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Proposal Development Specialist
Job no: 537269
Work type: Staff
Senior management: College of Science
Department: Dean of Science
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Categories: Research / Scientific, Grants / Contracts
Job Description
The Proposal Development Specialist will collaborate with faculty in the College of Science (COS), Virginia Tech, and external partners to support proposal writing from the identification of opportunities through development and submission. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Research, this individual will work with stakeholders to support competitive federal research proposals, training grants, instrumentation proposals, and center-scale submissions, as well as proposals to foundations, industry, and state and local sponsors.
The Specialist's role is to assist with communication, organization, coordination, and compliance with sponsor requirements. The Specialist works closely with the College's pre-award and post-award grants administrators, who handle budget preparation, financial compliance, and award management, and supports COS-affiliated research centers and institutes in pursuit of external funding opportunities.
This work includes preparation of non-technical proposal documents (project summaries, facilities and resources, data management plans, mentoring plans, management plans), identifying and analyzing funding opportunities, coordinating and facilitating the work of proposal writing teams, and developing and offering training sessions to enhance proposal-writing capacity across COS. The Specialist will partner with stakeholders to prepare and manage a consistent, year-round pipeline of letters of intent, proposals, presentations, briefings, and progress/impact reports to local, state, federal, corporate, and foundation funding sources.
This position requires strong writing and oral communication skills, critical thinking and analytic skills, and a high degree of competence and organization. The successful candidate must manage multiple priorities and deadlines, work independently as well as collaboratively, and operate with discretion around confidential pre-submission materials.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in a science, engineering, communications, English, technical writing, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience in research administration, grant writing, scientific editing, or a closely related field.
• Experience writing, editing, or supporting externally funded proposals, research publications, or comparable technical documents.
• Demonstrated record of strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to engage with scientific content and communicate it clearly to varied audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, function well under the pressure of deadlines, and manage multiple, diverse projects simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, administrators, grants administrators, and external partners.
• Proficiency with standard office software, including Microsoft Office and collaborative document platforms.
Preferred Qualifications
• Graduate degree in a science, engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience with federal, foundation, or corporate grant writing, particularly in the natural or physical sciences, mathematics, or computing.
• Direct familiarity with NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, NASA, or DARPA proposal requirements and sponsor systems (e.g., Research.gov, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, PAMS).
• Experience supporting center-scale proposals, Limited Submissions, or institutional proposal reviews at a research university or national laboratory.
• Familiarity with the division of responsibilities between proposal development, pre-award administration, and post-award administration in a university setting.
• Experience with web-based research tools and funding opportunity databases (e.g., Pivot, Grant Forward, SPIN, InfoReady).
Pay Band
5
Overtime Status
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
Starting at $75,000 commensurate with experience
Hours per week
Exempt position: 40 hours scheduled and as needed
Review Date
August 24, 2026
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brandi Webb at bowens20@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Advertised: August 6, 2026
Applications close:
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