Research Development Specialist (4056)

Northern Valley Indian Health; France; Sur place; EUR 45 000 - 63 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A public research university is seeking a Research Development Specialist to enhance faculty capabilities in securing external funding. The role involves collaborating with faculty to develop proposals, delivering training for funding competitiveness, and maintaining detailed resources. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and experience in project management and grant writing. This position requires a proactive approach in navigating the research landscape and promoting successful institutional endeavors.

Prestations

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative work environment

Flexibility with hybrid work options

Qualifications

• One year of experience in research development or related field.
• Experience with grant writing and proposal development.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Responsabilités

• Partner with faculty to strategize external funding.
• Develop and deliver training to enhance faculty competitiveness.
• Maintain relationship management records for faculty.
• Contribute to the development of proposal resources.

Connaissances

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Grant writing

Team collaboration

Research development

Formation

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Outils

Search database technology

Description du poste

Position Overview

Find your Career at Northern Illinois University!

Classification Program Coordinator - CUSTOM CLASSIFICATION

Position Number 00004056

Open Date 01/23/2026

Close Date 02/23/2026

Employee Class Staff | Full-Time

FTE 1.00 | Position Status Regular | FLSA Exempt

Job code 5002

Union Representation Union | Union Code AFC - AFSCME C, Local #1890

Unit/Department Office of Research Development

College/Unit VP Research and Innv Prtnrshp

Division Research and Innv Prtnrshp

Location LH 305

Link to Department Website or Custom Search Page

Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications

Overview

Northern Illinois University, located in DeKalb, IL, a vibrant university town located 65 miles west of Chicago in one of the most diverse regions of the United States, invites applications for the position of Research Development Specialist for the Office of Research Development within the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS).

The Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships’ mission is to lead the co-creation of an ecosystem for a thriving and growing research and creative enterprise at NIU, and its vision is to grow the research and creative enterprise to empower world-transforming discovery, paradigm-shifting expression, and life-changing opportunities. RIPS fulfills its mission and vision via five strategic goals to grow research, artistry, and innovation; develop and expand partnerships; nurture an entrepreneurial mindset; improve operational effectiveness; and increase brand awareness.

The Office of Research Development (ORD) supports the fulfillment of RIPS strategic plan via capacity-building programs including individual faculty support for funding and proposal development, grant-writing academies, internal grant programs, limited submission competition management, and programs to catalyze collaborative research. ORD is an enterprise-level office in the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships, and the Director of ORD is a member of the RIPS leadership team.

Position Summary

The Research Development Specialist (RDS) plays a key role in fulfilling the mission and vision of NIU and the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) by building faculty and institutional capacity to successfully pursue external funding in support of research, scholarship, and creative activities. As a team member in NIU’s Office of Research Development (ORD) in RIPS, the RDS will partner with faculty to develop strategic funding trajectory plans and develop competitive grant proposals. The RDS will also support ORD programs to catalyze collaboration and team science across NIU and between NIU and other organizations and provide professional development for faculty to develop external funding skills and strategies. The RDS will also develop and maintain written resources and tools in support of funding success and collaborative endeavors.

The Research Development Specialist will report to the Director of Research Development and will operate with a high level of independence in accomplishing goals and assignments once fully trained. This individual will routinely interact with internal stakeholders including faculty, division colleagues, and university staff and administrators at all levels of the organization, and with external stakeholders including, but not limited to, collaborating institutions and funding agency representatives.

Candidates should have demonstrable interpersonal skills, including experience successfully mentoring and coaching and an affinity for leading without authority. Applicants should provide evidence of well-honed organizational (i.e., project management) skills, experience effectively using search database technology, and superior writing and substantive editing ability and experience, including facility with translating complex concepts into clear and compelling narrative. Success in the position will also require working proactively and independently and managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. ORD staff must also be adaptable and comfortable working in an environment of evolution as ORD strives for continuous self-evaluation and improvement in concert with the RIPS strategic plan. The RDS will be expected to support an inclusive workplace and diverse constituency. Prior experience with grant writing, research development, pre-award research administration, or research is preferred.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Funding Planning

• Partner with faculty in assigned departments to strategically plan the pursuit of external funding to grow research, scholarship, and creative activities:
• Develop relationships with faculty in and heads of assigned departments and colleges and promote support available from ORD
• Support faculty to ideate, define, and clearly articulate their research, scholarship, and creative programs
• Connect faculty to internal programs and opportunities that will support their endeavors, and where appropriate, support faculty pursuit of these opportunities
• Research and maintain knowledge of funding agencies and programs relevant to faculty in assigned departments
• Advise faculty regarding relevant funding agencies, programs, and opportunities including diagnosing alignment between faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity goals and funding programs, and developing relationships with funding agency officials in collaboration with partner NIU offices
• Guide faculty to access and effectively use funding search databases
• Coach faculty to develop relationships with funding agency officials in collaboration with the Office of Federal Relations and the Corporate and Foundation Relations office in the NIU Foundation
• Support faculty to identify and develop collaborative research and scholarly partnerships relevant to their goals
• Maintain relationship management records for faculty in assigned departments to track outcomes

