Senior Proposal Development Manager

Harvard University FAS Human Resources; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Harvard University’s Office for Sponsored Programs is seeking a senior pre-award manager to oversee complex, high-profile research proposals across faculties. You will coordinate budgets, subawards, and compliance with federal guidelines, working with faculty and central offices to ensure timely submissions.

The role requires deep knowledge of sponsor policies, demonstrated leadership, and the ability to mentor junior staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience.
• Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance for proposal development and long-range proposal planning.
• Lead development of complex, multi-PI proposals, including creation and negotiation of detailed budgets, subawards, and compliance plans.
• Interpret complex funding announcements and sponsor policies; develop guidance and timelines for faculty and staff.
• Serve as the senior departmental liaison to OSP and central units, resolving policy and risk issues.
• Provide oversight of proposal data integrity and workflow in research administration systems; design process enhancements and dashboards.
• Direct and prioritize JIT responses for complex proposals, advising on disclosures and coordinating with compliance offices.
• Oversee end-to-end JIT workflow for complex awards; establish standards and train others.

Skills

Proposal development

Budget planning

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Mentoring others

Education

Bachelor's degree

Sponsored research regulations knowledge

Job description

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Financial Administration (FAD) is dedicated to advancing Harvard University’s teaching and research mission by stewarding its resources; providing support, guidance, and consultation; ensuring compliance with university and federal guidelines; mitigating risk; pursuing operational excellence; and promoting the financial health of the University.

More about FAD: Within and across the University, we aim to be exemplary colleagues, trusted partners, valued advisors, and agents of positive change.

• Engage with respect, honesty, and integrity
• Cultivate equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
• Welcome innovation, collaboration, and flexibility
• Enjoy our work, grow professionally, and aim for the extraordinary

Learn more about Financial Administration (harvard.edu) and our eight reporting units. (https://finance.harvard.edu/)

Job Description

The Office for Sponsored Programs is a department within Harvard University’s Financial Administration (FAD) that is focused on providing high-quality administrative and financial assistance to faculty and other University affiliates performing sponsored research. OSP works with researchers and schools across Harvard to help obtain and negotiate awards from sponsoring agencies, assist with grant proposal preparation, ensure compliance with federal regulations and University policies, provide financial support including financial reporting and billing and collection services, assist with audits, and promote knowledge of sponsored research administration throughout the University research community through training and other educational programs.

This position is responsible for pre-award management for a portfolio of faculty sponsored and non-sponsored research funding. The portfolio is of high complexity. Working under the direction of the Manager of Proposal Development and providing support to junior team members, this position is also responsible for ensuring compliance with key sponsor and university regulations, including those of federal sponsors.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance for the department's approach to proposal development and long-range proposal planning; shape proposal concepts to support enhancing competitiveness.
• Lead and oversee development of complex, multi-PI, multi-site, and center-level proposals, including creation and negotiation of detailed budgets, subaward and consortium agreements, and specialized compliance plans; coordinate contributions from faculty, departmental staff, and central offices to ensure high-quality, on-time submissions.
• Interpret complex and evolving funding announcements and sponsor policies; develop and disseminate departmental guidance, decision tools, and timelines that translate requirements into clear expectations and workflows for faculty and support staff.
• Serve as the senior departmental liaison to the Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP) and other central units (compliance, finance, legal), independently resolving nuanced policy and risk issues and escalating truly complex matters; represent the department in institutional workgroups focused on pre-award policy and process improvement.
• Provide oversight of proposal data integrity and workflow in institutional research administration systems, identifying patterns of delay or non-compliance; design and implement process enhancements and metrics dashboards to improve proposal volume, quality, and success rates.
• Direct and prioritize departmental response to Just-in-Time (JIT) requests for complex and high-risk proposals, interpreting sponsor requirements, advising PIs on strategic disclosures (e.g., Other Support, overlap, effort commitments), and coordinating with compliance offices to mitigate institutional and PI risk.
• Oversee the end-to-end JIT workflow for the department's complex awards; establish JIT standards and checklists, train others in their use, and monitor performance and compliance metrics to ensure timely, accurate, and policy-compliant JIT submissions.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

For consideration, please include a cover letter.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience
• Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

The following qualifications are strongly preferred. If you meet some, but not all, you are still encouraged to apply; we value employees with a willingness to learn

• Developing depth of specialization, responsible for comprehensive operations, perform highly complex analysis. May function as SME or project lead.
• Apply advanced professional knowledge and technical expertise to manage a broad range of complex projects and initiatives. May develop or refine practices, processes, or metrics. Serve as a subject-matter expert or project lead.
• Responsible for large scale projects. Develop solutions which may set precedent. Projects may have significant and long-term impact. Manage, advise, generate solutions; responsible for complex analysis.
• Independently determine methods for new projects, provide staff mentoring and training, develop methodologies as needed, recommend improvements to departmental procedures.
• Communicate complex or sensitive information clearly and effectively. Persuade others to consider options, advises on policies and compliance. Collaborate with management on initiatives, provide and may develop trainings.

Additional Information

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

• Working Conditions: Onsite work is performed in an office setting.
• Primarily remote role with flexibility to work on-site and optional in-person meetings bi-monthly. On-site attendance expectations may evolve based on business needs.
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
• Other Information: This position has a 90-day orientation and review period.

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.