Job Details

Research Development Associate

Position Number: 7206281
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Position Type: Sponsored Programs, Grants, and Contracts

Research Development Associate

Job Summary

The University of Utah is seeking an experienced Research Development Associate to support the development of large, complex, interdisciplinary research proposals. This position is part of the Large Infrastructure Funding Team (LIFT) within the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research.

LIFT supports center-scale, multi-investigator, and other large strategic funding opportunities - most commonly federal proposals exceeding $5M. The team partners with faculty to shape, coordinate, and strengthen proposals to maximize competitiveness.

This position is full time, benefited position with a hybrid schedule (approximately two days per week on campus).

About the Role
This role focuses on strategic proposal development and integration. Faculty authors develop the scientific content; this position ensures that proposals are well-framed, coherent, funder-aligned, and executable.

The Research Development Associate will serve as a lead integrator on large-scale proposals, working closely with faculty, proposal team members, and research administration staff to guide proposals from concept through submission.

Core responsibilities include:

Strategic framing and concept development for large-scale proposals aligned with university priorities
Narrative integration and substantive editing of multi-author documents
Proposal architecture and planning, including structuring sections and aligning content to sponsor expectations
Facilitation of interdisciplinary teams, including guiding key decisions related to scope, positioning, and partnerships

Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

The department may choose to hire at any of the below job levels and associated pay rates based on their business need and budget.

Responsibilities
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of the position. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Proposal Development
Lead early-stage concept development and framing discussions with faculty teams
Translate complex scientific ideas into clear, funder-aligned positioning
Identify competitive strengths, gaps, and opportunities relative to sponsor priorities

Narrative Integration & Editing
Integrate contributions from multiple authors into a cohesive, compelling proposal
Provide substantive editing focused on clarity, structure, and reviewer perspective
Ensure alignment with sponsor review criteria and expectations

Proposal Planning & Team Facilitation
Establish timelines, milestones, and deliverables
Facilitate meetings to drive progress and decision-making
Guide teams through key proposal development phases, including red-team reviews

Collaboration & Coordination
Partner with research administration, pre-award staff, and leadership
Coordinate interdisciplinary teams and external partners
Contribute to proposal tools, templates, and best practices

Funding Strategy & Landscape Awareness
Interpret and identify funding opportunity announcements and sponsor priorities
Provide strategic guidance on targeting and positioning proposals
Support development of teams for future center-scale opportunities

What This Role Does NOT Do
Does not write full scientific proposals on behalf of faculty
Does not manage submission systems (e.g., Cayuse)
Does not replace departmental pre-award or budget development functions

Minimum Qualifications
EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).
Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels:
Research Development Associate, III: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.

Research Development Associate, IV: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 8 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 6 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences
Strong candidates will demonstrate:
1. Experience supporting large, complex, multi-investigator proposals (center-scale preferred)
2. Ability to interpret funding solicitations and align proposals to sponsor priorities
3. Exceptional writing and editing skills with technical content
4. Experience facilitating interdisciplinary teams
5. Strong organizational skills in deadline-driven environments
6. Ability to provide constructive guidance to senior faculty and stakeholders
7. Willingness to work flexibly to meet proposal deadlines

Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate:
Thinks strategically about how to position research ideas for funding success
Is comfortable working with senior faculty and guiding complex discussions
Can balance big-picture thinking with attention to detail
Excels at synthesizing and integrating information from multiple sources
Thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

Special Instructions

Requisition Number: PRN45231B
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Work Schedule Summary: This role will will typically be M-F & standard business hours. This position supports and contributes to a wide variety of external grants with different deadlines. Some nights and weekends may be required based on needs of the business. This is a hybrid position with a required 2-3 days in office, on campus. No fully-remote option is available.
Department: 00639 - VP for Research
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: $70,000 - $95,000
Close Date: 8/29/2026
Open Until Filled:

To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/202986