Director of Grants and Sponsored Research

Department: University Advancement
Reports to: Associate Vice President for Development
FTE: 0.75 | FLSA Status: Exempt
Effective Date: November 2025
Location: Linfield University, McMinnville, OR

Why Join Linfield University?

Linfield University invites applications for the position of Director of Grants and Sponsored Research. This role plans, implements, and manages the grant development functions of the University, including opportunities from foundations, corporations, and local, state, and federal government agencies.

The Director is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and management of each grant opportunity, with a strong focus on pre-award responsibilities, compliance, and award management throughout the grant lifecycle—from proposal through reporting and close-out.

Working collaboratively with University leadership, the Director will recommend grant opportunities that advance strategic goals across the University and within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, and School of Nursing.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Grant Strategy and Oversight

• Lead and manage all university-wide grant-seeking efforts.
• Represent the university to funding agencies and maintain external relationships.
• Establish strategic priorities for grant development in collaboration with university leadership.
• Identify prospective foundation, government, and corporate grant funders.
• Cultivate relationships with prospective funding organizations, independently or in partnership with university officials.
• Oversee the preparation, internal approval process, and submission of grant proposals and inquiries.
• Maintain comprehensive records of grant opportunities, submissions, and outcomes.
• Evaluate and enhance institutional grant development capacity.

Faculty Support and Internal Consulting

• Serve as a resource to faculty on all aspects of grant development and administration.
• Guide faculty in identifying funding opportunities, developing proposals, and managing awards.
• Promote internal awareness of grant and sponsored research opportunities.
• Provide training and informational sessions on grant processes and compliance.
• Ensure faculty understanding of federally mandated policies related to grant seeking and administration (e.g., Research Misconduct, Financial Conflict of Interest).
• Maintain and update resources available on the faculty grants website.

Post-Award Administration and Compliance

• Oversee post-award grant administration, including financial stewardship and compliance.
• Coordinate award setup, modifications, and closeout procedures.
• Monitor expenditures (in collaboration with Grants Accounting), procurement, cost-sharing, compliance with funder requirements, and the need for no-cost extensions in collaboration with Principal Investigators and/or project personnel.
• Coordinate reporting for all Linfield employees and consultants involved in grant projects.
• Develop institutional policies as needed in response to federal agency requirements.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policy and funding guidelines and regulations.
• Serve as system administrator for electronic research administration systems (e.g., NIH, NSF).

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Act as a liaison between Advancement and Academic Affairs to align grant efforts with university goals.
• Coordinate with the Advancement Development Team to support integrated fundraising strategies.
• Collaborate with Grants Accounting to manage drawdowns of awards and mon