APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research (OSVPR) is seeking candidates for the position of Associate Director – Proposal Development, in the Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Office (SIRO). This office provides active support for proposal development, submission, and management of large-team multidisciplinary proposals across all Penn State institutes, colleges, and campuses. 

SIRO supports pre-award functions and project management for multi-college and multi-institutional efforts, while the Finance Office (FO) within OSVPR provides post-award support for the complex large-team funded proposals. SIRO functions are divided into three sub-units for these large proposals – Proposal Development, Pre-Award Administration, and Project Management. The Associate Director of Proposal Development within SIRO will assist in leading a team of proposal developers and reports to the Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Strategic Initiatives. This is a leadership position ensuring that all facets of proposal development for large-scale, multi-disciplinary research projects are being addressed in a timely manner. 

Responsibilities: The responsibilities for this position include the following:

• Manage a creative team of proposal developers.
• Oversee the quality assurance of proposal development processes.
• Provide strategic input on all proposal sections (technical and non-technical).
• Advise PIs on team organization and solicitation requirements.
• Assist PIs with specialized writing, graphics, and proposal organization (training grants, international proposals).
• Collaborate with faculty and research units to translate ideas into competitive proposals.
• Partner with research administration to ensure compliance and management plans meet requirements.
• Develop submission guidelines based on federal agency requirements.
• Partner with the limited submissions team on organizing proposal workshops and conducting long-range planning for large federal and foundation proposals.
• Coordinate broader impact and outreach activities in proposals (partnering across campus units).
• May Participate in Agency Review Panels.

Education and Experience: This position will be filled at the Manager level, with the minimum qualifications being a Bachelor's degree and 8+ years of relevant experience, including 3+ years of supervisory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Other qualifications include th