Proposal Development Specialist

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc. is seeking a Proposal Development Specialist to collaborate with faculty in the College of Science (COS) at Virginia Tech and external partners to support proposal writing from opportunity identification through submission.

The role reports to the Associate Dean for Research and involves working with COS pre-award and post-award staff and external sponsors. The Specialist will assist with communication, organization, coordination, and sponsor compliance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a science, engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience writing or supporting externally funded proposals.
• Strong writing/editing skills and ability to communicate technical content clearly.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with deadlines.
• Collaborative with faculty, administrators, and partners.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate proposal writing teams and manage timelines.
• Prepare non-technical proposal documents (summaries, facilities/resources, data management plans).
• Identify funding opportunities and develop a year-round pipeline of LOIs and proposals.
• Support training sessions to enhance proposal-writing capacity across COS.

Skills

Strong writing

Excellent communication

Project coordination

Independent work

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in science/engineering/related field

Graduate degree

Job description

Job Description

The Proposal Development Specialist will collaborate with facultyin the College of Science (COS), Virginia Tech, and externalpartners to support proposal writing from the identification ofopportunities through development and submission. Reporting to theAssociate Dean for Research, this individual will work withstakeholders to support competitive federal research proposals,training grants, instrumentation proposals, and center-scalesubmissions, as well as proposals to foundations, industry, andstate and local sponsors.

The Specialist's role is to assist with communication,organization, coordination, and compliance with sponsorrequirements. The Specialist works closely with the College'spre-award and post-award grants administrators, who handle budgetpreparation, financial compliance, and award management, andsupports COS-affiliated research centers and institutes in pursuitof external funding opportunities.

This work includes preparation of non-technical proposal documents(project summaries, facilities and resources, data managementplans, mentoring plans, management plans), identifying andanalyzing funding opportunities, coordinating and facilitating thework of proposal writing teams, and developing and offeringtraining sessions to enhance proposal-writing capacity across COS.The Specialist will partner with stakeholders to prepare and managea consistent, year-round pipeline of letters of intent, proposals,presentations, briefings, and progress/impact reports to local,state, federal, corporate, and foundation funding sources.

This position requires strong writing and oral communicationskills, critical thinking and analytic skills, and a high degree ofcompetence and organization. The successful candidate must managemultiple priorities and deadlines, work independently as well ascollaboratively, and operate with discretion around confidentialpre-submission materials.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a science, engineering, communications,English, technical writing, or related field; or an equivalentcombination of education and professional experience in researchadministration, grant writing, scientific editing, or a closelyrelated field.
• Experience writing, editing, or supporting externally fundedproposals, research publications, or comparable technicaldocuments.
• Demonstrated record of strong writing and editing skills, withthe ability to engage with scientific content and communicate itclearly to varied audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, function well underthe pressure of deadlines, and manage multiple, diverse projectssimultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability tocollaborate effectively with faculty, administrators, grantsadministrators, and external partners.
• Proficiency with standard office software, including MicrosoftOffice and collaborative document platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in a science, engineering, or relateddiscipline.
• Experience with federal, foundation, or corporate grant writing,particularly in the natural or physical sciences, mathematics, orcomputing.
• Direct familiarity with NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, NASA, or DARPAproposal requirements and sponsor systems (e.g., Research.gov,Grants.gov, eRA Commons, PAMS).
• Experience supporting center-scale proposals, LimitedSubmissions, or institutional proposal reviews at a researchuniversity or national laboratory.
• Familiarity with the division of responsibilities betweenproposal development, pre-award administration, and post-awardadministration in a university setting.
• Experience with web-based research tools and funding opportunitydatabases (e.g., Pivot, Grant Forward, SPIN, InfoReady).

Pay Band

5

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

Starting at $75,000 commensurate with experience

Hours per week

Exempt position: 40 hours scheduled and as needed

Review Date

August 24, 2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminalconviction check

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve),Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking ahands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to beleaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institutionthat enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout theworld, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, andcreativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverseenrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, andprofessional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presenceacross Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C.area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sitesin Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes . A leading global research institution,Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in researchannually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professionaldevelopment opportunities and university shared governance . These valuablecontributions to university shared governance provide importantrepresentation and perspective, along with opportunities for uniqueand impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, orapplicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (includingpregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, geneticinformation, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation,race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, orotherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquireabout, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensationof other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protectedby law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire anaccommodation, please contact Brandi Webb at [e-mail] during regularbusiness hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.