Pre-Award Specialist (Extended Deadline)

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Carbondale (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale invites applications for a Pre-Award Specialist in the OSPA. The role supports faculty, staff and students in external funding, reviews funding opportunities, and prepares budgets in Excel for timely proposal submissions.

The position emphasizes compliance with sponsor and university policies, including HIPAA/FERPA references, and requires collaboration with campus partners to ensure accurate, on-time award submissions and ongoing process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• One year of experience in sponsored projects administration or equivalent.
• Strong Excel skills for budget development and review.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as liaison between external sponsors and principal investigators for grant proposals.
• Coordinate pre-award service functions to support timely proposal submissions.
• Review budgets for allowability, accuracy, and internal approvals.
• Ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional policies.

Skills

Budgeting

Excel

Communication

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

OSPA Pre-Award operates in a fast-paced, deadline-drivenenvironment that requires strong organizational skills and theability to work effectively under pressure. This position involvesmultifaceted responsibilities in support of faculty, staff, andstudents seeking external funding. The role requires ongoingtraining in regulations and compliance and includes representingthe university’s interests throughout the proposal review andsubmission process.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications andexperience, while also considering internal equity.

Examples of Duties

Duties include reviewing funding opportunity announcements andrequests for proposals; ensuring compliance with sponsor,university, state, and federal requirements; reviewing anddeveloping proposal budgets using Excel; and submitting proposalsto external sponsors.

1. Serve as the primary liaison between external sponsors andprincipal investigators for the review, submission, and acceptanceof grant proposals on behalf of SIUC, ensuring compliance withsponsor, university, state, and federal requirements.
2. Coordinate assigned pre-award service functions within OSPA tosupport timely and accurate proposal submissions, includingreviewing funding opportunity announcements for eligibility,requirements, and submission instructions.
3. Collaborate with faculty and departmental staff to guideproposal development, review budgets for allowability and accuracy,and complete internal approval processes in accordance withuniversity policies and sponsor guidelines.
4. Review grant proposals and sponsored project award documents toensure compliance with applicable regulations and institutionalpolicies, protecting the interests of both the university andsponsoring agencies.
5. Respond to post-submission requests for information and clarifysponsor terms and conditions to ensure alignment with universitypolicies and compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, conflictof interest, debarment).
6. Coordinate with appropriate campus stakeholders to resolveadministrative, compliance, or contractual issues involvingsponsors, principal investigators, and other key personnel.
7. Review award documentation to verify that required complianceapprovals and assurances (e.g., IRB, IACUC, FCOI, RCR, exportcontrols, biological hazards) are in place, and coordinate reviewswith responsible offices as needed.
8. Apply effective written, verbal, and interpersonalcommunication skills while working collaboratively with OSPA teamsto support continuous improvement of pre-award business processesand service delivery.
9. Utilize electronic research administration systems and othersoftware tools to manage information, maintain documentation, anddevelop reference materials for internal and external use.
10. Perform other duties as assigned.
    

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree is required.

Experience:

• One (1) year of experience in sponsored projects (grant)administration required (e.g., grant proposal preparation andsubmission), or equivalent experience supporting externally fundedprojects in a research, nonprofit, industry, or governmentenvironment. Higher education experience is preferred but notrequired.

Skills and Abilities:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with strong Excelskills for budget development and review; ability to learn newsystems and software applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with theability to work effectively with faculty, staff, sponsors, andinternal stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and problem-solvingskills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines in afast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to apply complexpolicies, regulations, and procedures accurately.
• Demonstrated commitment to customer service and acollaborative, team-oriented approach to work.

Required Documents: Submit a letter of application, resume,and three references.
Contact: Kelly Alongi, [e-mail]