Senior Pre-Award Specialist

Texas A&M University System•San Antonio, TX

About The Position

The Division of Research and Innovation at Texas A&M University-San Antonio invites applications for a Senior Pre-Award Specialist beginning Fall 2026. Under the direction of the Vice President for Research, this position provides comprehensive pre-award and proposal development support to principal investigators (PIs) and staff seeking external funding. The Specialist serves as a primary point of contact throughout the proposal lifecycle, from identifying and evaluating funding opportunities through proposal development, institutional review, and sponsor submission. Working collaboratively with PIs and Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) staff, the Specialist advises on sponsor requirements, proposal timelines and budgets, required components and approvals, and reviews materials for completeness, consistency, responsiveness, and compliance with applicable regulations and University policies. The position independently manages multiple proposal activities and deadlines, provides responsive support to PIs, and contributes to improving pre-award processes, resources, and services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
Four years of related experience in a university or business environment developing budgets, project management, or proposal administration, including proposal preparation and/or identifying potential sponsors or funding opportunities.
Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple proposals, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and administrative offices.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, research administration, higher education, or a related field.
Experience working with externally sponsored proposals, grants, or similar funding applications.
Experience interpreting policies, guidelines, regulations, funding opportunities, or other complex requirements.
Experience working with budgets, financial information, or sponsored project documentation.
Experience working directly with PIs.
Experience reviewing grant proposals, proposal narratives, or technical documents.
Experience developing sponsored project budgets and budget justifications.
Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), Certified Research Administrator (CRA), or interest in pursuing professional research administration certification.
Familiarity with federal sponsors and funding mechanisms.
Familiarity with Grants.gov, Research.gov, eRA Commons, ASSIST, JustGrants, or similar sponsor submission systems.
Familiarity with institutional systems such as Maestro, FAMIS, Workday, Cayuse, or similar systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary pre-award contact for assigned PIs, departments, colleges, or research units.
Guide investigators through the proposal process, from funding opportunity identification through institutional approval and sponsor submission.
Review funding announcements, requests for proposals, sponsor policies, and submission instructions, and communicate requirements to investigators.
Assist faculty in identifying and evaluating external funding opportunities and conduct targeted funding searches as appropriate.
Develop and manage proposal timelines, checklists, and submission plans, coordinating required components, internal approvals, and sponsor deadlines.
Work with investigators to ensure proposals address the funding opportunity and sponsor review criteria.
Help investigators interpret sponsor terminology, evaluation criteria, and proposal expectations.
Provide one-on-one guidance on proposal development, budgeting, sponsor requirements, and University pre-award procedures.
Substantively review proposal narratives and technical documents for organization, completeness, consistency, clarity, formatting, and alignment with sponsor requirements, while leaving technical and scholarly content to the investigator.
Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and items requiring clarification across proposal components, and provide feedback to investigators.
Develop and review sponsored project budgets and justifications, including costs for personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, participant support, materials and supplies, consultants, subawards, indirect costs, and other expenses.
Ensure consistency among budgets, narratives, scopes of work, project periods, personnel effort, and sponsor requirements.
Review proposals for compliance with sponsor guidelines, University and System policies and procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Maintain working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), sponsor requirements, and other sponsored-project regulations and policies.
Identify proposal activities requiring coordination with Research Compliance, including human subjects, animal research, biosafety, export controls, conflicts of interest, and research security.
Coordinate with Post-Award, Research Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, and other University offices during proposal development as needed.
Prepare, review, and facilitate submissions through institutional and sponsor systems, including Grants.gov, Research.gov, ASSIST, eRA Commons, JustGrants, and other sponsor portals.
Coordinate internal routing, certifications, approvals, and supporting documentation for proposal submission.
Maintain accurate proposal records and data in the University research administration system, Maestro, for tracking and reporting.
Assist with workshops, presentations, outreach, and training related to proposal development and pre-award administration.
Support development, implementation, and continuous improvement of pre-award procedures, workflows, resources, and customer service practices.
Handle revisions and changes prior to award.
Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.