Employer: Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA, United States
Category: Administration
Job function: Academic Program Professional
Workplace type: Hybrid
Contract type: Regular
Grade: J
Posted: 2026-10-29
The Stanford Department of Pediatrics is committed to advancing the health of infants, children, and adolescents through innovative medical care, research, education, training, and advocacy. We are the second largest department in the School of Medicine with more than $90 million in funding annually from external sponsors. The Office of Pediatric Research Development is a dedicated team of research development strategists and administrators collaborating to demystify grant writing processes and enable funding success for cutting-edge research that advances health. The Office assists faculty and learners (instructors, postdocs, clinical fellows, etc.) in securing funding from individual research grants, large center or training grants, career development awards, and fellowships.
We are seeking a Research Development Strategist / Grant Writer (Academic Program Professional 2) to work under the general direction of the Department’s Associate Director of Team Science, faculty, and/or other management to support faculty, instructors and learners in grant writing and submission. This includes providing scientific/technical feedback, content, and expert administrative guidance for a variety of grants (e.g. NIH R21, R01, R61/33; K Awards, PCORI; clinical trials, etc.). Candidates should be a highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of effectively managing multiple priorities.
This role will develop, implement, and administer the vision, strategy, and goals to grow the Department’s research enterprise. This includes strategy development for a cohesive research development program; designing and implementing research building activities; and managing evaluations and program improvements to support research within the Department. Serve as expert advisor to faculty and staff and have a role in program/entity strategy development, long-range planning, and partnership development.
This position will be based on the Stanford campus and is a hybrid of working on-site and working from home, subject to operational needed.
Duties include:
- Provide individualized grant writing advice, coaching, and assistance to faculty, especially early-career faculty, and occasionally to postdocs, clinical fellows, and instructors
- Manage the entire proposal process, including developing strategic plans, drafting specific sections, editing, and evaluating drafts, and coordinating proposal submission
- Prepare and edit text, figures, and tables to increase impact and clarity
- Write and/or edit complex content for large, complex proposals, training grants, research grants, peer-reviewed publications
- Proactively identifying a diverse portfolio of funding sources
- Identify, recommend, and implement research capacity-building activities, especially for faculty, postdocs/clinical fellows, and instructors that may include grant review processes, seed grant programs, grant writing curricula, workshops, seminars, multi-week bootcamps, new resources, etc.
- Develop and manage programs to improve engagement of current faculty in mentoring junior faculty and trainees, especially in research and writing grants
- Teach and/or assist in teaching and administering programs to support grant writers, especially faculty, postdocs, clinical fellows, and instructors
- Recommend, design, and manage new policies to streamline research development and research administration processes within the Department and more broadly at Stanford
- Collaborate with departmental stakeholders and other research development strategists at Stanford to advance research development goals
- Source, collect, analyze data to track proposal success rates such as tracking proposals submitted and funded annually to external funding agencies
- Analyze data, create reports, review trends, and make program improvement recommendations. May develop or contribute to outreach strategy related to program communications, development, partnerships, and funding.
- Coach and mentor staff assisting with proposal development process.
* - Other duties may also be assigned
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced degree in related field (e.g. PhD, JD, MD, etc.)
- Clinical or translational research and /or clinical trial experience
- Demonstrated expertise in writing grants and research development processes
- Understanding of the grant submission process, especially federal grants like NIH grants
- Demonstrated expertise in teaching grant writing, academic writing, or research methods to graduate students, clinical fellows, postdocs, etc.
- Service (client) oriented aptitude that values collaboration
- Highly organized, accountable, analytical, proactive, and deadline-oriented
- Communicates effectively (oral and written)
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working-relationships with a variety of persons, especially faculty and trainees (graduate students, postdocs, or clinical fellows)
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE (REQUIRED):
Advanced degree or combination of relevant education, training, and/or experience. Experience managing a budget and developing financial plans, program partnerships and funding sources.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (REQUIRED):
- Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
- Excellent oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
- Ability to oversee and direct staff.
- Basic knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans.
CERTIFICATIONS & LICENSES:
- For teaching jobs, advanced degree or certification may be required for some programs.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:
- Frequently stand/walk, sitting, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, perform desk-based computer tasks.
- Occasionally use a telephone, writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds.
- Rarely sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh >40 pounds.
- Ability to use voice to present information/communicate with others.
- On-campus mobility.
* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.
Additional PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- May work extended hours, evenings or weekends.
- May travel locally.
- Occasional overnight travel.
Additional WORKING CONDITIONS:
Core Duties:
- Develop and manage research programs by conducting research activities, including outreach to varied stakeholders within the program, assigning resources and making program improvement recommendations that impact policies and programs.
- Identify, recommend and implement opportunities for new research.
- Source, collect and analyze data, create reports, review and explain trends; formulate and evaluate alternative solutions and/or recommendations to achieve the goals of the program or function.
- Teach and/or assist in the teaching and administration of courses. Develop curriculum. Develop curriculum-rating survey, detailed feedback on courses and make recommendations for preliminary overview and changes.
- Write and/or edit complex content for proposals, research grants, peer-reviewed publications, and other program activities.
- Contribute to and inform on strategic program/entity planning and related funding and financial sustainability.
- May advise students and/or coach/mentor clients.
- Develop or contribute to outreach strategy related to program communications, development, partnerships, and fundraising/funding.
- Coach and mentor program staff.
Minimum Education and Experience Required:
Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education, training, and relevant experience. Advanced degree may be required for some programs. For jobs with financial responsibilities, experience managing a budget and developing financial plans.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
- Excellent oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
- Ability to oversee and direct staff.
- Basic knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans.
Certificates and Licenses Required:
For teaching jobs, advanced degree or certification may be required for some programs.