Pre-Award Grants Specialist II

Iowa State University - College of Design; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University is hiring a Pre-Award Grants Specialist II to manage outgoing proposal activity, coordinate submissions across multiple teams, and ensure timely, compliant grant applications for diverse bioeconomy initiatives.

Key activities include budgeting, template preparation, routing coordination, and liaison work between PIs and ISU departments to support interdisciplinary research programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2 years related experience (minimum)
• Experience supporting proposal development activities and preparing budgets for grants or sponsored projects is preferred
• Experience working with faculty, researchers, or project teams in higher education or research settings is desirable
• Certification such as CRA/CPRA or progress toward certification is a plus; knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and sponsor regulations is beneficial

Responsibilities

• Represent the Bioeconomy Institute as the first point of contact for new proposal efforts, liaising between ISU PIs and collaborators and other ISU departments.
• Provide services tailored to each proposal team based on PI experience and communication style.
• Prepare and revise budgets and budget justifications for large, complex research proposals.
• Coordinate proposal routing with the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration.
• Develop action-item timelines and checklists for required documentation.
• Prepare forms, attachments, and templates for submission.
• Conduct pre-submission reviews of administrative (non-technical) components for completeness.
• Upload proposals and submit to federal and non-federal portals.
• Market pre-award services to internal customers and contribute to process improvements

Skills

Proposal development

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Pre-Award Grants Specialist II

Job Group: Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of related experience

Job Description: Summary of Duties and Responsibilities: Thrive in a dynamic environment where you can manage a variety of projects while playing a key role in advancing impactful research in renewable resources, food, energy, bioproducts, and associated services? Are you looking for a role that offers variety, challenge, and the opportunity to contribute to the success of cutting-edge research? If so, the Bioeconomy Institute (BEI) at Iowa State University is hiring a Pre-Award Grants Specialist II position! This position will manage all outgoing proposal activity for the institute, coordinating many simultaneous submissions with a variety of internal/external faculty, staff, departments, collaborators, & agencies. Proposals may vary significantly in size and complexity, ranging from small, single-PI submissions to multi-million-dollar transdisciplinary research efforts. This position will be classified as a Grants Specialist II.

What You'll Do

• Represent the Bioeconomy Institute as a first point of contact for all new proposal efforts, liaising between ISU Principal Investigators (PIs) & collaborators and other ISU departments.
• Provide services tailored to each proposal team, based on PI experience, communication style and preferences.
• Prepare and revise budgets and budget justifications for large, complex research proposals.
• Proposal routing in coordination with the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration.
• Develop action-item focused timelines and checklists of required documentation.
• Collect, draft, and distribute templates; prepare forms and attachments for submission.
• Pre-submission, financial and administrative (non-technical) review of application package for completeness.
• Proposal file uploads and final submission to a variety of federal and non-federal web portals.
• Work with BEI administration to market pre-award services to new and existing internal customers.
• Contribute to process improvement and assist institute administration and post-award counterpart during annual reviews and as needed, providing proposal statistics and trends.
• Locate and/or review funding opportunities aligned with institute priorities, disseminate to institute affiliates.
• This position is a key contributor to the BEI administrative, shared services team and will provide support to our interdisciplinary research teams.

Candidate strengths include excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to work independently and manage competing priorities while meeting deadlines, and a strong attention to detail. Additional strengths include effective time management, adaptability, and the ability to perform successfully in both high-volume and low-volume work environments.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience supporting proposal development activities, including preparation, coordination, review, and submission of grant or sponsored project proposals. Experience developing, reviewing, or managing budgets related to grants, contracts, sponsored projects, or other complex funding sources. Experience working directly with faculty, researchers, principal investigators, industry contacts, or research support staff in a higher education, government, or research setting. Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), or related professional certification; or active progress toward obtaining certification. Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), federal sponsor regulations, and/or policies and procedures related to sponsored funding administration.

About Iowa State University Centers and Institutes and the Bioeconomy Institute: Centers and Institutes at Iowa State University bring together faculty, staff, students, and external partners to advance research and engagement around shared areas of expertise. While similar to academic departments in their focus on specific subject areas, centers and institutes are designed to be flexible and collaborative, emphasizing transdisciplinary research, external partnerships and funding, and connections between the university and industry, government, and community stakeholders rather than administering degree programs. The Bioeconomy Institute is a national leader in advancing the bioeconomy, "where society obtains food, energy, bioproducts, and associated services from renewable sources." Celebrating more than 20 years as the "front door" to biorenewables at Iowa State University, the institute fosters collaboration among departments, colleges, and research units across campus. Together with more than 50 industry partners and over 150 affiliated faculty and staff, the institute drives innovation and research focused on renewable resources, including feedstock development, waste utilization, biobased products, and related services. To learn more, please visit the Bioeconomy Institute website.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University?

• Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program
• Iowa State offers WorkFlex options for some positions.
• WorkFlex offers flexibility on when, where, and how you do your work.
• For more information, please speak with the Hiring Manager.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. [phone], email [e-mail].

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications. Current employees (excluding temporary, student and graduate assistants) must apply through the Workday Internal Careers Hub.

• Appointment Type: Regular with Term Appointment (Fixed Term)
• Proposed End Date or Length of Term: November 29, 2028
• Number of Months Employed Per Year: 12
• Month Work Period Time Type: Full time
• Pay Grade: PS808
• Original Posting Date: October 6, 2026
• Posting Close Date: October 19, 2026
• Job Requisition Number: R20037