Proposal Development Officer

at  University of Waterloo

Overview:
Supporting the Associate Dean, Research (ADR), and the Math Research Office, and reporting to the Manager, Research, the incumbent’s primary objective is to advance the Faculty’s strategic research interests through the production of professional, effective, and technically-oriented research copy. The incumbent is responsible for technical writing, strategic review and editing of awards nominations and grant proposals, and creating a wide range of materials in support of Faculty of Mathematics research initiatives, including but not limited to technical materials, letters of support, and copy for web- and print-based promotional items.
Responsibilities:

Coordinate, write, review, and edit research proposals and award nominations to advance the Faculty’s strategic research initiatives

• Writing research proposals and award nominations, including background preparation, fact- checking, and translation of technical research information into accurate text that is understandable, readable, and appropriate to the audience and medium
• Reviewing and editing research proposals and award nominations to correct for structure, grammar, style, and persuasiveness; and provide feedback on strategic positioning, and adherence to university requirements and sponsor guidelines
• Coordinating proposal preparation for both small, individual applications and large, multi-author applications, including progress monitoring, integration of text, and review and editing through all stages of proposal preparation
• Facilitating ongoing internal and external nominations for faculty and student awards
• Coordinating review panels and document panel decisions for internal awards
• Reviewing award nominations for completeness and eligibility and organize nomination packages for the committee review and decision
• Tracking demographics of internal award nominees and winners, and support the Manager, Research with analysis of data and report generation
• Assisting faculty researchers with surveying research initiatives, identifying research opportunities, proposal writing, and preparation of items such as presentations and briefs
• Providing counsel to Mathematics faculty members on best practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as it relates to research and the evolving requirements of federal and provincial funding programs
• Providing the ADR and the Math Research team with strategic advice, information, and data related to upcoming funding and award opportunities to support decision making and establishment of internal deadlines
• Providing the ADR and the Math Research team with quality assessment reviews of complex and/or problematic applications
• Establishing and maintaining contacts within the Office of Research to ensure information provided and interpretation of guidelines to Mathematics researchers are complete, current, and accurate

Establish procedures and guidelines for preparation and submission of research proposals and award nominations to meet internal and external deadlines

• Reporting and reviewing the Faculty’s technical writing commitments with the ADR, and the Math Research team
• Monitoring government information sources to identify funding opportunities and ensure new applications comply with evolving assessment methods, guidelines, evaluation criteria, and deadlines
• Establishing procedures and timelines for preparation and submission of grant proposals and award nominations to meet university and agency guidelines
• Developing and updating program-specific support materials to guide researchers through proposal/nomination preparation
• Establishing guidelines for technical writing support within the Mathematics Research Office
• Coaching and mentoring faculty members on writing persuasive, strategically positioned technical research material for a broad range of audiences
• Managing the document submission process for new proposal applications, including project tracking to help ensure applications are prepared in a timely, effective manner and in accordance with university requirements and agency guidelines

Research and write faculty-based research reports and documents that profile Mathematics research

• Collecting relevant data to describe individual and faculty-wide research achievements, funding, and success rate statistics
• Generating reports, summarizing Mathematics research activity
• Producing fact sheets, web-copy, and presentation materials that profile Mathematics research and researchers

Contribute to strategic initiatives in the Mathematics’ research portfolio

• Draft and review documentation that supports strategic research initiatives in the Faculty
• Contribute to data collection processes in the Faculty as they relate to funding proposals and award nominations

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field required, with a Master’s degree preferred
• Education or training in a discipline of Mathematics, Engineering, or Science is required
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in a technical writing role; experience with preparation of individual and multi-author research proposals for government funding agencies is strongly preferred
• Experience in a research-driven academic environment; experience with academic funding programs in Canada and Ontario would be beneficial
• Have superior oral and written communication skills
• Able to write short copy (web-based text), long copy (research proposals, award nominations, and reports), and research presentation material for broad audiences (technical reviewers and general audiences)
• Able to write short copy (web-based text), long copy (research proposals, award nominations, and reports), and research presentation material for broad audiences (technical reviewers and general audiences)
• Have well-developed editorial skills, including experience in copy editing
• Have excellent research skills; must be able to compile and integrate relevant information (both qualitative and statistical) from a broad range of sources to strengthen proposals and reports
• Ability to fully understand, synthesize and translate material of a highly technical nature into text that is accessible to all readers
• Can work independently and with other people
• Able to work in a dynamic environment, with shifting timelines and priorities
• Proven ability to handle multiple assignments simultaneously, while adhering to tight timelines
• Ability to think critically and analytically

Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935

Please refer the Job description for details