Position Function:
Mississippi EPSCoR plays a pivotal role in strengthening the state's research ecosystem by securing resources and building capacity that empowers researchers statewide. The Research Development Coordinator will play a pivotal role in these efforts by facilitating collaborations across universities and disciplines and guiding teams to submission of complex, high-value proposals.
This position will operate with a high degree of autonomy to identify and understand funding landscapes, manage interdisciplinary proposal teams, and mentor faculty and research support staff on best practices in grantsmanship. The successful candidate will directly influence the long-term success and sustainability of critical research infrastructure and research development initiatives across the state.
Salary Grade: 14
Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Lead the full lifecycle of complex proposal development, working with individuals and teams at all levels to ensure successful integration of all grant application components and compliance with sponsor requirements.
• Deconstruct complex solicitations (RFPs/FOAs) to identify critical requirements and strategic scoring drivers, producing high-level roadmaps and timelines for proposal teams.
• Perform strategic "Red Team" reviews, critically evaluating narratives for logic, persuasion, and alignment with sponsor priorities, while providing actionable feedback to strengthen the specific aims and significance.
• Partner with project teams on research design and logic modeling, helping to identify capacity gaps and align project objectives.
• Assist with the creation of budgets and budget justifications that align financial resources with project scope, and review for accuracy and compliance.
• Orchestrate submission logistics across multiple institutions, coordinating directly with Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) to ensure seamless proposal submission.
• Develop data-driven institutional assets (e.g., economic impact statements, capacity descriptions) that enrich grant narratives and demonstrate the broader impact of Mississippi's research ecosystem.
• Conduct intelligence gathering to identify and disseminate high-value funding opportunities and strategize the development of proposals.
• Curate a comprehensive library of proposal assets, including institutional data, boilerplates, and facilities descriptions, to reduce administrative burden and accelerate proposal generation.
• Plan, prepare, and present a wide variety of educational and training programs and workshops to strengthen the capacity of grant seekers and support personnel, while also conducting outreach to individuals and institutions to promote these offerings.
• Cultivate relationships with federal program officers and agency representatives to facilitate technical assistance for Mississippi investigators.
• Participate in professional development activities to enrich skills and institutional knowledge.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Experience: Three (3) years of experience with extramural grants and contracts in an academic setting
Preferred Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Five years’ experience with progressive responsibility for research development activities, including significant editing and advising responsibilities.
• Demonstrated successful experience in research development in a higher education setting, with a proven record of support for funded projects.
• Recognized professional certification(s) in Research Development, Research Administration, and/or Project Management (e.g., CRA, CPRA, PMP, RDP).
• Active membership and engagement with one or more research administration or development organizations.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge of higher education infrastructure and ability to analyze, interpret, and apply federal and non-federal regulations related to proposal development.
• Proven ability to work with researchers on proposals submitted to federal and other funding agencies (e.g., NSF, NIH, Dept of Ed., foundations, etc.).
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; proficiency in report and proposal writing.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, creating, and presenting high-quality educational and informational resources.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to convene and motivate a team.
• Strong interpersonal/human relations skills and the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships that foster a high level of trust.
• Ability to organize, analyze, and interpret complex or technical data and make it understandable to a broad range of audiences.
• Proficiency with relevant office technology and software, funder-specific platforms, and management of database information.
• Ability to work under pressure of internal and external deadlines in a calm, efficient, and confident manner.
• Demonstrated successful experience in proposal writing and managing.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
• No or very limited physical effort required.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risk.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
Instructions for Applying:
Link to apply: http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/
Link to apply: http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/
Restricted Clause:
Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.
