Executive Director, Grant Administration

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University in New York City seeks an Executive Director of Grant Administration to lead pre-award activities, budgeting, and submission coordination across Arts and Sciences. You will build the inaugural grants team and standardize workflows to support faculty in securing external funding.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Finance, you will partner with SPA, SPF, EVPR, and faculty to pursue large, multidisciplinary funding opportunities, providing budgets, narratives, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 7–9 years of related experience.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with ExLibris Pivot-RP, NSF's FastLane, and InfoReady Review.
• Higher education administration experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the inaugural Grant Administration team and set strategic direction, processes, and portfolio management for pre-award and budget development.
• Standardize workflows, documentation, and communication; develop proposal libraries and templates.
• Provide training for onboarding staff and ongoing professional development.
• Communicate regularly with departments and units about functions, updates, and outcomes.
• Develop school-specific policies supporting research operations and SPA workflows.
• Coordinate with SPA and SPF to ensure compliance with sponsor and university guidelines.
• Oversee pre-award to post-award handoffs and data for management of grant activity.
• Stay current on federal rules governing grant submissions and administration.

Skills

Grant administration

Budget development

Proposal drafting

Pre-award coordination

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Tools

ExLibris Pivot-RP

NSF FastLane

InfoReady Review

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $160,000 - $180,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Finance, the Executive Director of Grant Administration (ED) will establish an administrative center of excellence to provide leadership, coordination, and execution of research development activities across the Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. With a primary focus on pre-award functions, the ED will ensure comprehensive support for faculty and researchers in securing external funding for their work. The ED will lead the identification and pursuit of funding opportunities, focusing on large-scale, multi-disciplinary initiatives that advance A&S priorities. This includes collaborating with faculty to develop competitive grant proposals, providing expert guidance on crafting narratives, and ensuring alignment with funding agency requirements. The ED will oversee the preparation of detailed budgets and facilitate the integration of complex institutional resources into grant submissions.

Arts and Sciencesis the intellectual heart of Columbia University. Home to more than 1,000 faculty, 60 research centers and institutes, and 28 academic departments, A&S provides a transformative educational experience to more than 16,000 undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students at Columbia - nearly half the student body. Our field-defining research, anchored in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, engages fundamental questions about our society and our world and supports Columbia's broader mission to advance knowledge, learning, and impact at the highest levels.

Responsibilities

General Operations

• Build the inaugural Grant Administration team, providing leadership on strategic direction, operational processes, and portfolio management for the team, focusing on pre-award services, grant submission, and budget development.
• Establish, standardize, and regularly assess workflows, communication flow, status tracking, and documentation processes for all Grant Administration tasks, such as new applications, progress reports, and just-in-time requests. Develop and maintain proposal libraries, templates, and knowledge-sharing systems to preserve institutional knowledge and enhance operational efficiency.
• Implement standardized training for onboarding new research support staff and continuing education to ensure staff development and professional growth.
• Develop and provide regular communications to departments/centres/units to describe the functions of the service and provide updates and outcomes. Ensure successful communication with the departments/units.
• Develop and implement school-specific policies and procedures in support of research operations, including submissions to the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA).
• Partner with SPA and Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF) to ensure adherence to funding agency guidelines and university guidelines.
• Interface with SPA on submission and award. Ensure appropriate handoff from pre-award to post-award administration.
• Create and maintain data to be used for overall management purposes as well as to measure the success of grant activity across the Arts and Sciences.
• Maintain expert knowledge of federal rules and regulations that govern research grants and stay informed about sponsor terms and conditions for submitting and administering grant awards.

Strategic Planning

• Work with senior leadership to develop various ways to increase overall grant activity and the number of successful grants across the Arts and Sciences.
• Create strategic plans for developing center-scale initiatives that align with the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of A&S.
• Work with faculty leaders to identify gaps, strengths, and opportunities to develop strategic partnerships.
• Lead and advise on the non-scientific center components of grant development, including broader impacts (outreach, education, workforce development, community engagement), industry partnerships, and other opportunities for collaboration.
• In collaboration with A&S leadership, determine key performance indicators for the Grant Administration team. Track KPIs regularly to monitor progress toward goals and ensure a holistic view of team performance. Identify strengths and improvement opportunities; develop and oversee the implementation of action plans. Oversee reporting on application submissions and outcomes to leadership.

Supporting Funding Opportunities and Proposals

• Deliver comprehensive support for proposal development, including writing, editing, and reviewing drafts. Manage large grant proposals, including coordination of site visits.
• Work with university and school leadership to identify and pursue funding opportunities for which faculty and initiatives are well positioned.
• Plan and execute strategic relationship management strategies with funders, attend information sessions, and stay abreast of changing funding environments and requirements.
• Assess team/institutional factors and considerations for competitiveness and enable better decision-making in pursuing funding opportunities.
• Coordinate and partner with the office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) on intraschool proposals to help ensure that Arts and Sciences is included in university-wide proposals.
• Work to ensure best-in-class project management processes for the development and submission of grants that support the A&S faculty.

Other

• Represent the Grant Administration team throughout the organization, interacting with Department Chairs, Department Administrators, leaders of central financial and sponsored projects offices, and others.
• Address escalated issues and concerns, especially complex matters related to large, multi-PI grants, to ensure faculty are fully supported in research development efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 7-9 years of related experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Degree in the Sciences (e.g., Master's, Ph.D.)
• Experience with ExLibris Pivot-RP, NSF's FastLane, and InfoReady Review.
• Business Development experience.
• Prior experience in Higher Education Administration.

Other Requirements

• Extensive experience in all facets of pre-award grant management, including grant writing, budgeting, sub-awards, deadline management, and compliance with institutional and training grant policies. Proficient in all aspects of funding programs and proposal policies, with a strong track record in creating and evaluating budgets for grant applications.
• Proven ability to assess and resolve complex interdisciplinary problems, communicate progress, and escalated issues effectively.
• History of NSF, DoD, DoE, DARPA, NIH, ARPA-H, and/or other federal agency proposal development
• Strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to foster positive and collaborative relationships.
• Expertise in data analysis using advanced Excel features (e.g., pivot tables, lookup functions) to support team projects.
• Demonstrated success in leading teams to achieve goals, providing feedback, managing conflicts, and fostering a culture of collaboration. Strong empathy and emotional intelligence.
• Highly capable of managing complex, deadline-driven projects with sound judgment and prioritization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and solve problems effectively in administrative roles.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Google tools (Docs, Sheets, Forms).

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.