Senior Pre-Award Specialist at Texas A&M University-San Antonio in San Antonio, TX

Job description

Job Title Senior Pre-Award Specialist Agency Texas A&M University - San Antonio Department Division of Research & Innovation Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate Job Location San Antonio, Texas Job Type Staff Job Description The Division of Research and Innovation at Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) invites applications for a Senior Pre-Award Specialist beginning Fall 2026. Senior Pre-Award Specialist, under the direction of the Vice President for Research, provides comprehensive pre-award and proposal development support to PIs and staff pursuing external funding. The position serves as a primary point of contact for Principal Investigators (PIs) throughout the proposal lifecycle, from identification and evaluation of 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 provides hands on guidance in interpreting sponsor requirements, developing proposal timelines and budgets, coordinating required components and approvals, and reviewing proposal materials for completeness, consistency, responsiveness to sponsor requirements and review criteria, and compliance with applicable regulations and University policies. The position serves as a knowledgeable resource to PIs, helping reduce administrative burden while supporting the development and submission of high-quality, competitive, and compliant proposals. The Specialist is expected to independently manage multiple proposal activities and deadlines, provide timely and responsive PIs support, and contribute to the 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. Responsibilities: Serve as the primary pre-award contact for assigned PIs, departments, colleges, or research units. Guide investigators through the full proposal process from identification of a funding opportunity through institutional approval and sponsor submission. Review funding opportunity announcements, requests for proposals, sponsor policies, and submission instructions and communicate requirements clearly to investigators. Assist faculty in identifying and evaluating external funding opportunities aligned with research, scholarly, or programmatic interests and conduct targeted funding searches as appropriate. Develop and manage proposal timelines, checklists, and submission plans to coordinate required components, internal approvals, and sponsor deadlines. Work collaboratively with investigators to ensure proposals are responsive to the funding opportunity and sponsor review criteria. Assist investigators in interpreting sponsor terminology, evaluation criteria, and proposal expectations. Provide one-on-one consultation and guidance to faculty and staff regarding proposal development, budgeting, sponsor requirements, and University pre-award procedures. Perform substantive review of proposal narratives and technical documents for organization, completeness, consistency, clarity, formatting, and alignment with sponsor requirements, while preserving the investigator's responsibility for the technical and scholarly content. Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or areas requiring clarification across proposal components and provide feedback and guidance to investigators. Develop and review sponsored project budgets and budget justifications in collaboration with investigators, including personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, participant support, materials and supplies, consultants, subawards, indirect costs, and other project expenses. Ensure consistency among the proposed 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,