Director, Pre-Award

Director, Pre-Award Position Number: 002130 Vacancy Open to: All Candidates Working Title: Director, Pre-Award Position Designation: EHRA Non-Faculty Employment Type: Permanent - Full-time Months per Year: 12 Work Schedule: 8:00 am-5:00 pm; Monday - Friday with occasional evening and weekend hours required, as necessary Hours per week: 40 FLSA Status: Exempt Division: Research Department: Div of Research (Adm) Work Location: Cameron Hall Salary Range: $112,562 - $115,000 Primary Purpose of Department The Office of Sponsored Research Administration (SRA) is the central administrative and financial backbone of UNC Charlotte's thriving research enterprise as a premier Carnegie R1 institution. Acting as the university's Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR), SRA manages the institution's externally funded research portfolio and serves as the official liaison between our world-class investigators and global funding sponsors, including federal agencies, state partners, foundations, and industry leaders. SRA supports faculty, staff, and institutional partners through the entire grant lifecycle by ensuring excellence in research stewardship, administrative management, and complete fiscal compliance: Pre-Award: Facilitates proposal and budget development, ensures adherence to sponsor guidelines, and manages the official institutional proposal submission process. Award Acceptance & Negotiation: Reviews, negotiates, and executes legally binding contracts, grants, subawards, and related research agreements on behalf of the university. Post-Award Management: Oversees non-financial award modifications, no-cost extensions, personnel actions, scope changes, and institutional compliance tracking. In addition, works with PIs and departments on financial tracking of sponsored projects. Non-Federal Sponsor Invoicing: Manages the preparation, verification, and timely submission of invoices and billing milestones to corporate, foundation, municipal, and state sponsors to ensure steady funding streams. Research Accounting & Financial Compliance: Manages financial award setup and budget entry, monitors transaction allowability and cost-share reporting, prepares fiscal reports for sponsors, oversees subrecipient monitoring, and directs the final financial closeout and audit readiness of sponsored funds. Primary Purpose of Position Serves as the Director, Pre-Award within the Office of Sponsored Research Administration, overseeing the Pre-Award team and directly reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Research Administration. The Director leads the institution's pre-award efforts, setting standards, priorities, and expectations for proposal budget development, proposal preparation and submission, and Just-in-Time (JIT). The Director provides leadership, builds community, and evaluates, designs, and refines team structure, workflow, and business processes across the university's pre-award lifecycle. Serves as an authorized organizational representative (AOR) for proposal submissions and oversees a team of pre-award officers who directly support PIs through the pre-award process. Works with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Administration on ongoing process improvement and training within the Office of Sponsored Research Administration and campus research community. In consultation with the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Research Administration, develops policies, procedures, and guidelines for all pre-award operations for the pre-award team and provides guidance for the institution's research community. Summary of Position Responsibilities Provide strategic leadership and supervision for the SRA pre-award team, including developing long-term strategy and business objectives, workload planning, assignment of complex proposals, performance management, and staff development to deliver consistent, high-quality proposal development and pre-award support. Serve as a recognized subject matter expert and thought leader in research administration. Has a broad and deep understanding of post-award and contracting regulations in order to guide proposal development appropriately. Serves as an Authorized Organizational Representative for the University and conducts the final review of proposals being submitted by PIs. Strong knowledge of pre-award, including strong background in multiple types of sponsors, such as federal agencies, state and local government, foundations, and private industry. Strong working knowledge of different federal agency requirements and proposal types, especially for NSF, NIH, US Department of Education, DOD, and DOE. Serve as team lead to consult with and guide PIs on cost share requests and serves as the first reviewer/approver for F&A waiver and faculty minimum effort requests.(50%) Develop and maintain close, effective working relationships between teams within the Office of Sponsored Research Administration as well as constituent units within the Division of Research. Develop and steward partnerships among PIs, funding agencies, collaboration institutions, and SRA. (10%) Oversee the full pre-award lifecycle for the team's portfolio, from budget development through final submission and sponsor-required pre-award actions including JIT and budget revisions, setting standards, timelines, and review processes that ensure compliance with sponsor and University requirements. (10%) Develop, implement, and refine proposal submission policies, templates, tools, and metrics; analyze proposal volume, turnaround times, pre-award activity, and success rates to identify gaps and drive process improvements, training, and resource allocation decisions. Maintain and revise onboarding materials as well as train team in pre-award administration and ensure team remains up to date on sponsor requirements and lifecycle sponsored programs management. (10%) Work with Office of Sponsored Research Administration's leadership team on strategic initiatives. (10%) Point of Contact for all large and complex proposal submissions. Work directly with PI and team for budget development, guidance on solicitation, review of proposals, completion of internal processes, and submission to sponsor. (10%) Other duties as assigned Minimum Education/Experience Bachelor's degree. 7 years of experience in sponsored research administration, research operations, grants management, or a similar academic or research environment. Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills and Experience Master's Degree 10+ years of experience in post-award and research administration Experience as an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) Experience supporting sponsored research activities within an institution of higher education Knowledge of and ability to interpret federal and non-federal research regulations, sponsor guidelines and compliance requirements. Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). Ability to analyze complex information and provide guidance related to proposal development, budgets, and research administration processes. Experience using multiple internal and external systems related to research administration. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities. Strong analytical skills and ability to resolve problems with diplomacy. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders at all levels. Strong problem-solving, project management, and time management skills. Supervisory experience and strong management skills, including staff and performance management. Demonstrated leadership ability. Preferred Certifications/Licenses Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Pre-Award Administrator (CPRA) Benefits UNC Charlotte Benefits Information: Posting Dates Posting Open Date: 07/23/2026 Open Until Filled: Yes Proposed Hire Date: 08/24/2026 #J-18808-Ljbffr University of North Carolina Charlotte