Pre-Award Research Coordinator

OSU Rec Sports - Sport. Leadership. Wellness. • Corvallis, OR

8d • $62,000 - $89,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The College of Forestry is seeking a Pre-Award Research Coordinator. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position. The College of Forestry at Oregon State University is home to one of the top-ranked forestry programs in the world, with a research portfolio spanning natural resources, forest ecosystems, wood science, and sustainable land management. Joining our sponsored programs team means working at the intersection of world-class science and real-world impact, supporting faculty whose research shapes policy and practice across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. As Pre-Award Research Coordinator, you'll be a trusted partner to principal investigators from the earliest stages of proposal planning through award setup, translating complex agency requirements into clear, actionable guidance. You'll work across a wide range of scientific disciplines, build expertise in federal and state grants administration, and see the direct impact of your work as proposals move from idea to funded research. This role offers significant autonomy and the chance to shape processes and tools that make sponsored programs support stronger for the whole college, all within a team environment that values your judgment and initiative.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, STEM or related field and a minimum of three years of experience in sponsored programs administration, including proposal development, budget preparation, and submission to federal or other external funding agencies; OR five years of comparable experience in a research administration or grants management role.
• Demonstrated experience preparing proposal budgets including estimation of labor, fringe, indirect costs, subawards, and other direct expenses.
• Demonstrated experience with proposal routing and submission systems such as Grants.gov, research.gov, Assist, or comparable platforms.
• Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate across teams and units, and to translate complex regulatory requirements for faculty and research staff.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent grant applications with competing deadlines in an environment requiring significant independent judgment and project management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft (MS) Office suite and in particular, proficiency with budgeting within MS Excel.
• This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated knowledge of federal grant requirements and regulations, including Uniform Guidance and requirements of major research funding agencies such as USDA, NSF, or DOE.
• Experience developing and implementing proposal tracking systems or pipeline management tools to support a high-volume research portfolio.
• Experience in preparing proposals for federal funding agencies.
• Demonstrated understanding of scientific and technical processes, especially in disciplines related to forestry, natural resources, biological sciences, engineering, or closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate expectations, timelines and milestones to achieve submission objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and enforce compliance requirements clearly and diplomatically, including delivering unwelcome information to faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary pre-award resource for College of Forestry faculty, guiding proposal development from concept through submission and award setup.
• Interpret sponsor guidelines and federal/state regulations to ensure proposals meet agency and university compliance requirements.
• Develop and review proposal budgets and budget narratives, including labor, fringe, indirect costs, subawards, and cost share.
• Manage multiple concurrent grant applications and deadlines, coordinating timelines with PIs and research teams across a college-wide portfolio.
• Prepare, route, and submit proposals through OSU and agency systems, ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery.
• Build and maintain relationships with OSU research administrators and external funding agencies to resolve issues and support compliance.
• Contribute to strategic growth of the College's sponsored programs portfolio through workshops, training, and process improvements.

Benefits

• Full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month position
• Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.
• Fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level