Strategic Proposal & Grants Specialist

University of Dayton; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Dayton's Contract and Grants Office invites qualified applicants to apply for the Proposal Specialist position in Dayton, OH.

This role supports pre-award and post-award activities, managing proposal actions, contract review, and budgeting. You will advise researchers on sponsor terms, coordinate cost proposals, and ensure timely submission of compliant proposals. Strong Excel, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and three (3) years of relevant experience.
• Proficient with the Microsoft Office suite, especially Excel and Word.
• Ability to meet deadlines, strong attention to detail, and a focus on superior customer service.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, planning, problem-solving, analytical, and project management skills
• Must be able to manage a consistent workload in a deadline driven environment.
• Ability to build work relationships among a diverse workforce at all levels.
• Experience with proposal pricing or financial budgets.
• Due to the requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a U.S. citizen.

Responsibilities

• Perform proposal management tasks with limited supervision.
• Coordinate proposal activity, review RFPs, and develop cost proposals.
• Advise technical staff on proposal requirements and ensure submission of compliant proposals.
• Provide direction and training to researchers in budgeting and sponsor terms and university policies.
• Review contracts, purchase orders, and other award documents; identify and resolve issues.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Excel proficiency

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Project management

Customer service

Deadline driven

Cross-functional collaboration

Proposal pricing experience

U.S. citizen

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

Deltek Costpoint

Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

The University of Dayton's Contract and Grants Office invites qualified applicants to apply for the Proposal Specialist position in Dayton, OH.

This role supports pre-award and post-award activities, managing proposal actions, contract review, and budgeting. You will advise researchers on sponsor terms, coordinate cost proposals, and ensure timely submission of compliant proposals. Strong Excel, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration are essential.