Job Description

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Job title: Administrative Services Manager

Location: Nashville,  Tennessee   

Duration: 12 Months

Description:

Key Responsibilities

1.       Lead and coordinate grant applications from NOFO review through submission

Purpose: Ensure applications are developed, internally approved, and submitted by the federal deadline with minimal revision cycles.

·       Review NOFO, NOA, and FOA requirements, including evaluation criteria, attachments, formatting rules, and submission methods.

·       Create and maintain application timelines, checklists, SharePoint folder structure, and version control.

·       Schedule and facilitate application kickoff meetings with program leadership and contributors.

·       Track action items, follow up on missing components, and manage draft-to-final progression.

·       Coordinate budget development, budget justification, and alignment with allowable costs.

·       Compile narrative sections, required attachments, and certifications; perform final quality checks for completeness, formatting, naming conventions, and consistency.

·       Review/enter application information into the appropriate submission platform, coordinate submission logistics.

2.        Post-award startup and implementation

Purpose: Translate award terms into an actionable startup plan so programs can begin spending quickly and compliantly while identifying constraints, unallowable costs, and required post-award actions.

·       Review award terms and conditions and document key requirements such as budget period, reporting cadence, restrictions, match, carryover, and prior approvals.

·       Meet with program leadership to discuss NOA terms and startup needs.

·       Communicate budget structure, cost restrictions, and reporting expectations to program staff.

·       Prepare and submit expansion requests when new funding requires formal or informal permission to accept or implement.

·       Track post-award decisions and maintain documentation for audit readiness.

·       Ensure internal partners have the information needed to initiate compliant actions, including contracts, procurements, travel, staffing changes, and approvals.

3.        Maintain budget integrity and financial readiness

Purpose: Keep expenditures aligned to approved budgets and allowable cost rules, reduce discrepancies, strengthen audit readiness, and support accurate forecasting and decision-making.

·       Build and maintain monthly expenditure reports and budget projections.

·       Analyze staffing patterns to support accurate personnel cost forecasting.

·       Identify discrepancies early and coordinate corrections through the appropriate process, including journal vouchers when needed.

·       Track correction status to completion and document the resolution.

·       Review order forms for programmatic and laboratory supplies, equipment, or invoice approval as assigned.

·       Pull reports, compile existing budgets, and locate current scopes, budgets, and contract documentation.

4.        Lead reporting and grant closeout

Purpose: Ensure programs meet reporting requirements, provide accurate metrics to funding agencies, and complete timely, audit-ready grant closeouts.

·       Own the reporting calendar, including due dates, internal deadlines, dependencies, and follow-up items.

·       Compile performance metrics, such as quarterly reports, with program in the appropriate platform.

·       Compile financial metrics, including spending, variances, and projections, with fiscal partners.

·       Submit reports through the required portal or system and retain confirmation documentation and final versions.

·       Manage funder follow-up questions, revisions, and corrective actions.

·       Confirm final expenditures, invoices, contract closeouts, and outstanding obligations.

·       Submit closeout packages by deadline and archive complete audit-ready closeout files, including lessons learned and carryover or no-cost extension needs.

5.        Lead stakeholder communications and fiscal governance

Purpose: Provide consistent, accurate, and timely communication to partners and leadership while ensuring fiscal governance requirements are met through structured meetings and rapid response to requests.

·       Attend federal agency check-in meetings and provide status updates, risks, accomplishments, and upcoming milestones.

·       Lead monthly expenditure report meetings covering spenddown, staffing costs, contract expenditures, projections, and risks.

·       Prepare meeting materials, document action items and deadlines, and follow up to completion.

·       Maintain strong communication with program leadership and CEDEP business functions, including contracts, fiscal, compliance, and procurement.

·       Proactively escalate risks that could affect allowability, deadlines, spending pace, or program deliverables.

·       Provide general administrative support, including drafting letters and routing signature requests.

·       Respond to fiscal, legislative, and oversight requests by compiling accurate, supportable data and maintaining an audit trail.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Experience with grant application development, grant management, budgeting, accounting, or contract management.

·       Experience interpreting federal funding requirements, grant awards, reporting instructions, or fiscal guidance.

·       Strong Excel skills, including the ability to maintain expenditure reports, analyze variances, and support projections.

·       Experience coordinating work across program, fiscal, procurement, and leadership stakeholders.

·       Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with internal teams, external partners, and leadership.

·       Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.

·       Ability to manage multiple priorities, track deadlines, follow up consistently, and maintain accurate records.

·       Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and complete assignments with minimal revision.