Job Summary: 

The Sponsored Programs Support Center Specialist – Pre-Award Supervisor directs and supervises a team of Specialists serving operations of the Sponsored Programs Support Center and effectively assigns and manages pre-award management activities. This position leads and manages the assigned departmental/unit sponsored programs operations by ensuring all activities are aligned to the strategic priorities set by research leadership, as it relates to policy interpretation, and review of business processes on behalf of the assigned department/units. The Support Center Specialist – Pre-Award Supervisor is critical to supporting and enhancing UT Health SA's research and sponsored programs mission. This role is a hybrid position.

Job Duties: 

1. Authorizes activities related to proposal submission, coordinates contract negotiation with the Office of Sponsored Programs, and/or award setup on behalf of the assigned department/unit.

2. Ensures the end-to-end execution of pre-award administration including proposal and budget development, review, submission through the oversight of a team of support center pre-award specialists.

3. Provides guidance on proposals, which includes formulating strategies and leverages existing resources, functions with a high degree of autonomy.

4. Supports PIs in understanding of sponsored program administration, policies, and compliance on an ongoing basis.

5. Directs effective proposal management and guidance as it relates to complex and large multi-project applications.

6. Supervises a team of support center pre-award specialists serving as liaisons between departments/ principal investigators that have sponsored program activity to ensure departmental/unit compliance with institutional policies, procedures, and protocols.

7. Provides operational direction to the support center pre-award specialist team. Train, coach and develop team members to maintain trusted advisory relationships with sponsored programs community and other key stakeholders to enhance service experience. 

8. Offers policy and procedure interpretation to departments/units and directs the preparation of proposal submissions to federal and sponsoring agencies.

9. Directs and facilitates service-oriented training and outreach to communicate and advise on policies and procedures related to support center pre-award sponsored program administration operations.

10. Oversees pre-award operations by providing input on strategic priorities and ensuring priorities are being followed, interpreting policies, and reviewing business processes related to financial compliance, reporting, and auditing on behalf of the assigned department/units.

11. Offers guidance to faculty and administrators to ensure that sponsored research and sponsored programs are compliant with institutional, sponsor, and federal guidelines.

12. Evaluates reporting and data analysis, including historical trends, future projections, and burn rates, of the assigned departmental/units.

13. Other duties as assigned.

Education: 

Bachelor's degree required.

Experience: 

Five (5) years of sponsored programs administration experience is required (education can substitute up to two years of experience)

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree is preferred.

Supervisory Requirements: 

Has the authority to direct the work of others, hire or employees separation process, or provide recommendations as to the hiring, separation, advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employee.