Pre-Award Grant Manager - Lead - Integrated Resources

Job Description

The Pre-Award, Integrated Resource within the School of Medicine Dean's Office has an outstanding opportunity for a Pre-Award Grant Manager - Lead to join their team.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Grant Management, the Pre-Award Grant Manager - Lead (Lead) plays a central role in advancing the University's research mission by leading high-quality pre-award services across a large, complex portfolio. This role combines people leadership, strategic proposal support, and deep compliance expertise to help faculty and departments compete successfully for research funding.

In this highly collaborative environment, the Lead partners closely with Principal Investigators, research administrators, and central offices to drive outstanding service, consistent quality, and continuous improvement.

This is an ideal opportunity for a seasoned research administration professional who enjoys mentoring others, building strong partnerships, and bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to complex proposal development.

Key Responsibilities

Grant & Contract Administration & Compliance Management (60%)

* Serve as the subject matter expert for pre-award grants and contracts administration, guiding faculty and staff through sponsor, federal, state, and University requirements.

* Develop complex proposal budgets and administrative components; review applications for quality, completeness, and compliance before routing for institutional review and submission.

* Act as the primary liaison among Principal Investigators, departments, central offices, subrecipients, and sponsors to resolve issues, interpret requirements, and support just-in-time and award-stage documentation.

Team Lead (30%)

* Provide day-to-day leadership, work direction, mentoring, and performance support for Grant Managers and Grant Specialists, including onboarding and training for new team members.

* Establish and reinforce quality standards, standard operating procedures, and training materials to ensure consistent, compliant, and customer-focused pre-award service delivery.

* Build strong relationships with Principal Investigators and departmental partners, respond to feedback, and escalate concerns appropriately to support a high-trust service culture.

Quality Assurance (5%)

* Conduct quality control reviews of proposals to confirm alignment with sponsor guidelines and School and University policies.

* Analyze quality trends, identify improvement opportunities, and recommend enhancements to workflows, tools, and communications.

Administrative / Lean Process Improvement Responsibilities (5%)

* Lead team meetings and contribute to policy, procedure, and best-practice development for pre-award operations and shared services support.

* Serve as a resource to faculty, staff, and leadership on proposal development and compliance topics, while communicating updates on changing sponsor and University requirements.

* Participate in process improvement efforts, metrics reporting, and operational planning to strengthen efficiency, accountability, and service excellence.

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Minimum Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.

* Four or more years of research administration experience with substantial responsibility for proposal development, including complex budgets and subawards.

* Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the hiring manager.

Additional Qualifications

* Ability to communicate effectively with Principal Investigators and administrative partners and adapt to a variety of working styles.

* Experience partnering with faculty and department leadership in a project management or research administration setting.

* Experience leading teams, projects, or workflow coordination efforts.

* Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing deadlines while maintaining strong attention to detail and compliance expectations.

* Advanced knowledge of OMB guidelines, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons.

* Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word.

* Demonstrated commitment to excellence, service, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

* Five or more years of research administration experience with substantial responsibility for proposal development, including complex budgets and subawards.

* Experience collaborating with UW central offices and sponsor program or research staff, including OSP, GCA, and related partners.

* Experience working with UW systems such as SAGE and Award Portal.

* Project management and Lean Six Sigma experience.

About the Team

The Pre-Award team supports 28 departments and…