Research Proposal Specialist

Position Summary:

Are you interested in a career opportunity that offers a great benefits package, supports personal and professional growth through wellness programs and life-long learning with tuition assistance, and advances the growth of engineering research for the common good? Join the University of Dayton School of Engineering where state of the art engineering research is an integral part of our excellent technical engineering education. At the University of Dayton, we value inclusive excellence because we recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to academic and institutional excellence. Because we seek a community with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we encourage all interested candidates to apply.

The Research Proposal Specialist will support School of Engineering (SOE) faculty with increasing grant writing success in competitive grant submissions. The specialist will serve as a catalyst to help develop and support the formation of research teams for larger, center type grants.

The successful candidate needs a full understanding of the grant landscape. They must be dedicated to helping faculty, be experienced at successful proposal writing, and have the ability to build strong research teams. They must see grant writing skill gaps and develop or coordinate training to address these needs. They will have a strong attention to detail, and foster positive relationships with colleagues.

The candidate will also be expected to coordinate and maintain SOE laboratory capability descriptions. The role will also serve to screen select submissions to ensure submission requirement compliance and thus improve the pre-award process. Additional duties may include assistance with the design of a data management plan or with budget development and justification.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years of relevant experience
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent computer skills with experience using word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation and graphics software
• Openness to supporting the Catholic and Marianist culture of the School of Engineering and university including promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications:

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• Master’s degree
• Degree(s) in STEM, Communication or related field
• 5 plus years of relevant experience
• Ability to present a compelling story
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of persons
• Active participation in NORDP
• Ability to manage multiple, complex projects to completion
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing (i.e., correct, clear, concise, and compelling writing)
• Ability to prepare and coordinate teams for multi-disciplinary, multi-investigator initiatives
• Prior experience working in an academic environment with teams, faculty, and staff
• Experience with technical writing in a science or engineering field
• Demonstrated experience planning, writing and coordinating proposals to federal, state and/or private funding sources
• Experience working with socially and culturally diverse communities

Special Instructions to Applicants:

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter, no more than 2 pages in length, that addresses each minimum qualification and applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.

A federal court on December 7, 2021, issued a ruling that suspends the COVID-19 vaccine requirement that applies to federal contractors nationwide. With this development, the University will pause any enforcement action against employees who have not complied with the requirement to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8, 2021 or to have requested an exemption to maintain their employment status.

The University will continue to monitor the state of the pandemic on campus and in the community as well as developments in federal and state requirements, and also will continue to regularly consult with public health officials and our medical panel. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, our protocols and requirements are subject to change depending on conditions on campus or in our community, and government requirements.

Closing Statement:

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.