Grants & Contracts Professional 2-Research Program Development

This position is a member of the Research Development (RD) office in the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) at the University of Minnesota (UMN). The RD office administers multiple seed grant programs, matching funds for federal awards, limited submission competitions, and impact awards. The office enhances research impact by supporting grant proposals for large-scale interdisciplinary research initiatives, building strategic partnerships, and leading strategic growth initiatives. The primary purpose of this position is to provide program and project management for two major functions of the RD office - Research Advancement and Proposal Development.

The role will have a dual report to the RA and PD managers and may receive additional day to day direction and guidance from colleagues depending on which function their assignment(s) falls within. They will also collaborate closely with the Executive Director of Research Development (EDRD).

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Limited Submissions Program Lead - 25%

• Serve as the lead facilitator and process expert of the Limited Nominations Process for extramural competitions, working in close collaboration with the Executive Director of Research Development.
  • Manage and coordinate the day to day activities of the program, owning the limited submission process end to end and making improvements as determined with the EDRD.
  • Harvest limited submissions opportunities from various sources; ensure their timely posting on RIO's website and their prompt advertisement to the research community.
  • Monitor open competitions, anticipate deadlines, respond to inquiries, and audit applications.
  • Facilitate competitions and applications review when needed, seeking direction and recommendations from the EDRD to ensure the determination and selection process is rigorous and consistent.
  • Track and organize the activities of the reviewers, identify potential conflicts of interest, set up scoring rubrics, and coordinate the review process to completion.
  • Notify principal investigators (researchers) of competition results and correspond with grant administrators in the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) unit.
  • Work with RIO's shared services, in particular the Communications team to coordinate announcements, website changes, and other communication-related needs, and ORIS for technology changes and configurations.

Research Advancement Programs Support - 25%

• Manage competitions and award programs as assigned.
  • Anticipate deadlines, respond to inquiries, and audit applications.
  • Identify and recruit potential faculty reviewers who are subject matter experts and have appropriate professional experience. Assess potential conflicts of interest, Track and cross reference the participation of reviewers on all our committees to carefully calibrate and distribute the burden placed on faculty resources.
  • Gather and distribute nomination materials, coordinate all meetings, create summaries of data (Excel documents and Google Spreadsheets), record discussion and decisions during review meetings, and compose outcome notices.
  • Send notification letters and manage post-award activities such as sending reminders and collecting / acting on activity reports.
• Serve as a backup to teammates and collaborate on other RA grants programs as needed to ensure continuity of service during planned and unplanned absences.
• Serve as the lead facilitator and process expert for the Matching Funds program.
• Work with RIO's shared services, in particular the Communications team to coordinate announcements, website changes, and other communication-related needs, and ORIS for technology changes and configurations.
• Develop, document, and maintain up to date job aids, processes and procedures to facilitate team operations and service resiliency.
• Identify work efficiencies; collaborate with the team and partners participating in the RA programs to streamline activities and operations.
• Provide support to program directors or program owners, complete tasks, and facilitate small projects as assigned.

Project Management - Proposal Development - 50%

• Lead proposal strategy development, team formation, partner coordination, and alignment with funder requirements.
  • Facilitate early-stage proposal scoping to define project vision, scope, and goals
  • Lead team formation and coordinate wraparound support services for proposal development
  • Identify, recruit, and manage relationships with internal collaborators and external partners
  • Review funder requirements to ensure alignment and compliance.
• Oversee full proposal development lifecycle, coordinating teams, documents, budgets, and non-technical content to ensure timely, high-quality submissions.
  • Organize and facilitate proposal team meetings to ensure alignment and progress
  • Coordinate document collection and management (e.g., biosketches, letters, etc.) Support budget development in collaboration with team members relevant partners and units
  • Write and/or contribute to non-technical proposal sections, including project management plans, broader impacts, evaluation metrics, and team structure descriptions
• Coordinate and lead proposal review, editing, and submission processes to ensure clarity, compliance, and successful delivery through required platforms.
  • Lead internal proposal reviews, including Red Team reviews
  • Coordinate with team members and SPA on internal routing and submission.
  • Manage submissions through funder-specific platforms.

Work With Flexibility Options

The Research and Innovation Office (RIO) and the Research Development Office (RDO) endorse a "work with flexibility" approach that offers a welcoming and flexible work environment where everyone is inspired to do their best.

Work Schedule: While our goal is to offer as much flexibility as possible and let staff control when they complete their work while meeting set deadlines, the nature of the services provided by the Research Advancement and Proposal development teams to the research community comes with the expectation that services are provided during regular university business hours. Each team works together to ensure continuity of services.

Work Location: This position was designated as eligible for a wide range of options, from working fully remote (Profile 4), to partially remote (Profiles 2-3), or entirely in the office (Profile 1). The incumbent will be asked to choose. Note that regardless of the profile selected, this role comes with the requirement to occasionally attend on-campus meetings and on-site events for professional development, collaboration and team effectiveness. Required on-site/on-campus presence is typically 4 days / month after the onboarding and training period. Because we are a land-grant institution that serves the state, the University will continue to- in most cases- expect employees to live in Minnesota. RIO management retains the right to modify flexible work arrangement agreements on a temporary or permanent basis for any reason at any time.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS degree plus at least two years of relevant work experience or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least six years.
• Strong organization skills; ability to plan, organize and manage a variety of assignments with limited guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with tact, and strong customer service skills.
• Excellent collaboration skills; ability to work as a team.
• Strong task management and personal organization; ability to establish a timeline and meet project deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to promote a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace.
• Fluency in using a variety of collaboration software (in particular Google Workspace applications and Microsoft suite of tools)
• Technology curiosity and interest in making the best use of tools to support personal efficiency, improve service effectiveness, promote the efficiency and accuracy of workflows, and ensure the quality of the information collected to provide services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing seed grants or other competitive funding competitions.
• Familiarity with research activities at a large, public research institution.
• Experience reading and interpreting notice of funding opportunities and funding solicitations for research projects.

Research Advancement (RA) is the team that runs a number of internal grant competitions and award programs designed to seed research and help maintain the UMN as a leading public research institution in the US. In this role, the incumbent interfaces with faculty, research administrators, and research associate deans in all disciplines. This position is entrusted to be the lead administrator for the Limited Submissions program, and they team up with RA colleagues on all other RA activities so that competitions can be run through their complete cycle smoothly and efficiently.

Proposal Development (PD) provides proposal project management support to Principal Investigators (PIs) and research teams with planning, preparing, and submitting grant proposals. This position is responsible for managing proposal tasks, setting up proposal timelines, monitoring progress, organizing team meetings, and coordinating effort with all internal and external partners. The position will be required to meet various and changing deadlines, write reports for varying audiences and be able to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment. The portfolio of proposals managed will continue to change with evolving institutional and funder priorities.

Pay Range: $30.25-$32.70 per hour ($62,920.00-$68,016.00 annual); depending on education/qualifications/experience

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).