Pre-Award Grants Manager (Contracts and Grants Specialist)

Indiana University; Bloomington (IN); On-site; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Retirement plan

Tuition subsidy

Paid holidays

Paid time off

EAP

Job summary

Indiana University Bloomington seeks a Pre-Award Grants Manager in the Department of Chemistry to coordinate funding proposals, budgets, and submissions with principal investigators across internal and external sponsors.

You will monitor opportunities, prepare budgets, and ensure compliance with university and sponsor guidelines while supporting multi-institutional collaboration and post-award backup.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in related field).
• 2 years of relevant experience.
• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains professionalism and high accuracy.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate pre-award activities including proposal development and grant submissions.
• Identify and analyze funding opportunities from federal agencies and foundations.
• Develop budgets and budget justifications in line with guidelines.
• Manage full proposal lifecycle and organize collaboration across teams.
• Provide backup post-award support and ensure compliance with sponsor terms.

Skills

Communication

Professionalism

Time management

Quality focus

Adaptability

Continuous learning

Reliability

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

CHEMISTRY (BL-CHEM-IUBLA)

Faculty and staff in the Department of Chemistry are committed to developing students understanding of science and problem-solving skills and preparing them for careers in science and the health professions.

The Department of Chemistry is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University (IU) and offers a variety of outstanding employment opportunities such as academics, scientist positions, laboratory technicians, administrative and information technology support, fiscal services and purchasing, technical services (machinists, electronics, glass blowers), student and teaching services, and much more. Each and every individual in every role is integral to the success of the educational and research mission of the department, the College, and Indiana University as a whole.

The primary role of the Pre-Award Grants Manager will be to work with Principal Investigators (PI) in the coordination of all varieties of funding identification, reviewing/interpreting agency guidelines, proposal development, grant writing, and grant submissions.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Becomes familiar current research activities within the Department.
• Monitors the limited submission website for opportunities, notifies faculty and scientists of potential opportunities, and assists faculty, scientists, or assembles groups with submissions.
• Works closely with the Office of Research Administration to keep the department abreast of internal university deadlines, policies and procedures.
• Participates actively with faculty and staff to build the department's funding base for individual PI and collaborative projects.
• Counsels, directs, and assists faculty and staff in matters related to the preparation and submission of proposals and contracts.
• Develops proposal budgets and budget justifications in compliance with university, federal, and agency guidelines.
• Establishes timelines, coordinate proposal components, and manage the full proposal lifecycle from concept to submission.
• Organizes and leads proposal development activities, including convening collaborators and facilitating team meetings.
• Edits and reviews proposals for clarity, consistency, compliance, and competitiveness.
• Coordinates proposal routing and submission through institutional systems in collaboration with the Office of Research Administration.
• Identifies and analyzes funding opportunities from federal agencies, foundations, and other sponsors (e.g. Federal Register, National Institute of Health (NIH) Guide, program guidelines).
• Monitors limited submission opportunities and communicate relevant opportunities to faculty and research staff.
• Conducts targeted funding searches aligned with faculty research interests and institutional priorities.
• Provides strategic guidance on positioning proposals relative to sponsor priorities and program criteria.
• Facilitates connections between investigators and internal/external collaborators to strengthen proposals.
• Maintains relationships with funding agencies and foundations to stay informed of current and emerging opportunities.
• Prepares complex proposal components including subawards, subcontract budgets, and small business plans.
• Coordinates with collaborating institutions, private foundations, and internal partners (e.g., IU Foundation, Beckman, and Lilly) to support proposal development and funding acquisition.
• Provides targeted support for large, interdisciplinary, or strategic proposals, including facilitating multi-institutional collaboration.
• Tracks proposal status, internal approvals, and compliance requirements; initiate actions to resolve issues as needed.
• Prepares financial projections, expense reports, and assist with effort reporting and grant-related financial adjustments.
• Ensures adherence to institutional policies, federal regulations, and sponsor guidelines throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Assists faculty and staff with documentation and administrative requirements for pending and funded projects.
• Initiates internal documents including Kuali Coeus (KC) proposal documents, salary transfers, and general accounting adjustments related to grant activities.
• Provides backup support for post-award functions, including monitoring progress report deadlines and submissions.
• Develops and delivers workshops, training materials, and educational resources related to funding opportunities and proposal development.
• Participates in process improvement initiatives related to research administration and reporting systems.

General Responsibilities

• Provides financial monitoring and analysis of contracts and grants and partners with Principal Investigator(s) to ensure expenses are being paid according to contract.
• Consults on and completes pre-award applications and participates in contract closeouts.
• Performs post-award accounting of more complex grants; interprets regulations and guidelines of program funding for standard grants and prepares reports for grant agency.
• Evaluates contract compliance and advises others on contractual rights and obligations.
• Analyzes awards to determine reporting requirements and sending reports/invoices.
• Requests or approves amendments to contract terms or contract extensions.
• Prepares bids or requests for proposals (RFPs), including specifications and requirements; negotiates contract terms and participates in the determination of acceptable bids.
• Analyzes and determines cash needs for cost reimbursable grants to the various agencies and cash management.
• Closes out awards as appropriate.
• Provides policy and procedure interpretation to various stakeholders.
• Ensures compliance with sponsor terms, university policies/procedures, and federal/state regulations.

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in related field.)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 2 years of relevant experience.

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Department of Chemistry

Bloomington, Indiana

$65,000.00 annually

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Career Level: Career

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Research

Job Family: Research Administration

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