"Proposal Preparation Specialist"

Special Instructions to Applicants

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, 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.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Wiess School of Natural Sciences is seeking a Proposal Preparation Specialist to provide advanced and varied support to departments to facilitate the grant proposal development process and track activities. They will lead and advise faculty and research personnel on how to plan, prepare, and write grant proposals to enable highly competitive extramural research funding (e.g. federal agencies, state agencies, industry, or foundations). Reporting directly to the Associate Director of Pre-Award Research Administration in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, this role will play a vital role in facilitating effective communication and collaboration.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate should exhibit strong independent and analytical thinking skills to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Furthermore, the candidate must possess a thorough understanding of relevant federal and state statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures, along with the ability to interpret those established by other sponsoring organizations.

Workplace Requirements

This position is a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

$75,000 annually minimum, with the hiring salary commensurate with experience. This is an Exempt (salaried) position and under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

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.
• Three or more (3+) years of experience in Pre-Award Research Administration (i.e. grant proposal preparation and submission to various governmental agencies such as NSF, DOD, DOE, DARPA, NIH, etc.)

Skills

• Initiative and ability to work independently and as a team member
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills and the ability to prioritize one’s own workload
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Ability to work under deadline pressure

Preferences

• 5+ years of experience in Pre-Award Research Administration in a university setting.
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale, complex federal funding proposals (e.g., DARPA, ARPA-H or similar agencies).
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA)

Essential Functions

• Efficiently evaluate Funding Opportunity Announcements, develop proposal preparation timelines, templates, checklists, and track proposal development efforts.
• Understand, explain, and clarify various agency’s proposal requirements and review processes.
• Develop and analyze proposal budgets in accordance with sponsor guidelines and University research policies.
• Organize and facilitate faculty teams to prepare large-scale, complex, multidisciplinary proposals, including collaborative opportunities across the University and multi-research organizations.
• Research and assist in writing non-technical content of proposals.
• Perform careful review of the scientific, technical, and/or scholarly narrative sections of proposals to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and with research policies of the University.
• Serve as a liaison with faculty, administrators, and the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) to ensure timely and successful proposal submissions.
• Develop professional written communications to sponsor agencies, organizations, and key stakeholders.
• Interact and collaborate with agencies, faculty, and departmental award management staff to support the successful life cycle of funded projects.
• Lead 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
• Assist in preparing ad hoc administrative projects such as proposal archives, reports and proposal writing tips.
• Prepare and update proposal documents (revised budgets, JIT documentation, etc.) as needed prior to execution of an award.
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Informs the principal investigator (PI) of all proposal preparation requirements and ensures guidelines are followed for proposal formatting, all documents required, and submission requirements.
• Monitors compliance with agency and University regulations regarding submission; verifies all financial information

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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