Manager, Research Administration - Pre Award
Role Overview
Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Department of Pediatrics’ pre-award grant portfolio, including oversight of ESP2 grant submissions and management of the CRA Pre-Award team. Responsible for ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant preparation and submission of federal, state, and private grant applications. Leads a centralized pre-award function supporting pediatric research and serves as a key liaison among faculty, institutional leadership, and sponsors.
Role Duties
Directly manages the CRA Pre-Award team responsible for pediatric grant submissions.
Provides hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and professional development for team members.
Establishes team priorities, workload distribution, and service level expectations aligned with departmental goals.
Sets up complex grant applications and high-risk submissions for senior staff based on experience and expertise, while strategically allocating assignments to junior team members to support training, skill development, and professional growth objectives.
Serves as escalation point for complex submissions, compliance issues, and sponsor requirements.
Promotes a culture of accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement.
Pre-Award Oversight & ESP2 Grant Management
Oversees end-to-end pre-award processes including preparation, review, and submission of grant applications.
Provides leadership for ESP2 workflows and ensures compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.
Reviews and approves complex applications, validating financial and administrative accuracy in BRAIN and sponsor systems.
Maintains submission timelines and ensures adherence to strict deadlines.
Budget Development & Application Support
Oversees development of detailed grant budgets, including personnel effort, direct/indirect costs, and subawards.
Reviews financial proposals for accuracy, compliance, and competitiveness.
Provides guidance on application components such as biosketches and facilities documentation.
Interprets sponsor guidelines and funding announcements for faculty and staff.
Training, Education & Knowledge Management
Develops and delivers training programs on grant submission processes and systems.
Creates SOPs, job aids, and standardized materials to support consistent operations.
Serves as a subject matter expert for grant policies, systems, and sponsor requirements.
Ensures team and stakeholders remain current on regulatory and sponsor changes.
Subawards & Research Collaboration
Oversees preparation and coordination of subaward documentation.
Ensures compliance for multi-site and collaborative proposals.
Collaborates with institutional offices and external partners to support submission readiness.
Stakeholder Engagement & Institutional Liaison
Serves as a primary liaison between faculty, CRA, Baylor College of Medicine, and sponsors.
Consults with investigators on submission strategy and sponsor expectations.
Process Improvement & Compliance
Identifies and implements process improvements to enhance efficiency and standardization.
Ensures adherence to institutional policies and regulatory requirements.
Contributes to system enhancements and workflow optimization.