Research Development Specialist III

University of Central Florida • Orlando, FL

1d • $56,030 - $68,637 • Onsite

About The Position

The Research Development Specialist III serves as the technical lead for the Proposal Development pillar of the RD team. The position's responsibilities include strategic planning and coordination of proposal development services, advanced faculty consultation, support for complex proposal opportunities, development of institutional resources and training programs, creation of communications and reporting materials, and continuous improvement of proposal development practices that strengthen institutional research competitiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree and 4+ years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).
• All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.

Nice To Haves

• Basic expertise with graphic design principles/tools.
• Experience supporting federal grants and interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience supporting the preparation of grant proposals.
• Experience working in a deadline-driven environment and the ability to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the lead proposal development consultant (copyediting, peer review facilitation, proposal review and annotation, grantsmanship) for faculty investigators and research teams. Facilitates proposal planning meetings, advises on proposal strategy and sponsor requirements, and coordinates support across stakeholders.
• Leads or coordinates support for large-scale, interdisciplinary, multi-investigator, and multi-institutional proposal efforts (EARLIER). Guides proposal strategy, team science and coordination, proposal integration, and development of unified proposal narratives.
• Oversees development and continuous improvement of proposal templates, boilerplate language, proposal libraries, sample materials, guides, checklists, and institutional proposal content.
• Provides strategic direction for Proposal Development services, establishes priorities, develops workflows and best practices, evaluates service effectiveness using appropriate metrics and coordinates continuous improvement efforts that support institutional research competitiveness.
• Oversees development of proposal graphics, visual communication products, timelines, logic models, organizational charts, and other materials that strengthen proposal effectiveness and reviewer accessibility.
• Leads development and delivery of grantwriting workshops, educational materials, training resources, and faculty development initiatives that strengthen institutional proposal capacity.
• Oversees development and maintenance of researcher-facing resources, website content, and online materials supporting proposal development services.
• Develops and coordinates success stories, award highlights, proposal activity reports, and communications demonstrating proposal development outcomes and impact.
• Performs special projects and other duties assigned in support of Research Development operations and university research priorities.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending
• Employee Assistance Program
• Annual and sick time off
• Paid holidays
• Retirement savings options
• Employee discounts
• Education assistance

What This Job Offers

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