Executive Director, Grant Administration

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary:
  Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard
  
  Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $160,000 - $180,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Finance, the Executive Director of Grant Administration (ED) will establish an administrative center of excellence to provide leadership, coordination, and execution of research development activities across the Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. With a primary focus on pre-award functions, the ED will ensure comprehensive support for faculty and researchers in securing external funding for their work.

The ED will lead the identification and pursuit of funding opportunities, focusing on large-scale, multi-disciplinary initiatives that advance A&S priorities. This includes collaborating with faculty to develop competitive grant proposals, providing expert guidance on crafting narratives, and ensuring alignment with funding agency requirements. The ED will oversee the preparation of detailed budgets and facilitate the integration of complex institutional resources into grant submissions.

Arts and Sciencesis the intellectual heart of Columbia University. Home to more than 1,000 faculty, 60 research centers and institutes, and 28 academic departments, A&S provides a transformative educational experience to more than 16,000 undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students at Columbia - nearly half the student body. Our field-defining research, anchored in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, engages fundamental questions about our society and our world and supports Columbia's broader mission to advance knowledge, learning, and impact at the highest levels.

Responsibilities

• Build the inaugural Grant Administration team, providing leadership on strategic direction, operational processes, and portfolio management for the team, focusing on pre-award services, grant submission, and budget development.
• Establish, standardize, and regularly assess workflows, communication flow, status tracking, and documentation processes for all Grant Administration tasks, such as new applications, progress reports, and just-in-time requests. Develop and maintain proposal libraries, templates, and knowledge-sharing systems to preserve institutional knowledge and enhance operational efficiency.
• Implement standardized training for onboarding new research support staff and continuing education to ensure staff development and professional growth.
• Develop and provide regular communications to departments/centres/units to describe the functions of the service and provide updates and outcomes. Ensure successful communication with the departments/units.
• Develop and implement school-specific policies and procedures in support of research operations, including submissions to the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA).
• Partner with SPA and Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF) to ensure adherence to funding agency guidelines and university guidelines.
• Interface with SPA on submission and award. Ensure appropriate handoff from pre-award to post-award administration.
• Create and maintain data to be used for overall management purposes as well as to measure the success of grant activity across the Arts and Sciences.
• Maintain expert knowledge of federal rules and regulations that govern research grants and stay informed about sponsor terms and conditions for submitting and administering grant awards.

• Work with senior leadership to develop various ways to increase overall grant activity and the number of successful grants across the Arts and Sciences.
• Create strategic plans for developing center-scale initiatives that align with the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of A&S.
• Work with faculty…