Sponsored Project Administrator (Pre-Award)

Teachers College, Columbia University•New York, NY

21h•$75,000 - $83,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sponsored Project Administrator (SPA) provides comprehensive pre-award research administration support to faculty, departments, and research centers within a highly active Ivy League research environment. Reporting to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), the SPA manages a diverse portfolio of sponsored research activities and serves as a subject matter expert on sponsor and institutional policies. The position supports the full lifecycle of proposal development while contributing to institutional compliance, risk mitigation, and continuous process improvement amid increasing proposal volume and regulatory complexity.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Two to three years of pre-award sponsored research administration experience at an institution of higher education.
Demonstrated working knowledge of federal and non-federal sponsor regulations and policies.
Experience with electronic research administration systems, including Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov, and proposal tracking platforms.
Strong proficiency with spreadsheet and document applications (e.g., Excel, Word).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
Ability to interpret complex regulatory and programmatic requirements.
Demonstrated analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team-based environment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced knowledge of federal research regulations affecting higher education.
Experience using grants management systems such as Cayuse (Sponsored Projects, Fund Manager, Outside Interests).
Familiarity with programmatic and center-level grant development.
Experience developing training materials and guidance documentation for faculty and staff.
Experience supporting complex, multi-institutional, or collaborative research proposals.
Professional certification (e.g., CRA) or active participation in sponsored research professional organizations.

Responsibilities

Provide end-to-end pre-award support for federal, state, foundation, and industry-sponsored proposals- this includes to any state, city and federal contracting
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned faculty and departments for proposal development and submission.
Interpret and advise on Requests for Proposals (RFPs), funding announcements, and sponsor guidelines.
Develop, review, and finalize detailed proposal budgets and budget justifications in compliance with sponsor and institutional policies.
Ensure compliance with federal regulations (2 CFR 200), sponsor-specific requirements, and institutional policies.
Coordinate proposal preparation, internal review, and electronic submission through systems such as Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov, and Cayuse S2S
Manage internal proposal routing and approvals, ensuring timely and accurate submission.
Draft, review, and negotiate subawards, memoranda of understanding, and related agreements in coordination with legal counsel and risk management.
Identify and assess compliance risks, eligibility concerns, and proposal vulnerabilities; recommend mitigation strategies.
Maintain and support institutional and investigator registrations (e.g., SAM.gov, eRA Commons, Research.gov).
Collaborate with post-award staff to ensure smooth proposal-to-award transition and accurate award setup.
Provide guidance to faculty and departmental administrators on sponsor expectations, compliance obligations, and best practices.
Support training initiatives for faculty and staff related to proposal development, sponsor policy updates, and systems use.
Monitor changes in sponsor policies, systems, and compliance requirements; advise OSP leadership accordingly.
Participate in national sponsored research meetings, trainings, and professional organizations to maintain current expertise.
Contribute to the development and refinement of institutional workflows, standard operating procedures, and process improvements.
Perform special projects and other duties as assigned by the OSP Director