Senior Pre-Award Specialist

Job Description

The Division of Research and Innovation at Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) invites applications for a Senior Pre-Award Specialist beginning Fall 2026.

Senior Pre-Award Specialist, under the direction of the Vice President for Research, provides comprehensive pre-award and proposal development support to PIs and staff pursuing external funding. The position serves as a primary point of contact for Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the proposal lifecycle, from identification and evaluation of funding opportunities through proposal development, institutional review, and sponsor submission.

Working collaboratively with PIs and Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) staff, the Specialist provides hands on guidance in interpreting sponsor requirements, developing proposal timelines and budgets, coordinating required components and approvals, and reviewing proposal materials for completeness, consistency, responsiveness to sponsor requirements and review criteria, and compliance with applicable regulations and University policies. The position serves as a knowledgeable resource to PIs, helping reduce administrative burden while supporting the development and submission of high-quality, competitive, and compliant proposals.

The Specialist is expected to independently manage multiple proposal activities and deadlines, provide timely and responsive PIs support, and contribute to the continuous improvement of pre-award processes, resources, and services.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary pre-award contact for assigned PIs, departments, colleges, or research units.
• Guide investigators through the full proposal process from identification of a funding opportunity through institutional approval and sponsor submission.
• Review funding opportunity announcements, requests for proposals, sponsor policies, and submission instructions and communicate requirements clearly to investigators.
• Assist faculty in identifying and evaluating external funding opportunities aligned with research, scholarly, or programmatic interests and conduct targeted funding searches as appropriate.
• Develop and manage proposal timelines, checklists, and submission plans to coordinate required components, internal approvals, and sponsor deadlines.
• Work collaboratively with investigators to ensure proposals are responsive to the funding opportunity and sponsor review criteria.
• Assist investigators in interpreting sponsor terminology, evaluation criteria, and proposal expectations.
• Provide one-on-one consultation and guidance to faculty and staff regarding proposal development, budgeting, sponsor requirements, and University pre-award procedures.
• Perform substantive review of proposal narratives and technical documents for organization, completeness, consistency, clarity, formatting, and alignment with sponsor requirements, while preserving the investigator's responsibility for the technical and scholarly content.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or areas requiring clarification across proposal components and provide feedback and guidance to investigators.
• Develop and review sponsored project budgets and budget justifications in collaboration with investigators, including personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, participant support, materials and supplies, consultants, subawards, indirect costs, and other project expenses.
• Ensure consistency among the proposed budget, project narrative, scope of work, project period, personnel effort, and sponsor requirements.
• Review proposals for compliance with sponsor guidelines, University and System policies and procedures, and applicable federal, state, and other regulatory requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), sponsor requirements, and other regulations and policies applicable to sponsored projects.
• Identify proposal activities requiring coordination with Research Compliance, including human subjects research, animal research, biosafety, export controls, conflicts of interest, research security, and other applicable areas.
• Coordinate with Post-Award, Research Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, and other University offices as needed during proposal development.
• Prepare, review, and facilitate proposal submissions through applicable institutional and sponsor systems, including Grants.gov, Research.gov, ASSIST, eRA Commons, JustGrants, and other sponsor portals.
• Coordinate required internal routing, certifications, approvals, and supporting documentation for proposal submission.
• Maintain complete and accurate proposal records and data in University research administration systems, Maestro, for institutional tracking and reporting.
• Assist with workshops, presentations, outreach, and training related to proposal development and pre-award administration.
• Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of pre-award procedures, workflows, resources, and customer service practices.
• Revisions and changes prior to award.
• Performance of other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in related field.
• Four (4) years of related experience in a university or business environment developing budgets, and/or project management, and/or proposal administration including proposal preparation and/or identifying potential sponsor/funding opportunities.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, research administration, higher education, or a related field.
• Experience working with externally sponsored proposals, grants, or similar funding applications.
• Experience interpreting policies, guidelines, regulations, funding opportunities, or other complex requirements.
• Experience working with budgets, financial information, or sponsored project documentation.
• Experience working directly with PIs
• Experience reviewing grant proposals, proposal narratives, or technical documents.
• Experience developing sponsored project budgets and budget justifications.
• Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), Certified Research Administrator (CRA), or interest in pursuing professional research administration certification.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Familiarity with federal sponsors and funding mechanisms.
• Familiarity with Grants.gov, Research.gov, eRA Commons, ASSIST, JustGrants, or similar sponsor submission systems.
• Familiarity with institutional systems such as Maestro, FAMIS, Workday, Cayuse, or similar systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple proposals, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with faculty, staff, and administrative offices.

Applicant Requirement Instructions:

Please make sure to provide the following documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume / CV
• Professional References

For detailed instructions on how to apply for any position on our website, please use the following link: http://www.tamusa.edu/humanresources/job-opportunities/index.html

Summary of Employee Benefits:

www.tamusa.edu/human-resources/documents/Summary-of-Employees-Benefits1.pdf

Texas A&M University-San Antonio values community engagement and encourages applicants who are committed to advancing the well-being and prosperity of our communities.

Please ensure that all required documents are uploaded prior to submitting the application. Once the application is submitted, no changes or revisions can be made. If you have issues with adding documents to your application, please contact HR at 210-784-2058.

In compliance with ADA, if accommodations are needed for the application process, please contact HR at (210) 784-2058.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.