Demo

Pre-Award Specialist

Purdue University
Lafayette, IN Full Time
POSTED ON 6/9/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 7/8/2026
Req Id: 40132 Job Title: Pre-Award Specialist City: West Lafayette Job Description: Job Summary The Pre-Award Specialist will work directly with faculty and staff as assigned in sponsored program proposal preparation that includes interpretation and compliance with sponsor and university guidelines, budget development and review, collaboration with other departments and institutions and review of completed proposal in preparation for submission. Responsibilities and Duties Proposal Development - Partner with Principal Investigators in proposal preparation. Review Request for Proposals (RFP) and Request for Quote (RFQ) to ensure proper proposal preparation and determine if additional SPS involvement is needed (e.g., Contracting, Export Control, and Regulatory). Analyze and interpret sponsor guidelines and make recommendations to Principal Investigators for compliance. Work with Principal Investigator to develop timeline and determine responsible personnel for proposal development activities. Create and review proposed budgets and draft budget justifications. Review cost sharing commitments and prepare necessary cost share forms. Audit budget information for compliance with sponsor requirements and university policy, including cost sharing. Collaborate with other departments, institutions, and universities to resolve subcontracting issues relative to proposal submission. Assure that sponsor forms are completed accurately. Assist Principal Investigators with COEUS functionality and electronic proposal submissions. Provide assistance to the Pre-Award Specialists as needed. Proposal Review - Review and analyze completed proposal in preparation for submission. Assure that the proposal meets all sponsor and university guidelines. Audit budget, budget justification, subcontract, and cost sharing documentation. Reconcile discrepancies as needed. Submit/initiate proposal in COEUS for routing. Pre-Award Outreach and Liaison - Serve as a key resource to Principal Investigators in all matters related to University policies for proposal development and submission. Interpret sponsor policies and regulations and make recommendations of impact on pre-award process including changes in COEUS sponsor forms and validation rules. Assure that sponsor specific reference materials are current. Maintain liaison relationships with sponsor officials. Communicate and collaborate with SPS post-award team to facilitate smooth transition from proposal to award. Provide ad hoc training for pre-award process as needed for faculty and staff. Other - Coordinate and/or assist with other activities, special projects, and reports as requested by the Pre-Award Manager, Assistant Director, or Director. What We're Looking For: Bachelor's degree Two or more years of experience in research administration, business administration, accounting, or related experience Ability to meet deadlines, strong attention to detail, and a focus on superior customer service Ability to analyze, interpret and implement University policies and procedures Excellent communication, planning, problem-solving, analytical, project management and customer service skills Ability to manage a consistent workload in a deadline driven environment Ability to build work relationships among a diverse workforce at all levels Learning orientation to changing technology impacting business processes Personal computer and related software skills, e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, database, data inquiry, Internet, etc. Ability to navigate across campus for frequent meetings What Is Helpful: Bachelor's Degree in Business, Management or a related field of study Business Services or Sponsored Program Services What We Want You To Know: Purdue will not sponsor employment authorization for this position A background check is required for employment in this position FLSA: Exempt (Not eligible for overtime) Retirement Eligibility: Defined Contribution Waiting Period Purdue University is an EO/EA University.

Salary.com Estimation for Pre-Award Specialist in Lafayette, IN
$67,756 to $84,268
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Pre-Award Specialist?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Pre-Award Specialist career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$73,352 - $97,055
Income Estimation: 
$91,406 - $117,952
Income Estimation: 
$95,070 - $132,417
Income Estimation: 
$71,759 - $89,764
Income Estimation: 
$88,372 - $112,798

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Pre-Award Specialist.

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Contract Negotiation Skill

    • Income Estimation: $130,764 - $217,954
    • Income Estimation: $138,662 - $205,512
  • Customer Service Skill

    • Income Estimation: $166,465 - $310,427
    • Income Estimation: $200,642 - $510,471
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Purdue University

  • Purdue University Lafayette, IN
  • Req Id: 39744 Job Title: Research Services Coordinator City: West Lafayette Job Description: Job Summary Job Summary: The Health and Human Sciences Researc... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
  • Job Description What You'll Be Doing: The Maintenance Reliability & Quality Engineer provides expert-level leadership and technical guidance to improve the... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
  • Job Description: What You'll be Doing: The Service Maintenance Technician in the department of Administrative Operations helps keep building systems and eq... more
  • 6 Days Ago

  • Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
  • Job Description: What You'll be Doing: Assist in maintaining, or may maintain, a clean, safe, and healthy environment in University facilities. Provide cus... more
  • 8 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Pre-Award Specialist jobs in the Lafayette, IN area that may be a better fit.

  • FIRST INTERNET BANK Fishers, IN
  • About the Position: As the Small Business Administration (SBA) Pre-Close Specialist I you will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely review of SB... more
  • 2 Months Ago

  • Revvity Indianapolis, IN
  • Job Description Revvity is looking for a motivated, proven and experienced sales professional to expand our growth of pre-clinical imaging and research too... more
  • 4 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!