Proposal Development

• Partner with faculty in assigned departments to increase competitiveness of new and resubmitted grant proposals:
• Provide project management for proposal development including establishing internal deadlines and writing assignments, providing document management support, coordinating with partners to gather collaborator documents, and providing organizational and planning tools and documents
• Clarify funding solicitation requirements and advise on proposal construction to satisfy requirements and address review criteria
• Interpret review comments of unfunded proposals and advise on leveraging comments to strengthen resubmission proposals
• Coach faculty on budgeting strategy to align existing and requested resources to project goals and descriptions and address project management considerations
• Review proposal document drafts and provide feedback to improve proposal competitiveness
• Connect faculty with tools and resources to streamline and enhance the proposal writing process
• Collaborate with other offices to facilitate smooth and successful proposal development and submission

Collaboration and Training Events

• Develop and deliver training and education to increase faculty competitiveness for external funds; collaborate on designing and facilitating meetings to catalyze research collaboration and team science across the university and with external partners:
• Develop, review, and deliver content for professional development and/or research collaboration sessions
• Greet and engage with participants at sessions and meetings including internal and external attendees, speakers, facilitators/mentors, and other contributors
• Capture quantitative and qualitative data and outcomes of research collaboration sessions
• Develop and distribute surveys to capture feedback for continual improvement of training and collaboration sessions
• Maintain records and data of training and collaboration sessions

Proposal Resource Library

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a resource library of documents and tools for research, scholarship, and creative activities grant proposal development:
• Source and/or develop resources and tools including sample and template proposal documents, proposal starter packs, organizing and project management tools, ideation manuals and tools, instructional materials, and other documents as needed
• Routinely review and refresh resources according to established procedures

Division and Campus Collaboration and Participation

• Participate in RIPS cross-functional teams
• Embody RIPS values by attending campus events and/or engaging in campus committees

Other Related Duties as Assigned

• Complete non-routine assignments further advancing the NIU, RIPS, and ORD missions

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)

• A total of one (1) year (12 months) in education, training and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position*
• Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position, may be required.

*Note: Additional education, training and/or work experience in the area of specialization should be noted in the required Specialty Factors listed below.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)

• Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Skill in analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Skill in scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Ability to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Ability to develop specific goals, plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish tasks.
• Ability to work effectively with staff, the public, and outside constituency groups.
• Ability to effectively plan, delegate, and supervise the work of others.
• Ability to utilize various computer software packages, such as Accounting Software, query, etc.
• Ability to work independently and exercise judgment in order to be able to analyze and investigate a variety of questions or problems.
• Ability to analyze and develop guidelines, procedures, and systems.

Specialty Factors (Civil Service)

• Prior experience in grant or business proposal writing, research development, pre-award research administration, research, or with federal, state, or private grant making agencies
• Demonstrated experience successfully coaching/mentoring professionals with varying education and experience
• Demonstrated experience facilitating groups to generate collaborative ideas/projects or demonstrated experience developing and facilitating professional development/training programs

Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)

• Master’s degree or higher
• Prior experience facilitating team science
• Demonstrated project management experience

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Additional Requirements (SPS)

N/A

Preferred Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

• Regular office-related duties
• Sitting for extended periods of time
• Present to groups of people in person and/or virtually for extended periods of time with or without accommodation
• Using computer/electronic equipment for extended periods of time
• Traveling within and between offices and buildings on the NIU campus
• Occasional lifting and moving items weighing up to 25 lbs
• Hybrid optional; on campus minimum two days per week; additional time may be required based on ORD program needs.

Appointment and Compensation Details

Appointment and Compensation Details

Anticipated Appointment Start Date 03/16/2026

Anticipated Appointment End Date

Percent of Staff Year 1.00

Standard Hours Per Week 37.50

Working Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with occasional evening and weekend hours

• Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Important: Please upload any unofficial transcript(s) and/or documentation that verifies any education, experience, and/or training you have received.

• If eligible for Veteran’s Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.
• After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this position. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register.
• Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from [e-mail] and [e-mail]. Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.
• Illinois residency required within 180 days of the hire date.

Credentials Assessment Examination:

• The examination for this position is a Credentials Assessment and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. A Credentials Assessment is a rating by the Human Resources Office of an applicant’s/employee’s education, experience, and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). Applicants are required to upload documentation to verify the minimum qualifications for this position has been met.
• Required documentation noted in the posting, such as a driver’s license, licensures, or certifications MUST be uploaded with your application materials.
• After assessment of all qualified applicants has been completed for this position, the names with the top three (3) scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.
• Click on Program Coordinator for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.
• Applicants who may assume they do not meet the exact minimum qualifications are still invited to apply. Within the application documents, applicants should be sure to explain how their credentials and related qualifications address the requested minimum requirements.
• Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Special Instructions

Please submit the following documents:

• Resume/CV
• List of Three (3) Current Professional References
• Unofficial transcripts (official transcripts required upon hire)

In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, disability (physical and mental), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (identity and expression), political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator
Health Services Building Room 230
[e-mail]
815-753-5560

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

ADA Accommodation

NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person’s disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form. For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) at [e-mail].

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Are you currently a citizen or resident of the State of Illinois?
• * What is the highest level of education attained?
• * How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?
• * Have you attached all transcripts to support the degrees you are submitting for consideration?
• * If applicable, have you attached a copy of your DD214, DD215, NGB22, or DD256 for consideration of Veterans Preference Points? The copy submitted should reflect the status of discharge in order to be considered.