Pre-Award Specialist

at  Rice University

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Dean’s Office in the School of Engineering is hiring one Pre-Award Specialist who will support departmental efforts to capture and manage external resources to support the programs and services of the University. They will also facilitate the grant proposal development process and track activities.
The Pre-Award Specialist will serve as an administrator for all pre-award activities related to research grant submissions, supporting all phases of proposal development. This position requires an independent and analytical mindset and strong organizational skills in order to thrive in a deadline-driven environment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree
• In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
• 2+ years of related experience in proposal development, project management, and/or accounting

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Initiative and ability to work independently and as a team member
• Effective interpersonal skills both written and verbal
• Administrative and organizational skills and the ability to prioritize own workload
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Intermediate knowledge of spreadsheet, email, and database software programs
• Working knowledge of grant programs and processes
• Organizational skills and detailed oriented
• Ability to organize and manage multiple proposals

• Organizes, facilitates, and tracks proposal development efforts and proposal preparation timelines
• Understands, explains, and clarifies various sponsors’ proposal requirements and review processes
• Researches and writes non-technical sections of proposals
• Provides comments, suggestions, and questions on the narrative section
• Ensures compliance with sponsor requirements
• Serves as a liaison with faculty, administrators, and SPARC to ensure timely and successful proposal submissions
• Assists in the facilitation of faculty teams and colleagues in preparing large, complex, collaborative, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional proposals
• Identifies limited submission funding opportunities, posts them to the limited submission website and listserv, and assists in coordinating limited submission competitions when necessary
• Assists with training and development sessions designed for faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, and / or undergraduate students on topics related to the development of proposals for external grant funds
• Assists in preparing ad hoc administrative projects, such as website materials, proposal archives, etc.
• Advises the Principal Investigator (PI) on administrative requirements in proposal preparation, and ensures guidelines are followed for proposal formatting and submission requirements
• In collaboration with the PI, develops and reviews the budget, and assist with attaining cost share commitments and sponsor forms
• Coordinates the request and review of subcontract documents
• Performs the data entry into the sponsor portal and Cayuse SP record
• Performs all other duties as assigned
  Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview
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  Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
  Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities