Proposal Research Project Manager (Level I, II or III) - College of Engineering

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

About The Position

The Proposal Research Project Manager (RPM) provides pre-award support to faculty and researchers in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering at Colorado State University. The role coordinates competitive grant and contract applications for federal, state, local, international, foundation, nonprofit, industry, commercial, and other sponsors, ensuring proposals and budgets are accurate, timely, and compliant with university, sponsor, and applicable regulatory requirements. The RPM serves as a resource on extramural funding, regulations, agency guidelines, application processes, and submission portals. This position does not participate in the scientific research of any project. The RPM works collaboratively with faculty, principal investigators, research staff, administrators, college and department leaders, central university offices—including the Office of Sponsored Programs—and external stakeholders. Responsibilities also include investigating funding opportunities and requirements, developing proposal budgets and justifications, coordinating cost share and multi-institution applications, and maintaining working knowledge of proposal software and sponsor systems. RPMs may manage small post-award portfolios. The role participates in professional development and helps improve internal systems and processes. The position is classified at Level I, II, or III based on education and experience. Remote work is negotiable based on candidate experience; remote candidates may need to attend campus periodically and must be able to commute to Fort Collins when necessary. The position reports to the Director of Pre-award Support and has no supervisory responsibilities. The position remains open until filled, with a full-consideration application deadline of October 25, 2026. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States by the position start date; visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

RPM Level I: Bachelor’s degree and two years of related professional experience; alternatively, a high school diploma plus eight years of relevant work experience, or a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Pre-Award Administrator (CPRA) certification, in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
RPM Level II: Bachelor’s degree and two years of related professional experience plus three years of research administration experience, including proposal submissions, project management, and/or financial management; alternatively, a high school diploma plus eight years of relevant work experience, or CRA or CPRA certification, in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
RPM Level III: Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of research administration experience, including proposal submissions, project management, and/or financial management, with emphasis on pre-award experience; alternatively, a high school diploma plus eight years of relevant work experience, or CRA or CPRA certification, in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
For Level III, pre-award experience should include areas such as complex proposals involving cost share and multiple sub-awards, varied agencies, detailed spreadsheets and budget presentations, and compliance with Uniform Guidance and/or agency policies.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, writing ability, and capacity to learn quickly.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
Ability to proactively solve problems, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality results.
Legally authorized to work in the United States by the position start date; the department will not sponsor a visa.
Successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check for new hires.

Nice To Haves

Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Time-management skills for meeting critical deadlines and managing changing priorities.
Advanced knowledge of office productivity software, including MS Office; proficiency developing complex formulas and pivot tables in Excel or similar spreadsheet software; experience with data retrieval or database management software such as Oracle, Access, or Smartsheet; and Adobe Acrobat.
Experience making financial decisions based on Federal Cost Accounting Standards and Uniform Guidance.
Experience working in a higher education setting.
Financial management experience, including forecasting, personnel planning, tracking expenditures, and re-budgeting.
Experience with administrative activities across the scientific research process lifecycle.
Experience with Kuali Research Proposal Development (KRPD) and Kuali Financial System (KFS), or similar proposal budgeting and financial management software.
Experience preparing scientific research proposals, including budget development across multiple federal and non-federal funding agencies and their submission portals.
Research administration certification such as CRA, CPRA, and/or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA).
Experience building strong customer relationships through subject-matter knowledge and effective communication with a wide range of customers and colleagues.
Ability to take initiative in problem solving through research and communication with relevant resources and connections.

Responsibilities

Research and coordinate preparation of scientific research proposals for federal sponsors, including NSF, NIH, NASA, NOAA, EPA, DOE, DOD, and the National Park Service.
Prepare proposals for state, local, and international government funding, as well as industry, foundation, nonprofit, and other sponsors.
Investigate funding opportunities, submission and compliance requirements, and project cost-share requirements; consult with sponsor representatives as needed.
Prepare proposal budgets and draft budget justifications, ensuring anticipated costs meet application requirements for allowability and allocability.
Coordinate and recommend solutions for project cost-share requirements.
Coordinate budgets and application requirements across CSU colleges and other institutions for collaborative projects.
Work directly with the Office of Sponsored Programs to meet submission requirements.
Review funding opportunity requirements and communicate them to principal investigators, college leadership, and the Office of Sponsored Programs; ensure unusual requirements are reviewed by appropriate individuals or departments before submission.
Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the college and maintain working knowledge of required software, including Kuali Research Proposal Development (KRPD), Smartsheet, and sponsor portals and templates.
Sometimes manage small post-award portfolios.
Participate in NCURA professional meetings and other professional growth opportunities.
Stay current on university financial rules, sponsor announcements, and changes; attend training and collaborate with colleagues to support accurate budgets and adapt to sponsor changes.
Collaborate with peers to improve internal systems, including evaluating software features and limitations and recommending improvements.
Perform other duties as assigned.