Research Development Manager

Organizational Overview

The Office of Research Development (ORD) serves the faculty research and scholarship community at UNC-Chapel Hill. ORD supports the Vice Chancellor for Research’s campus‑wide research enterprise, attracting over $1B in extramural funding. ORD provides scholar consultations, pre‑award services, funding search, project alignment, and proposal development. ORD supports strategic initiatives such as the Creativity Hubs and the Idea Seed Grant Program, and administers selection processes for limited submission funding opportunities.

UNC‑CH’s research expenditures exceed $1.6B. The Research Development Manager advances ORD’s efforts to help UNC-Chapel Hill compete for large and complex external funding. The role works across schools, departments, centers, and institutes to understand research strengths, identify strategic funding opportunities, and connect faculty investigators with collaborators and proposal development resources.

The manager guides proposal efforts from early concept through submission, coordinating multidisciplinary teams, pre‑award personnel, and sponsor contacts. Responsibilities include proposal strategy, technical writing, alignment of strategic research areas with external priorities, and development of proposal resources. The role also engages external partners, guides early‑career researchers, and communicates funding intelligence to stakeholders through targeted notices and newsletters.

Master’s or Bachelor’s degree and 0–2 years experience; or a combination of related education and experience may be considered.

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally, inside and outside the university.

• Experience in research development and/or research administration.
• Scientist background with experience supporting grant submissions or obtaining own grant funding.
• Strong scientific understanding of diverse research conducted at UNC‑CH.
• Organized, detail oriented, and welcomes new responsibilities.
• Publication record is expected but not required.

The University is an equal‑opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or disability.

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

No optional documents requested.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please select the response below that describes your level of education that best or mostly closely satisfies the education requirements for this position.
  • Bachelor’s degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Bachelor's degree in any field/discipline
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in any field/discipline
  • None of the above