Director, AI-Driven Sponsored Research Programs

ULRI; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 144,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

UL Research Institutes is seeking a Director of Program Development for Sponsored Research in Evanston, IL to lead ULRI’s proposal development strategy and secure multidisciplinary awards across federal and philanthropic sectors. You will partner with organizational leaders to align priorities with capabilities and scale processes for high-impact funding opportunities.

The role requires a Master’s degree (PhD preferred) and at least 10 years of senior experience in research development, with a

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; doctorate highly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in program development or related leadership roles.
• Experience developing center-scale or multi-institutional proposals ($5M+) for federal/ philanthropic sponsors.

Responsibilities

• Direct the development and execution of ULRI's proposal development strategy across federal and philanthropic funding.
• Provide strategic direction for identification and development of funding opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of high-impact opportunities across federal agencies, foundations, industry, academia and nonprofits.
• Oversee complex, multidisciplinary proposals expanding ULRI's research, education, workforce development and public impact portfolios.
• Lead adoption of data-driven and AI-enabled approaches to improve proposal development efficiency and scalability.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Proposal development

Data-driven decision making

AI-enabled tooling

Team leadership

Education

Master's degree

PhD preferred

Job description

UL Research Institutes is seeking a Director of Program Development for Sponsored Research in Evanston, IL to lead ULRI’s proposal development strategy and secure multidisciplinary awards across federal and philanthropic sectors. You will partner with organizational leaders to align priorities with capabilities and scale processes for high-impact funding opportunities.

The role requires a Master’s degree (PhD preferred) and at least 10 years of senior experience in research development, with a