Pre-award Grants Manager

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

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 28 days + 3 days over X

Pension up to 16%

GP/occupational health and eye care

Childcare support

Gym membership discount

Bike-to-work

Shopping discounts

On-site restaurant

Job summary

The Francis Crick Institute is seeking a proactive Pre-Award Grants Manager to join the Crick’s Grants team. You will support scientists in identifying funding opportunities, developing proposals and guiding funder requirements throughout the application process to secure and activate awards.

You will work with scientists and cross‑functional teams in a dynamic, collaborative environment, contributing to world‑leading biomedical research and supporting the transition from submission to award

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a grants team or research funding processes.
• Knowledge of funder regulations, policies and grant administration best practices.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate complex funding and financial information clearly.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Collaborative approach working with scientists and operational colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Identify funding opportunities and develop competitive grant applications.
• Provide specialist advice on funder requirements, budgets and policies.
• Coordinate proposal budgets and approvals, ensuring compliance with requirements.
• Support due diligence checks and grant-related agreements with Legal.
• Liaise with funders, collaborators and internal teams to progress applications.
• Assist in transitioning from successful applications to award activation.
• Help improve pre-award processes, systems and ways of working.

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.

See the full job description here.

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

• 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 Our values

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. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post)please email: [e-mail].

What will you receive?

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being: 24/7 GP consultation services. Occupational health services and mental health support programs. Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Back-up care for dependents. Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks: Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received. The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute researching the biology underlying human health. At the Crick, scientists and staff collaborate to stretch the very limits of what we know about how life works. Our work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections and neurodegenerative diseases. The Francis Crick Institute is a charity, founded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College London.