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The Opportunity:
The Research Development Specialist III serves as the technical lead for the Proposal Development pillar of the RD team. The position's responsibilities include strategic planning and coordination of proposal development services, advanced faculty consultation, support for complex proposal opportunities, development of institutional resources and training programs, creation of communications and reporting materials, and continuous improvement of proposal development practices that strengthen institutional research competitiveness.
Classification Title: Contracts and Grants Specialist III
Reponsibilities:
Serves as the lead proposal development consultant (copyediting, peer review facilitation, proposal review and annotation, grantsmanship) for faculty investigators and research teams. Facilitates proposal planning meetings, advises on proposal strategy and sponsor requirements, and coordinates support across stakeholders.
Leads or coordinates support for large-scale, interdisciplinary, multi-investigator, and multi-institutional proposal efforts (EARLIER). Guides proposal strategy, team science and coordination, proposal integration, and development of unified proposal narratives.
Oversees development and continuous improvement of proposal templates, boilerplate language, proposal libraries, sample materials, guides, checklists, and institutional proposal content.
Provides strategic direction for Proposal Development services, establishes priorities, develops workflows and best practices, evaluates service effectiveness using appropriate metrics and coordinates continuous improvement efforts that support institutional research competitiveness.
Oversees development of proposal graphics, visual communication products, timelines, logic models, organizational charts, and other materials that strengthen proposal effectiveness and reviewer accessibility.
Leads development and delivery of grantwriting workshops, educational materials, training resources, and faculty development initiatives that strengthen institutional proposal capacity.
Oversees development and maintenance of researcher-facing resources, website content, and online materials supporting proposal development services.
Develops and coordinates success stories, award highlights, proposal activity reports, and communications demonstrating proposal development outcomes and impact.
Other Duties as Assigned: Performs special projects and other duties assigned in support of Research Development operations and university research priorities.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's or Master's degree and 4+ years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).
Preferred Qualifications:
Basic expertise with graphic design principles/tools.
Experience supporting federal grants and interdisciplinary teams.
Experience supporting the preparation of grant proposals.
Experience working in a deadline-driven environment and the ability to meet deadlines.
Special Instructions to the Applicants:
The anticipated salary range for this position is $56,030 to $68,636.50. The final salary will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and internal equity considerations.
If you are selected as the final candidate for an employment opportunity, both your position and salary will be significantly based upon the information that you have provided in your application for employment. We urge you to please take the time to complete the application.
All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.
Classification Title: Contracts and Grants Specialist III
Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?
As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 12 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills, and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.
Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:
Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
Retirement savings options
Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
Education assistance
And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.
Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.
Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.
Department
Office of Research - OperationsWork Schedule
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pmType of Appointment
RegularExpected Salary
$56,030.00 to NegotiableJob Posting End Date
09-23-2026-12-00-AMThe University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.
As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.
UCF is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.
For general application or posting questions, please email [email protected].
If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please email [email protected].
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