Pre-Award Sponsored Programs Lead

University of Mississippi; Mississippi; On-site; USD 83,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Mississippi is seeking an Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs: Pre-Award to lead pre-award administration, ensure compliant development and timely submission of proposals, and supervise staff. The role interfaces with faculty, departments, centers, and leadership to advance research goals.

The position emphasizes training, standard procedures, and strong customer service while aligning with university policies and sponsor guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee compliance reviews of grant and contract proposals to ensure adherence to sponsor, university policies and regulations.
• Supervise Pre-Award Research Administrators and staff, providing leadership and performance oversight.
• Coordinate proposal review workflows, workload distribution, and resource allocation for timely submissions.
• Provide training, mentoring, and professional development for pre-award staff.
• Review and approve proposal budgets for accuracy, allowability, and alignment with requirements.
• Ensure all institutional approvals and compliance reviews are obtained prior to submission.
• Interpret sponsor guidelines and funding requirements, and communicate institutional policies.
• Develop, implement, and maintain SOPs, training materials, and job aids for proposal development.
• Manage sponsor electronic research administration systems and submission portals.
• Provide consultation to principal investigators, departments, and centers during proposal development.
• Promote a culture of excellent customer service, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and escalate complex compliance issues to the Director and leadership.
• Assist with strategic planning to improve services.
• Support policies, systems, and processes in research administration.
• Analyze trends in proposal activity and sponsor requirements to improve efficiency.
• Participate in committees and cross-functional initiatives related to sponsored programs.
• Collaborate with leadership to advance institutional research objectives.
• Maintain knowledge of federal regulations and sponsor policies.

Education

Bachelor's (Required)

Job description

The University of Mississippi is seeking an Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs: Pre-Award to lead pre-award administration, ensure compliant development and timely submission of proposals, and supervise staff. The role interfaces with faculty, departments, centers, and leadership to advance research goals.

The position emphasizes training, standard procedures, and strong customer service while aligning with university policies and sponsor guidelines.