Assistant Director, Grants and Committee Management

Title: Assistant Director, Grants and Committee Management

remote type

Hybrid

locations

Chicago, IL

time type

Full time

job requisition id

JR32286

Job Description:

Department

Global - International Collaborations & Programming
About the Department

UChicago Global advances the University of Chicago’s strategic priorities abroad and creates opportunities for global collaborations. Located in the Office of the President, UChicago Global maintains a unique bird’s eye view of the University’s engagement across academic units and around the world. UChicago Global offers a collection of programmatic and operational best practices, seed funding for collaborative research, safeguards to ensure compliance, and a deep understanding of the global landscape.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director, Grants and Committee Management reports to the Senior Director for Global Initiatives and Strategy and serves as the primary steward of UChicago Global’s suite of internal funding mechanisms, which currently include five regional mechanisms as part of the Provost’s Global Faculty Awards (PGFA) and a partnership co-funding initiative. The PGFA seeds projects that mobilize UChicago faculty across borders to engage in transformative research partnerships with the global community. The grants provide support across all disciplines represented at the University and engage our Global Centers located in Beijing, Hong Kong and Delhi. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, refining, and overseeing all components of the award lifecycle, from drafting calls for proposals to managing the review process, tracking spending, and developing compelling impact narratives that communicate the value of these investments to University leadership and external audiences.

The Assistant Director also guides and supports the faculty committees responsible for selecting projects funded in each region, serving as the central coordinator for committee operations, membership onboarding, and strategic engagement with UChicago Global and the University’s Global Centers. Additionally, the role contributes to fundraising and external partnership efforts by developing donor-ready proposals and surfacing new funding opportunities that advance the University’s global engagement. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional organizational, analytical, and writing skills; strong judgment; and a proactive, collaborative, and service-oriented approach.

This role provides professional support for pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with moderate guidance and utilizes knowledge of University and business drivers.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the lead facilitator for the University’s five regional funding mechanisms and partnership funding initiative, working closely with faculty leads and the Senior Director for Global Initiatives and Strategy.
• Oversees and continuously improves the full lifecycle of each mechanism: prepare guidelines, draft calls for proposals, coordinate the review and selection process, and serve as the primary contact for committee members and faculty applicants pre-award.
• Administers the annual International Research Center for Fundamental Scientific Discovery (IRC Discovery) grant mechanism in coordination with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) along with any new funding mechanisms launched by UChicago Global.
• In partnership with the Office of the Provost, coordinates the selection of faculty directors, chairs, and steering committee members.
• Develops and implements onboarding processes and engagement strategies that ensure committees are active, informed, and connected to UChicago Global’s broader mission.
• Staffs and facilitates all committee meetings, ensuring smooth operations, clear communication, and strong alignment between committee leadership and UChicago Global.
• Collects grant reporting and assesses outcomes for the 70+ faculty grants awarded annually.
• Analyzes data and translates findings into impact stories that highlight the value of funded projects.
• Collaborates with the Director of Global Communications and global center teams to amplify outcomes through external communications, including social media, newsletters, and news stories.
• Maintains a repository of metrics, narratives, and visual materials that demonstrate the reach and impact of UChicago Global’s funding mechanisms.
• Supports UChicago Global’s development efforts by drafting compelling donor proposals, identifying relevant external funders both for UChicago Global and PGFA awardees, and developing strategies to communicate opportunities.
• Builds strong working knowledge of related services and resources across campus to ensure smooth referral and collaboration.
• Advises faculty and staff on key services, supports, and funding opportunities offered by UChicago Global.
• Develops and maintains resources and guidance for awarded faculty and acts as a liaison to the Global Centers and Global Operations teams regarding grant execution.
• Provides strategic guidance, technical support, and targeted resources to UChicago faculty and staff engaged in global work.
• Seeks new avenues of funding and grant opportunities and ensures that notices of relevant opportunities are brought to faculty attention.
• Reviews all applications against University guidelines, in addition to drafting progress reports, non-completing applications, amendments, and budgeting. Responsible for all data entry and preparation of grant reports and trend analysis.
• Handles straightforward post-award activities including account creations, regulatory and compliance monitoring, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, cost center charges, equipment inventory, invoice preparation, grant closing process, and account closing.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Graduate degree.

Experience:

• Developing and maintaining systems and change management efforts engaging administrative colleagues.
• Working in a global context or with global partners.
• Grant management and client-facing work experience.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of project management principles, practices, techniques, and tools.
• Knowledge of higher education and the University of Chicago.
• Familiarity with Salesforce and InfoReady, or other grant management tools.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders in a diverse community.
• Refine processes and follow strict grant management schedule.
• Set priorities and manage multiple projects; demonstrated experience working on a portfolio with competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information, exercise discretion, and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills.
• Work independently and as part of a team.
• Operate in a fast-paced environment and deal with ambiguity.

Working Conditions

• Early mornings, evenings or weekend work may be required on occasion.
• May include international travel to UChicago’s Global Centers, once annually maximum.
• Minimal physical effort. Typical tasks will require keyboarding; bending; stooping to reach files; light lifting; sitting; standing.
• Hybrid work schedule: in office 2 days per week, work from home 3 days per week. However, there may be times that attendance in office will be required.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• 3-5 References Contact Information (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$72,000.00 - $93,240.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.