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Position Summary

The Office of Research Development (ORD) serves Rice University faculty researchers as they conceptualize, develop, and write proposals to federal and state agencies and other entities to secure funding for research projects. ORD works with faculty across all ranks as well as all disciplines, departments, and divisions, with the overarching goal of making the proposal as compelling and competitive as possible and of making the research and proposal development process as straightforward and streamlined as possible.

Under general supervision, the Research/Proposal Development Specialist II supports faculty as they seek to secure external funding for their research projects. They provide project management support, especially for large, complex, multi-investigator proposals; connect faculty with campus resources; thoroughly vet and edit proposals; and ensure their compliance with relevant guidelines and their responsiveness to review criteria. Develops research and proposal development training and resources. 

The ideal candidate for this role will possess a strong background in science/research communication, particularly as relevant to center-level federal research proposals, as well as a background in the social sciences, natural sciences, or engineering.

This position offers a flexible work schedule, with a minimum of 3 days in the office per week. 

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Proposed Hiring Range: $75,000 - $80,000 

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree 3 years of experience in research and/or administrative experience

Skills:

Initiative and ability to work independently and as a team member Effective interpersonal skills, both written and verbal Positive attitude and an ability to work with a wide variety of people Excellent administrative and organizational skills and the ability to prioritize own workload Strong critical thinking skills Excellent writing and editing skills  Outstanding project management skills Attention to detail Ability to multi-task Ability to work under deadline pressure

Essential Functions:

Organizes, facilitates, and tracks complex proposal development efforts Understands, explains, and clarifies various sponsors' proposal requirements and review processes and ensures compliance with them Develops strategic, persuasive, and compelling approaches for presenting proposed research projects to reviewers Researches and writes non-technical sections of proposals Provides high-level, substantive comments, suggestions, and questions on the narrative section of proposals Performs careful, line-by-line revisions and edits of the scientific, technical, and/or scholarly narrative sections of proposals Develops a visually pleasing proposal and page design and formats both text and graphics  Serves as a liaison with faculty, administrators, the Office of Sponsored Projects, and other offices to ensure timely and successful proposal submissions Facilitates faculty teams and colleagues in preparing large, complex, collaborative, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional proposals Identifies federal and state funding opportunities and posts them to the research opportunities listserv Identifies limited submission funding opportunities, posts them to the limited submission website and listserv, and assists in coordinating limited submission competitions when necessary Leads training and development activities (seminars, panel discussions, workshops, etc.) designed for faculty, staff, and postdocs on topics related to the development of proposals for external grant funds Assists in preparing ad hoc administrative projects such as website materials and reports; develops proposal checklists, templates, tracking sheets and timelines, identifies proposal samples and helps maintain proposal archives; and shares writing tips  Performs all other duties as assigned 

Preferences:

Ph.D. in communications or a related degree Experience working in a central office Experience working with faculty, as well as with a range of federal sponsors

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 

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Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.