Pre-Award Services Manager

East Carolina University

Greenville (NC)

On-site

USD 86,000 - 96,000

Full time

5 hours ago

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Job summary

East Carolina University in Greenville, NC seeks a Pre-Award Services Manager to lead the Pre-Award team and collaborate with campus stakeholders and external sponsors. You will mentor staff, oversee complex proposal submissions, and support policy development for research administration.

The role emphasizes leadership, process improvement, and ensuring compliant, high-quality service across the research administration lifecycle.

Qualifications

Master's degree in Business or Public Administration, Accounting, or related field is required.
At least 3 years of experience in pre-award management or research administration; supervisory experience preferred.
Strong knowledge of federal, state, industry, and foundation sponsor requirements and regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, DOD, DOE, USDA).
Experience with eRA systems and proposal submission processes is preferred.

Responsibilities

Directly supervise Sponsored Program Officers by providing clear objectives and monitoring service standards (35%).
Assign team workload, lead day-to-day operations, and provide guidance on proposal requirements, budgeting, and award terms (25%).
Coordinate and support training of staff and reinforce policy updates and guidance (20%).
Identify operational inefficiencies and develop recommendations to improve service delivery (15%).

Skills

Supervisory experience

Staff training

Policy updates

Proposal submission knowledge

Budgeting knowledge

Microsoft Office Suite

Adobe Pro

Education

Master's degree in Business or Public Administration, Accounting

Bachelor's degree with 5 years in research administration

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Adobe Pro

Job description

Advertising Department RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT

Division

Division Academic Affairs

Classification Title

Classification Title Manager

Working Title

Working Title Pre-Award Services Manager

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

Full Time Equivalent (FTE)

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) 1.0

Full Time or Part Time

Full Time or Part Time Full Time

Anticipated Recruitment Range. Salary offered may be outside of this range as impacted by budget, UNC salary administration, and/or candidate qualifications.

Anticipated Recruitment Range. Salary offered may be outside of this range as impacted by budget, UNC salary administration, and/or candidate qualifications. $86,351 - $95,945

Position Location (City)

Position Type

Position Type Non-Faculty

Job Category

Job Category Non-Faculty Professional

Be a Pirate!

East Carolina University ( ECU ) is consistently ranked among the nation's top public universities for its commitment to research, innovation, social mobility, and public service. Classified as a R1 institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, ECU is among the top 5% of research universities in the United States, an elite designation reflecting the highest levels of research activity, funding, and doctoral output.

Founded in 1907, ECU is a public, four-year university located in Greenville, N.C. , which is widely regarded as the cultural, educational, economic, and medical hub of eastern North Carolina. Through education, research, healthcare, community engagement, athletics, cultural enrichment, and service, ECU enhances the quality of life for its students, the state and communities around the world. It is a great place to work, teach, and learn.

ECU’s commitment to impactful scholarship is further demonstrated through its repeated Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (2010, 2015, 2024), as well as its 2024 designation as a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose institution. These distinctions recognize the university’s leadership in translating research into meaningful community partnerships and measurable societal benefits.

Academic Affairs , led by the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, comprises the university’s colleges, schools and libraries, along with other academic support and administrative units. Academic Affairs works collaboratively to strengthen ECU’s culture of academic excellence in line with our mission to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation.
Research, Economic Development and Engagement ( REDE ), led by the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, provides strategic leadership for East Carolina University’s research, innovation, economic development, and community engagement enterprise. REDE advances discovery, workforce development, and societal impact through research administration and development, industry engagement, technology transfer and commercialization, economic development initiatives, community-engaged partnerships, continuing education, and collaborations with federal agencies and national security partners. REDE also oversees research integrity, compliance, and responsible research practices.
Pre-Award Services, part of the Office of Research Administration ( ORA ), provides guidance on sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and proposal development. It oversees the institutional review, approval, and submission of sponsored project proposals; provides funding opportunity guidance, budget preparation, compliance review, and application submission; coordinates institutional approvals; manages award negotiation and acceptance; and provides select non-financial post-award support throughout the project lifecycle.

