The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is seeking a SENIOR GRANT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST to serve as a key member of Engineering's research support team, responsible for the proposal submission process for departments and their faculty within the School of Engineering. Cultivate relationships with Engineering faculty and staff and encourage collaboration with other UAB faculty, UAB Office of Sponsored Programs, external institutions, foundations, and other collaborators. Manage pre-award research activities for a group of departments within the School of Engineering. Partner directly with faculty to guide them through the pre-award phase. Collaborate with Engineering's Research Proposal and Development Coordinator, to provide investigators with multifaceted layers of support. Provide guidance, ensuring adherence to all research sponsor guidelines, policies, and regulations, as well as internal UAB and Engineering policies and procedures. Review funding opportunity announcements. Identify sponsor deadline, establish timeline, required documents, and create detailed project management plan tailored to specific investigator, to ensure a successful research proposal submission. Facilitate the exchange of information and implement workplan for submission. Collaborate with Office of Sponsored Programs on any related items, such as indirect cost rate, letter of intent, data sharing agreements, confidentiality agreements. Monitor the School's pre-award activities and their development plans to ensure adequate availability of resources for superior proposal development and pre-award activities and services.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Serves as trusted partner for communications related to pre-award activities. Effectively liaises with sponsor agencies, sub-award sites, internal groups and programs, and Engineering leadership, faculty, and staff. Serves as a limited source of information related to post-award activities to advise faculty and staff when needed. Prepares, refines, reviews, and submits fully populated and complete sponsored research proposals to UAB Office of Sponsored Programs on behalf of Engineering faculty. Provides direction and explanation of pre-award requirements, knowledge of post-award requirements and identifies UAB resources.
2. Develops, prepares, and advises investigative teams on project budgets. Advises teams on required budget justifications. Calculates personnel effort on sponsored projects according to labor plan. Develops budget and edits required budget justification accordingly. Calculates and verifies project indirect costs and the appropriate exclusions. Determines and proactively monitors milestones. Makes recommendations to the PI on any needed redirection of assignments and resources of the collaborative team according to the evolving priorities of the project timeline to ensure multiple teams are successful during the proposal development and submission process.
3. Reviews the drafts of all grant components and provides high-level copy edits, constructive feedback to improve readability and suggests revisions to administrative materials included in the application. Completes appropriate UAB Checklist and other UAB required forms, such as Responsible Person List (RPL), Indirect Cost Revenue Sharing Agreement, Cost Share Commitment form and other nonscientific supporting documents. Obtains internal approvals for proposal submission. Uploads nonscientific documents to submission portal if/as directed by investigator. Assists investigator with OSP-recommended changes and submits final proposal to OSP. Follows up to ensure submission to sponsor by deadline. Collaborates with other departments, schools, institutions, and industry partners as appropriate.
4. Works with Dean's Office leadership to refine and identify novel approaches to further develop and innovate the award submission process. Maintains repository of proposal submissions and related documents. Collects administrative data, populate data visualization tools, and populates tracking mechanisms related to Engineering's award activities.
5. Distributes training and grant development materials to new research faculty during their onboarding period. Provides training and assistance to existing faculty and administrators as needed. Serves on research administration committees, joint efforts, and attends research administration meetings.
6. Perform other duties as assigned.

(Annual Salary: $52,555 - $68,320)

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance or related field and three (3) years of related experience required. Work experience may NOT substitute for education requirement.

Preferred:

• Excellent project management and organization skills
• Ability to work with a high degree of independence
• Ability to problem-solve
• Detail oriented
• Collaborative
• Strong communication skills and customer service skills
• Flexible, assertive, persuasive and self-motivated

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UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.