Director, Research Development & Grants Strategy

University of West Florida; Pensacola (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL, seeks a Director, Research Development to expand the university’s externally funded research enterprise. This on-campus role focuses on identifying high-priority funding opportunities, building interdisciplinary teams, and providing expert editorial support for large-scale proposals.

The Director will support strategic initiatives, oversee pre-award operations, and ensure alignment with STEM, Health Sciences, and Cybersecurity priorities.

Qualifications

• Requires a Master’s degree in STEM or health sciences with significant experience in research administration or sponsored programs.
• Experience in grant writing and navigating federal, state, or foundation funding landscapes.
• Strong written and verbal communication with ability to coordinate among faculty, administrators, and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Proposal Development & Grant Writing: lead multi-investigator proposals and ensure timely, compliant submissions.
• Research Planning & Opportunity Identification: monitor funding landscapes and alert researchers to opportunities.
• Supporting Strategic Initiatives: manage sponsored projects, track milestones and budgets, build external partnerships.
• Professional Development & Training: design workshops on grant writing and funding processes.

Skills

Grant writing

Public speaking

Project management

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree in STEM/health sciences

Tools

Grants.gov

NSF Research.gov

eRA Commons

Grant Solutions

Cayuse SP / Cayuse

Job description

University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL, seeks a Director, Research Development to expand the university’s externally funded research enterprise. This on-campus role focuses on identifying high-priority funding opportunities, building interdisciplinary teams, and providing expert editorial support for large-scale proposals.

The Director will support strategic initiatives, oversee pre-award operations, and ensure alignment with STEM, Health Sciences, and Cybersecurity priorities.