding agencies to negotiate awards, establish account numbers, and coordinate necessary documentation.
• Review and recommend proposals for research, training, and public service projects for approval.
• Represent the university in official capacities with sponsoring agencies, offering guidance on agency requirements and proposal submissions.
• Assist faculty and staff in identifying external funding sources for sponsored research and training.
• Oversee the administration of particularly complex projects, such as national research centers and program projects.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, with the understanding that responsibilities may evolve over time.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or related undergraduate study; combined experience and education may substitute for the minimum education requirement.
• Experience: A minimum of 3 years in Contracts and Grants Administration, with combined education and experience able to substitute for the minimum experience requirement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 5 years of experience in Contracts and Grants Administration.
• Familiarity with university policies and procedures.

We invite you to be part of a dedicated team that supports USC's mission and contributes to the success of our research community. If you are passionate about contracts and grants administration and want to make a significant impact, we would love to hear from you!

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

The annual base salary range for this position is $110,000.00-$114,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment , federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

#LI-AW1

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

• Notice of Non-discrimination
• Employment Equity
• Read USC’s Clery Act Annual Security Report
• USC is a smoke-free environment
• Digital Accessibility

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this  USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser: