Senior Pre-Award Specialist

Texas A&M University System • San Antonio, TX

1d • Onsite

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 pursuing external funding. The Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for PIs throughout the proposal lifecycle, from identifying and evaluating funding opportunities through proposal development, institutional review, and sponsor submission.

Working 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 proposal materials for completeness, consistency, responsiveness, and compliance with applicable regulations and University policies. The role helps reduce administrative burden for investigators while supporting high-quality, competitive, and compliant proposals. The Specialist independently manages multiple proposal activities and deadlines, provides timely support, and contributes to continuous improvement of pre-award processes, resources, and services.

This position is fully on-site at Texas A&M University-San Antonio and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work arrangements. The position begins Fall 2026.

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, and/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 while collaborating 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 full 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.
• Help faculty identify and evaluate external funding opportunities aligned with research, scholarly, or programmatic interests; conduct targeted funding searches as appropriate.
• Develop and manage proposal timelines, checklists, and submission plans to coordinate proposal components, internal approvals, and sponsor deadlines.
• Work with investigators to ensure proposals respond to the funding opportunity and sponsor review criteria.
• Advise investigators on sponsor terminology, evaluation criteria, proposal expectations, budgeting, and University pre-award procedures.
• Review proposal narratives and technical documents for organization, completeness, consistency, clarity, formatting, and alignment with sponsor requirements, while preserving investigators’ responsibility for technical and scholarly content.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or clarification needs across proposal components and provide feedback to investigators.
• Develop and review sponsored project budgets and justifications with investigators, including personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, participant support, materials and supplies, consultants, subawards, indirect costs, and other expenses.
• Ensure consistency among the budget, project narrative, scope of work, project period, personnel effort, and sponsor requirements.
• Review proposals for compliance with sponsor guidelines, University and System policies and procedures, and applicable federal, state, and other regulatory requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), sponsor requirements, and other applicable regulations and policies.
• Identify proposal activities requiring coordination with Research Compliance, including human subjects, animal research, biosafety, export controls, conflicts of interest, research security, and other applicable areas.
• 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 submissions.
• Maintain complete and accurate proposal records and data in the University’s Maestro research administration system 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.

What This Job Offers

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