Grants & Business Operations Manager

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Job Summary

The Brinson Exploration Hub seeks a professional with substantial experience in financial management, grant administration, and business operations to support its growing portfolio of projects and activities.

Working closely with Brinson Hub leadership, project teams, and administrative and financial partners at Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), this position will manage sponsored awards, oversee financial reporting, and lead operational initiatives that support collaboration across both institutions.

The position will manage the financial and administrative aspects of grants and sponsored awards and maintain financial reporting across the Brinson Hub's broader portfolio, including Caltech and JPL accounts, project funding, and the Brinson Hub's endowment. This work will provide leadership and project teams with reliable information to support financial planning, projections, and operational decisions.

In addition to these ongoing responsibilities, the Grants & Business Operations Manager will lead assigned operational projects, including developing financial tools, establishing shared processes, improving reporting practices, and addressing business and administrative challenges that span institutional boundaries.

The successful candidate will bring strong financial judgment, analytical skills, initiative, and the ability to manage complex work independently while providing responsive operational support to Brinson Hub leadership and project teams.

Essential Job Duties

Grant & Award Management

• Manage the financial and administrative aspects of grants, sponsored awards, and other externally funded activities throughout the award lifecycle, including proposal development, award setup, budget monitoring, reporting, and closeout.
• Work with principal investigators, project teams, and Caltech's research administration and financial offices to monitor award budgets, expenditures, commitments, funding availability, and periods of performance.
• Track sponsor requirements, reporting deadlines, deliverables, and award conditions; coordinate financial, administrative, and technical reporting with project teams to support timely completion and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Coordinate the administrative and financial aspects of subawards, consulting agreements, cost-sharing arrangements, and other funded partnerships, working with appropriate institutional offices.
• Support proposal development and submission, including preparation and review of budgets, budget justifications, non-scientific documentation, and required institutional approvals.
• Identify and resolve administrative, financial, or compliance issues in coordination with relevant stakeholders, and maintain accurate award documentation.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Track and analyze financial activity across the Brinson Hub's portfolio, including Caltech and JPL accounts and work orders, sponsored awards, project accounts, and the Brinson Hub's endowment.
• Prepare regular financial reports for individual project teams and portfolio-level reporting for Brinson Hub leadership, including expenditures, commitments, balances, anticipated costs, and other relevant financial information.
• Reconcile financial information across funding sources and institutional systems, investigate discrepancies, and identify potential funding constraints or unusual expenditures requiring attention.
• Support financial planning, budgets, and projections by organizing, validating, and analyzing financial information and developing appropriate tracking and reporting tools.
• Maintain consistent financial reporting practices, records, and supporting documentation to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and continuity across projects and funding sources.

Institutional Projects & Business Process Improvement

• Lead assigned business and operational projects that strengthen coordination between Caltech and JPL and support the Brinson Hub's evolving organizational needs.
• Develop and implement financial tools, shared resources, reporting methods, and administrative processes that improve efficiency, consistency, and access to information across projects and institutions.
• Work with Brinson Hub leadership, project teams, and institutional partners to identify requirements, evaluate existing practices, and develop practical solutions to complex operational challenges.
• Manage initiatives from planning through implementation, coordinating stakeholders across financial, administrative, and project functions, tracking progress, resolving issues, and documenting resulting processes and procedures.

Executive & Administrative

Support

• Provide administrative and operational support to Brinson Hub leadership and project teams as needed, including scheduling, correspondence, travel, purchasing, reimbursements, meeting coordination, and related business activities.
• Support Brinson Hub meetings, project reviews, workshops, partner visits, and other events, including coordination with internal and external participants.
• Serve as a point of contact with relevant Caltech and JPL offices and external partners to facilitate routine administrative activities, including coordination for staff, students, affiliates, visitors, and other project participants.
• Perform other related duties in support of Brinson Hub operations and leadership priorities.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in grant administration, financial management, research administration, business operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience administering grants, sponsored awards, contracts, or other externally funded activities, including budget monitoring, reporting, and compliance with funding requirements.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including experience reconciling financial information, preparing reports across multiple accounts or funding sources, and developing financial tracking tools or models.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other relevant financial reporting and business applications.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex projects and competing priorities, coordinate multiple stakeholders, identify and resolve operational challenges, and carry work through completion.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate financial and administrative information clearly to varied audiences.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to handle confidential or sensitive information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing grants and sponsored research awards in a university, research institution, government laboratory, or similarly complex organization.
• Familiarity with Caltech financial, research administration, and procurement policies and systems, including Oracle and TechMart.
• Experience working with JPL or another federally funded research and development center, including familiarity with work orders and cross-institutional financial processes.
• Experience developing financial reporting tools, cost-tracking systems, dashboards, or other business solutions using Excel or comparable platforms.
• Experience leading cross-functional operational projects or process improvement initiatives involving multiple departments or organizations.
• Familiarity with federal research funding requirements, subawards, cost-sharing arrangements, and sponsored award closeouts.
• Experience supporting senior leadership in a research or project-based environment.

Required Documents

• Resume

Hiring Range

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$95,800 to $125,000 per year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more.

Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement

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Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and, as a federal contractor, takes affirmative action to employ qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Disability Accommodations

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Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].