Contracts and Subaward Specialist

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission.

At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer: 

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match 
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! 

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

Basic Function:

The Contracts and Subaward Specialist will support the Research Institute for Tactical Autonomy (RITA) by providing comprehensive pre-and post-award administrative oversight of the program. This role is pivotal to the operational success of RITA’s University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) by ensuring effective compliance coordination, administrative efficiency, and overall alignment with federal research administration best practices, particularly those relevant to Department of War (DoW) sponsors.

Key Responsibilities:

Pre-Award:

• Guide RITA-affiliated investigators from multiple academic institutions in the submission of proposals, including budgets, narratives, and sponsor forms.
• Coordinate proposal routing and review processes, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines, university policy, and federal regulations.
• Collaborate with faculty to interpret UARC-specific proposal requirements and address any sponsor-specific issues early in the process.

Post-Award:

• Support award setup, budget alignment, and personnel onboarding in coordination with relevant offices.
• Prepare budget revisions as needed, submit them for approval, and process them in Cayuse or in any other relevant university systems. Monitor expenditures for allowability, allocability, and adherence to DoW regulations and institutional policy.
• Reconcile subrecipient invoices to ensure personnel charges are approved, and non-personnel expenditures are allowed under the approved budget.
• Route travel, materials and supplies, equipment, and financial aid requests for approval and ensure the expenditures are allowed under the approved budget.
• Prepare and track project reports, ensuring timely submission of technical and financial deliverables in line with CDRLs.
• Provide monthly financial performance reports to investigators to ensure alignment with spending/projection plans.

Compliance & Strategic Coordination:

• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of research administration policies and DoW-specific requirements, including export controls and CUI protocols.
• Serve as a RITA liaison with central compliance to proactively resolve administrative issues.
• Maintain awareness of FAR/DFARS updates and research security guidance relevant to the UARC mission.

Training & Development:

• Provide onboarding and training to RITA-affiliated PIs and staff on research administration processes.
• Participate in policy discussions and contribute to continuous process improvement across the RITA administrative infrastructure.

Core Competencies:

• Strong understanding of the full research administration lifecycle (pre- and post-award).
• Experience with federal grants and cooperative agreements, especially from DoW (e.g., AFOSR, DARPA).
• Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, CUI guidelines, and federal acquisition standards.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines, coordinate across stakeholders, and communicate clearly with diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in research administration systems (Cayuse, Workday, or similar).
• Comfort with iterative approaches and adapting plans as new information emerges.
• Self-starter who can operate with minimal direction
• Incumbent must have knowledge of the budget cycle process.
• Ability to prepare comprehensive, complex financial and budget reports using Excel.
• Proficiency in MS Office

Minimum Requirements:

• BA, BBA, or BS (or higher) in Business, Finance, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in research administration, preferably in a university or UARC/FFRDC environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex, multi-institutional research programs.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to federal export control and security compliance requirements.

Note: This position reflects an embedded administrative support role

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Expected Pay Range: $92,279 - $101,507