Assistant Director of Pre-Award (Vice President for Research - Galveston)

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Current Bachelor’s degree required
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in sponsored research administration in an academic medical center or research-intensive institution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree
• Supervisory or management experience

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS OR CERTIFICATIONS:

Required:

• N/A

Preferred:

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA).

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Director of Pre-Award supports strategic and operational management for pre-award research administration activities. This role ensures timely and compliant proposal development and submission processes, provides leadership to pre-award staff, and partners with investigators, department administrators, and sponsors to facilitate high-quality research funding applications.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Lead and manage pre-award services, including proposal preparation, review, and submission for federal, state, foundation, for-profit entities, and other external funding opportunities.
• Develop and deliver training for faculty and staff on pre-award topics, including proposal planning, budgeting, and sponsor regulations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in pre-award research administration policies, including Uniform Guidance, NIH, and other federal sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and sponsor-specific guidelines.
• Work collaboratively with faculty and AE/JSSOM Departmental leadership to develop competitive grant applications.
• Coordinate with compliance, finance, legal, and departmental staff on proposal-related issues, such as subawards, cost share, and budget development.
• Ensure proposals yield institutional policies, including those of the IRB and IACUC.
• Support the implementation and optimization of electronic research administration systems (e.g., Cayuse, InfoEd, COEUS).
• Participate in institutional strategic planning related to research development and sponsored program growth.
• Monitor trends in research funding and guide strategic opportunities for proposal development.
• Maintains and tracks pre-award documentation in the institutional grant management database, ensuring all submissions are accurate and deadlines are met.

MARGINAL OR PERIODIC FUNCTIONS:

• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Deep understanding of federal regulations and sponsor policies (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoD, HRSA).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively across departments.
• Proficiency in research administration systems and tools.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

SUPERVISION:

Received: Assistant Chief Research Officer

Given: Administrative staff

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/EQUIPMENT:

Standard working environment/equipment.