Primary Purpose of Position

The Pre-Award Services Manager ( PSM ) will lead a team comprised of Sponsored Programs Officers ( SPO ) and Pre-Award Services Specialists ( PSS ) staff. Using professional competence, outstanding customer service, and team management and interpersonal skills, the PSM will engage with campus stakeholders (e.g., Office of Corporate and Foundations Relations, Office of People, Operations, Success, Office of Clinical Research, and others) and external sponsors to ensure full consideration of investigator and University interests to support a growing institutional research enterprise. In addition to maintaining a nominal proposal portfolio, the PSM will be a resource for advanced and complex questions related to proposal submission and award negotiation/acceptance, analysis and improvement of work processes and technologies, and represent ECU to outside entities.
The PSM is responsible for mentoring Pre-Award team members to support their professional development and build consistent knowledge and practice across the team. This includes identifying training and learning opportunities, developing training materials in conjunction with the Pre-Award Services Director, and reinforcing expectations that strengthen service quality, compliance, and operational continuity.
The PSM will report to and work with the ORA Pre-Award Services Director to support ongoing electronic Research Administration (eRA) implementation and maintenance processes. In consultation with the Pre-Award Services Director, the PSM helps develop, recommend, and/or implement policies and procedures for the administration of contracts and grants, including the submission of applications, acceptance of awards, and non-financial post-award activities.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Directly supervisor Sponsored Program Officers by providing clear objectives and monitoring service standards (35%)
Assign team workload, lead day to day operations, and provide guidance on proposal requirements, budgeting, and award terms (25%)
Coordinate and support training of staff and reinforce policy updates and guidance(20%)
Identifies operational inefficiencies and develop recommendation to improve service delivery (15%)

Minimum Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Master's degree in Business or Public Administration, Accounting, or related fields and 3 years experience in pre-award management or research administration, or relevant bachelor's degree and 5 years of progressively responsible experience in research administration. At least one year of supervisory experience managing a collaborative is required.
Demonstrated expertise in university research administration, including best practices in pre-award processes within a university or academic medical center environment, with strong knowledge of federal, state, industry, and foundation sponsor requirements and regulations (e.g., NIH , NSF , DOD , DOE , USDA ).
In-depth understanding of Uniform Guidance, including cost principles, along with working knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations, general accounting principles, and audit requirements for federal awards.
Intermediate proficiency across the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Pro.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation

None

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Certified Research Administrator or Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (preferred), or ability to obtain certification within 12 months of hire.
Two or more years of experience supervising staff in pre-award research administration is highly preferred.
Ability to bridge technical compliance expertise with effective people and operational management by coaching and developing staff, establishing performance expectations, implementing standard operating procedures, monitoring workload and quality metrics, driving process improvements, and ensuring the consistent delivery of compliant, high-quality, service-oriented research administration services.
Familiarity with sponsored project compliance requirements, including research ethics, export control, data security and access, contract negotiation for various types of sponsored programs agreements as well as an understanding of legal terms and conditions commonly found in sponsored project agreements.
Demonstrated experience utilizing electronic research administration systems (e.g., Grants.gov and other sponsor submission platforms) and managing internal proposal and award tracking systems. Proven ability to lead or coordinate the work of research administration staff, develop and deliver training, and support a high-functioning service-oriented environment.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret policy, communicate effectively, and manage competing deadlines across multiple priorities.

Job Open Date

Job Open Date 11/02/2026

Open Until Filled No

Job Close Date

Job Close Date - Positions will be posted until 11:59 p.m. EST on this date. If no closing date is indicated, the position may close at any time after the initial screening date.

East Carolina University is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care for our employees. ECU prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their protected veteran status or disability.
Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act ( ADAA ) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737-1018 (Voice/ TTY ) or ADA -Coordinator@ecu.edu .

Eligibility for Employment

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity at (252) 328-9847 or toll free at 1-866-489-1740 or send an email to employment@ecu.edu. Our office is available to provide assistance Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00 EST .

Supplemental Questions

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