Pre-award Grants Manager

Francis Crick Institute; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The Francis Crick Institute is seeking a proactive Pre-Award Grants Manager to join the Grants team. You will support researchers in identifying funding opportunities and preparing competitive applications, guiding on funder requirements, budgets, and processes to secure and activate awards.

You will work closely with scientists and internal teams in a hybrid environment, providing expert advice and ensuring compliance with Crick and funder rules.

Qualifications

• Experience in a grants team with understanding of research funding processes.
• Knowledge of funder regulations, policies and grant administration best practices.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to communicate complex funding and financial information clearly to different audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• A collaborative approach and confidence working with scientists and operational colleagues at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Supporting scientists to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive grant and fellowship applications.
• Providing specialist advice on funder requirements, budgets, policies and application processes.
• Coordinating proposal budgets and approvals using Worktribe, ensuring compliance with funder and Crick requirements.
• Supporting due diligence checks and grant-related agreements, working closely with the Legal team.
• Liaising with funders, collaborators and internal teams to ensure applications progress smoothly.
• Working with Post-Award Grants and other teams to ensure a seamless transition from successful application to award activation.
• Helping improve pre-award processes, systems and ways of working.

Skills

Grants management

Funder regulations

Numerical skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Collaboration

Tools

Worktribe

Job description

Salary for this Role: From £42,000 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Job Title: Pre-award Grants Manager

Reports to: Jane Benstead

Closing Date: 25/Nov/2026 23.59 GMT

Job Description: Grants Manager - Pre-Award

Reporting to: Jane Benstead, Pre-Award Grants Team Lead

Contact term: This is a full-time permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary for this Role: from £42,000 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Work pattern: Hybrid working

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe's largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We've removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role

Want to help turn ambitious scientific ideas into funded research?

We're looking for a proactive and collaborative Grants Manager to join our Pre-Award Grants team. Research funding is essential to making scientific discoveries possible and our Grants team plays a key role in helping researchers secure the support they need to bring their ideas to life.

You’ll work closely with scientists across the Crick, providing specialist advice and guidance throughout the funding application process, from identifying opportunities and developing proposals through to securing and activating awards.

This is a fantastic opportunity to use your grants expertise to support world-leading biomedical research in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

What you will be doing

• Supporting scientists to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive grant and fellowship applications.
• Providing specialist advice on funder requirements, budgets, policies and application processes.
• Coordinating proposal budgets and approvals using Worktribe, ensuring compliance with funder and Crick requirements.
• Supporting due diligence checks and grant-related agreements, working closely with the Legal team.
• Liaising with funders, collaborators and internal teams to ensure applications progress smoothly.
• Working with Post-Award Grants and other teams to ensure a seamless transition from successful application to award activation.
• Helping improve pre-award processes, systems and ways of working.

About you

Minimum criteria *

• Previous experience working within a grants team with a good understanding of research funding processes.
• Knowledge of funder regulations, policies and grant administration best practices.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to communicate complex funding and financial information clearly to different audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• A collaborative approach and confidence working with scientists and operational colleagues at all levels.

About Working at the Crick

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick's mission and shaping our culture!

We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We're not afraid to do things differently.

We are open. We're highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.

We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply.