The Senior Pre-Award Research Specialist plays a key leadership role in a large-scale Research Management Office, supporting faculty in securing external funding to advance the university’s research mission. As the federal funding landscape evolves, this position will lead efforts to identify, develop, and pursue new funding opportunities, including federal sponsors, foundations, corporations, and other non-traditional sponsors.

Leadership and training:

• Lead and direct pre-award professionals in daily operations.
• Establish and promote best practices for proposal development and submission.
• Assist in the preparation and ongoing training of employees.

Collaboration and communication:

• Serve as a key liaison between faculty, central research offices, and sponsors.
• Partner with post-award colleagues to ensure a smooth transition from proposal to award.
• Support institutional initiatives to diversify and expand research funding.

We are looking for someone who can bring the following skills and experience to the team:

• Knowledge and experience in developing proposals.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and coordinate multiple sponsors.
• Attention to detail and commitment to producing high quality work within tight deadlines in a high volume department.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills, and the ability to work across diverse cultures and personalities.