Senior Manager, Research Grants and Submissions

University of Queensland; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 141,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

17% super

17.5% leave loading

Salary packaging

Flexible working options

Health and wellbeing programs

Study for Staff program

Job summary

The University of Queensland is seeking a Senior Manager, Pre-Award to lead the Research Office’s funding capabilities from Toowong. You will oversee end-to-end grant submissions to ARC, NHMRC, MRFF and international applications, guiding researchers and staff to deliver competitive funding proposals.

You will mentor a high-performing team, translate strategic aims into operational workflows, and build strong relationships with Heads of School and Centre Directors to ensure excellence across

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of extensive relevant experience, management expertise and/or education and training.
• Significant experience supporting competitive research funding applications and grant submission processes.
• Proven management experience, with the ability to motivate, mentor and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and demanding funding cycles.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to work alongside researchers, academic leaders and professional staff.
• A strong understanding of major research funding schemes and the factors that contribute to successful funding outcomes.
• Sound judgement, attention to detail and a commitment to service excellence.

Responsibilities

• Support and develop the Pre-Award team through active mentoring and training, fostering a culture of expertise and service excellence across the Research Office.
• Oversee end to end competitive funding submissions and major grant rounds, including ARC, NHMRC and MRFF, ensuring compliance with university policies and sponsor rules while recruiting and supervising casual pre-award staff during major rounds.
• Contribute to strategic plans, policies, procedures and operational protocols, while developing high quality guidance materials to support researchers in preparing competitive funding proposals.
• Build influential relationships with senior academic leaders, including Heads of School and Centre Directors, and manage the effective review of funding agreements in coordination with Legal Services.
• Drive continuous improvement of the MyResearch platform and internal workflows, using data and feedback to establish long term priorities and enhance service delivery.

Skills

Grant submissions experience

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Strategic thinking

Attention to detail

Understanding of major funding schemes

Education

Postgraduate qualifications in a relevant field

Job description

• Research Office
• This is a full-time continuing position with salary in the range $140,766 - $148,862 (HEW 9), plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%.
• Currently based at our Toowong office on High Street, with occasional travel to other UQ campuses. (This role may potentially be relocated to our UQ St Lucia campus).

About This Opportunity

Help researchers secure the funding that turns ambitious ideas into research with real-world impact. At UQ, our researchers compete for some of the world’s most competitive research funding. Internally known as the Senior Manager, Pre-Award, join us in a senior leadership position to oversee major funding rounds, guide proposal excellence, and lead a high-performing team supporting applications to funding agencies such as ARC, NHMRC, MRFF and international applications.

Working closely with researchers, academic leaders and research teams, you will help transform ambitious ideas into competitive, high quality funding proposals while leading institutional approaches to research funding, proposal development and submission excellence.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Support and develop the Pre-Award team through active mentoring and training, fostering a culture of expertise and service excellence across the Research Office.
• Oversee end to end competitive funding submissions and major grant rounds, including ARC, NHMRC and MRFF, ensuring compliance with university policies and sponsor rules while recruiting and supervising casual pre-award staff during major rounds.
• Contribute to strategic plans, policies, procedures and operational protocols, while developing high quality guidance materials to support researchers in preparing competitive funding proposals.
• Build influential relationships with senior academic leaders, including Heads of School and Centre Directors, and manage the effective review of funding agreements in coordination with Legal Services.
• Drive continuous improvement of the MyResearch platform and internal workflows, using data and feedback to establish long term priorities and enhance service delivery.

About You

You understand what it takes to deliver successful grant applications in a complex and highly competitive funding environment. Whether your background is in research management, grants administration, research support, academia or a funding agency, you bring a strong understanding of the research funding landscape and a genuine passion for helping researchers secure funding and achieve impact. You thrive in fast paced environments where priorities shift, deadlines matter and quality is non-negotiable. You enjoy leading people, building trusted relationships and finding practical solutions to complex challenges with the ability to pivot quickly and strategically.

You will bring:

• Postgraduate qualifications in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of extensive relevant experience, management expertise and/or education and training.
• Significant experience supporting competitive research funding applications and grant submission processes.
• Proven managementexperience, with the ability to motivate, mentor and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and demanding funding cycles.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to work alongside researchers, academic leaders and professional staff.
• A strong understanding of major research funding schemes and the factors that contribute to successful funding outcomes.
• Sound judgement, attention to detail and a commitment to service excellence.

About UQ

At The University of Queensland, we’re creating change together. Ranked among the world’s leading universities, UQ is a place where talented people come together to solve complex challenges, make meaningful contributions and shape the future.

Join a community where contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available. The broader benefits of joining UQ are extensive, including 17% super, 17.5% leave loading, flexible working options, health and wellbeing programs, a heavily discounted Study for Staff program and salary packaging.

Other Information

Pre-employment checks may include verification of the right to work in Australia, education and criminal history checks. This may also include checks relating to integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We’re dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways differ and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criterion but can demonstrate transferable skills, relevant experience and their potential to succeed in the role. We’re also happy to support accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process.

Applications close Monday 16 November 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-70121). Interviews will be tentatively scheduled for 30 November 2026.