Associate Director for Research Development

Purdue University, West Lafayette

About the Role

The Associate Director for Research Development will collaborate to strengthen Purdue Engineering's research enterprise by developing and pursuing large-scale funding strategies for complex, cross-disciplinary projects. This role focuses on an entrepreneurial, problem-solving approach to explore, launch, and sustain strategic research initiatives with broad societal impact. Reporting to the Assistant Dean/CRDO, the Associate Director supports strategic planning and develops large-scale ($10M+) funding proposals aligned with Purdue Engineering's priorities in research, workforce and talent development, and research communications.

Key responsibilities include coordinating and crafting high-quality proposals to expand Purdue Engineering's center-scale research enterprise, enabling more competitive large-scale research proposals. Examples of efforts include NSF Engineering Research Centers, DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers, NSF MRSEC, NSF Regional Innovation Engines, DOE Genesis Mission, DOD center-scale competitions, and federal appropriations requests. This role will also leverage AI-enabled tools for research development, including opportunity identification, landscape analysis, and proposal preparation.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic planning and develop large-scale, multidisciplinary funding proposals under the supervision of the Assistant Dean/CRDO and in collaboration with the Associate Dean for Research and Innovation.
• Provide administrative leadership for strategic planning, large-scale grant proposals, and other initiatives to sustain a process-oriented, communicative, and efficient research development team.
• Build a learning community that encourages ambitious, multidisciplinary research by facilitating brainstorming meetings, drafting complex grant proposal content, and forging inter- and intra-institutional partnerships.
• Launch and sustain strategic planning and proposal support programs to incentivize researchers to pursue large-scale funding opportunities and enhance university-wide engagement with College of Engineering (CoE) research infrastructure.
• Identify and disseminate upcoming strategic funding opportunities targeted to CoE faculty, utilizing AI tools where relevant.
• Assist faculty in all aspects of strategic proposal development, writing, editing, and preparation, including drafting and editing non-technical proposal material (e.g., Management Plans, Communications & Outreach Plans, Broader Impacts Plans).
• Ensure exhaustive compliance with all RFP requirements and edit both technical and non-technical research proposal content.
• Develop proposal templates and boilerplate language for CoE researchers in collaboration with the proposal support team in the Office of Research.
• Identify and distill large, multidisciplinary funding opportunities from federal and non-federal sources, maintaining an AI-assisted opportunity pipeline that captures sponsor, program, funding level, deadline, and phase structure.
• Ensure faculty and research leadership are aware of extramural funding opportunities and facilitate information flow to internal audiences, including faculty, committees, leadership, and staff.
• Lead internal communications strategy, including newsletters, email, website content, and other integral communications for faculty.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Strategic Research Initiatives, Associate Dean for Research, CoE staff, and other university offices to facilitate complex grantsmanship best practices, mentorship, and training.
• Develop strategies to align funding opportunities with CoE faculty research interests and university-wide strategic priorities.
• Launch and manage programs that engage and incentivize CoE faculty to pursue large-scale funding opportunities through tailored training.
• Liaise with extramural sponsors and program officers, providing strategic planning, communications, and operational support to match researchers with strategic opportunities.
• Embark on strategic, unforeseen, and opportunistic special projects to advance the visibility, nimbleness, and funding potential of CoE's research community, including partnership formation, strategic planning committees, and new program design.
• Serve as a confidential sounding board to leadership, testing ideas, debating issues, and providing critical feedback.
• Occasional travel may be required for special projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• Four (4) years of research development, grant writing, or federal proposal development experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.

Skills

• Motivated by a team-centric culture with a focus on building enduring administrative structures and processes.
• Comfort in an entrepreneurial, risk-taking, and "start-up" environment.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders, including executive leadership, government employees, vendors, and external partners.
• Ability to develop written content for internal and external audiences, adapting narrative styles for promotional, instructional, and analytical purposes.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Working familiarity with the federal funding landscape and ability to engage credibly with faculty on technical content.
• Proficiency in specific research methods is not required, but an eagerness to learn and engage is essential.
• Demonstrated interest in applying AI tools to research development, including opportunity identification, summarization, and drafting support.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Outstanding organizational and project management skills.
• High level of discretion, good judgment, initiative, integrity, trustworthiness, diplomacy, respect, and team collaboration.
• Flexibility, collegiality, and eagerness to move projects forward in a start-up and risk-taking environment.
• Ability to multitask and respond professionally in challenging situations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's degree).
• Experience supporting center-scale or multi-institutional proposals ($5M+) to federal agency sponsors.
• Familiarity with NSF, DOE, DOD, NIH, and federal agency center-level programs.

Benefits

Purdue University offers a comprehensive benefits package. For more details, visit Purdue's benefits summary.

This position is benefits-eligible and classified as exempt (not eligible for overtime). Retirement eligibility follows the defined contribution waiting period.

About Us

The College of Engineering at Purdue University is among the best and largest engineering schools globally, with nearly 16,000 engineering students and over 500 tenure-track faculty. This role offers the opportunity to impact one of the world's most influential universities.

For more information, visit:

• College of Engineering, Purdue University
• External Recognitions Program
• College of Engineering's Social Media