Pre-Award Grant Specialist | Hybrid/Remote

The University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst (MA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work option

Job summary

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking a Pre Award Research Administrator to support the Dean's Engineering office in Amherst. The role focuses on pre-award submissions, budgeting, and compliance for a high-volume, deadline-driven portfolio of complex proposals.

Reporting to the Director of Research Development Services, you will guide faculty through proposal development, budgeting, and review processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 4 years of related experience or Associate’s degree with 6 years of related experience.
• Experience with pre-award financial management, proposal development and management.
• Familiarity with award mechanisms (grants, contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements).
• Knowledge of program administration guidelines for federal and non-federal funding.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and manage multiple submissions with deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage development and internal approval of research proposals and contracts for submission to funding sources.
• Provide expert advice on agency and sponsor proposal compliance to faculty and PIs.
• Develop budgets and narratives aligned with sponsor requirements and university policies.
• Draft, write, and edit proposal documents and ensure final proposals are complete and compliant.
• Serve as liaison between Principal Investigator and OPAS for pre-award matters.
• Support cross-disciplinary submissions and ensure timely routing for approvals.

Skills

Proposal development

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Excel

Word processing

Multi-PI coordination

Deadline driven

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associate’s degree

Tools

Grants.gov

NIH eRA Commons

Kuali

Job description

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking a Pre Award Research Administrator to support the Dean's Engineering office in Amherst. The role focuses on pre-award submissions, budgeting, and compliance for a high-volume, deadline-driven portfolio of complex proposals.

Reporting to the Director of Research Development Services, you will guide faculty through proposal development, budgeting, and review processes.