Grant Administration Director, Pre-Award Excellence

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

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