Proposal and Award Team Lead, Penn State Outreach

POSITION SPECIFICS

Penn State Outreach is seeking a Proposal and Award Team Lead to provide leadership and operational oversight for Penn State Outreach's Grants Team, including proposal development, pre-award administration, and post-award management. This position serves as both the supervisor of the Grants Team and an individual contributor, ensuring the successful management of grants from proposal conception through project closeout. The Team Lead is responsible for developing and implementing effective grants management processes, maintaining compliance with sponsor and University requirements, supporting Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the grant lifecycle, and fostering a collaborative, service-oriented team culture.

The position serves as Outreach's senior resource for grants administration and provides guidance to staff and external partners.

• Provide oversight of the full grant lifecycle, ensuring seamless coordination between proposal development, pre-award, and post-award functions.
• Develop and monitor grants management processes, workflows, and service delivery models.
• Establish and implement performance metrics for the Grants Team.
• Serve as an individual contributor in pre-award and/or post-award management of Outreach's sponsored projects portfolio.
• Oversee financial administration and compliance for sponsored awards, including federal, state, corporate, and foundation‑funded projects.
• Coordinate tasks involved in preparing grant submission packages.
• Collaborate with Principal Investigators & Proposal Developers to interpret sponsors' solicitations/RFPs and ensure compliance with sponsor and University policies.
• Prepare initial and revised budgets and supporting documentation for proposal submission.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex compliance, financial, and administrative issues.
• Prepare and present reports, metrics, and analyses related to grant activity, proposal pipelines, award performance, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead process improvement efforts across proposal development, pre-award, and post-award functions.
• Supervise staff responsible for proposal development, pre-award administration, and post-award management.
• Manage recruitment, onboarding, training, workload balancing, and succession planning activities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, accountability, and customer service.
• Evaluate team performance and implement strategies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and service quality.
• Promote inclusive practices that support diversity, belonging, and employee engagement.
• Serve as the primary grants administration representative for Penn State Outreach.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with Principal Investigators, Outreach leadership, University partners, sponsors, and external organizations.
• Represent Outreach on University committees, working groups, and initiatives related to research administration and sponsored programs.

Bachelor's Degree 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Required

Certifications:

None.

• Demonstrated experience in grants administration, sponsored project management, research administration, or related fields.
• Experience managing complex budgets, financial reporting, and compliance requirements.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and customer service abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in higher education grants administration.
• Experience with both pre-award and post-award sponsored project management.
• Knowledge of federal regulations, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• Experience working with federal agencies, foundations, corporate sponsors, and state funding sources.
• Familiarity with University research administration systems and processes.

Employment with the University will…