• Advise Vanderbilt leadership, faculty, and key research centers in the identification and prioritization of funding and partnership opportunities; remain abreast of university-wide priorities and interdisciplinary programs that may be pertinent to sponsors; and maintain knowledge of sponsor directions, long-term strategies, new programs, public events, and program officers.
• Provide consulting services on strategic proposal development, including high-level conceptualization to match sponsor priorities, effective team organization, red-team review, credible administrative, management, education/outreach, and/or data sharing plans to assist investigators in the complex process of developing competitive proposals.
• Bring together strategic teams of faculty and academic leadership that cross departmental and disciplinary lines to create and pursue opportunities where trans-institutional support is available.
• Develop a working knowledge of the university's existing relationships with sponsors in order to utilize, leverage, and expand those relationships, as well as identify opportunities to establish ties with new prospects.
• Organize grant writing workshops/seminars for potential Principal Investigators.
• Establish relationships with early career faculty as they start their academic career and provide a calendar of funding opportunities to help them navigate time-sensitive grants and awards.
• Plan and execute site visits, including the development of effective briefing materials for university leaders, preparation of faculty for their roles in meetings and events, and the creation of communications (such as one-pagers) for distribution to sponsors for relationship building and shaping sponsor initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues on the development of proposals, providing technical expertise, mentorship, and informal leadership to those seeking support.
• Track and maintain grants calendar which summarizes funding opportunities, grant submission dates, historical funding data, and other funding agency requirements.
• Undertake other projects, as assigned.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent is necessary.
• A Master’s degree or Ph.D. is preferred.
• Five years of relevant experience, or the equivalent, is necessary.
• At least two years of experience working on a high functioning research development team is preferred.
• Higher education experience is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional persuasive writing and verbal communication skills are required, as is superior ability to creatively articulate the needs, interests, and accomplishments of Vanderbilt University to a wide range of audiences. The ability to convert scientific and academic writing to lay language is required.
• A proven track record of soliciting and closing research grants is preferred, as is prior experience in developing center-scale proposals working with large cross-disciplinary faculty groups.
• Working knowledge of internal processes related to research administration and proposal submission is preferred.
• Working knowledge of the principles and current trends in federal and foundation funding is preferred.
• The ability to balance multiple priorities is required.
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, diplomacy, and tact in all work efforts.
• Possess creative skills that facilitate success in an environment where critical thinking and teamwork are essential.
• Reflect experience in collaborative project management, independently setting and reaching goals and gathering and organizing information.
• Project a high degree of intelligence, energy, and imagination, and have an outstanding work ethic and personal enthusiasm for the mission of Vanderbilt University, as well as a genuine commitment to the advancement of science and education. 
• Value the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion as an organizational operating principle.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion