Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Office of Grants and Awards manages all stages of the process to apply for, receive, and administer external funding at Swarthmore College. Grants and Awards is a central part of Swarthmore’s new ASPIRE Offices: the Affiliated Sponsored Projects, Institutional Relations, and Research Integrity and Engagement Offices. ASPIRE represents a focus on cooperative and collaborative work across research supporting offices on campus, with particular attention to proactive faculty outreach. As such, the Grants and Awards Office works closely with the offices of the Provost, Finance, and Communications, in addition to building relationships with faculty across campus to cultivate funding opportunities that can promote and expand the exciting and cutting edge research and scholarship activities with which they are engaged.

The opportunity:

The Assistant Director of Proposal Development (Natural Sciences and Engineering) works closely with the Executive Director, Grants and Awards, and faculty members in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Division to support the pursuit of external funding for science research and scholarship. The Grants and Awards office conducts prospect research, establishes and maintains relationships with funders, prepares new proposals, and coordinates proposal development for the sciences at Swarthmore College. The Assistant Director will work collaboratively to identify funding needs and prepare successful grant applications in the natural sciences and engineering, as well as supporting training, communications, and operations related to faculty grants. The Assistant Director works with the Executive Director, Grants and Awards, and members of the Swarthmore community to contribute to strengthening support structures for faculty research, primarily in the natural sciences and engineering.

Essential Responsibilities

• Supports individual faculty members in the production and submission of grant applications through project management and interpreting proposal requirements, award terms, and regulatory and compliance issues.
• As appropriate, assists with the development and writing of institutional portions of proposals, reports, supplementary documents, and correspondence in support of faculty grant proposals.
• Advises faculty on points of contact and procedures for obtaining proposal budget approval (in conjunction with the Grants Accountant and Provost’s Office) and evaluating narratives and budgets for compliance with grantor guidelines and alignment with final budget approved by the Grants Accountant.
• Coordinates and tracks the proposal routing process using Cayuse to obtain all required institutional signatures prior to submission.
• Tracks proposals and awards and monitors and updates status in support of normal departmental workflows and Institutional Effectiveness (IE) assessments.
• Develops and maintains up-to-date knowledge and expertise in sponsors' regulations, policies, and procedures. Provides updates and/or training and serves as a resource in the implementation of procedural changes to conform to policy as required.
• Keeps abreast of sponsored research trends through interaction with colleagues in professional associations (e.g., CLASP, SRA, NCURA) and reading industry literature (e.g., Chronicle of Higher Education) and federal and private funder web sites.
• Maintains curated lists of funding opportunities for faculty on the website and in Pivot.
• Designs and disseminates information about grant seeking and funding opportunities in alignment with the College’s best practices for communication.
• Provides technical assistance and implements training activities for faculty in support of grant seeking in alignment with best practices for faculty development.
• Helps manage and design content for the website to support faculty recognition efforts and to provide faculty with timely access to information about external funding opportunities, policies and procedures, and trainings.
• Supports the design and implementation of electronic administrative systems that support sponsored research operations.
• Coordinates with diverse constituencies across campus to ensure effective pre-award support for humanities and humanistic social science faculty.

Who you are:

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across departments and divisions, with all levels of constituents, under minimal supervision, in order to meet established goals.
• Ability to work well with faculty and fellow staff members; pay attention to details; meet deadlines for proposals; creatively approach solving problems; understanding of technology and ability to adapt to new tech; proactive communications.
• Desire to learn and connect with others within the field of sponsored programs.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with excellent editorial and proofreading abilities in written work.
• Commitment to Grants and Awards Institutional Effectiveness (IE) goals and the mission of the College and the Provost’s Office.
• Strong organization skills; strong data skills; ability to handle multiple tasks; ability to work under deadlines and prioritize workload; ability to reprioritize quickly as new information about sponsor’s, clients’, supervisor’s, and/or colleagues’ needs become clear; ability to work in a supportive and collaborative fashion within the department and with a diverse range of clients and colleagues; ability to communicate technical details clearly and respectfully to colleagues who may be unfamiliar with the process described.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least three years of experience in a higher education or research institution setting, preferably involving grants management or research administration or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Familiarity with grant proposal preparation, submission, and identifying potential funding sources, particularly prominent science and engineering funders such as the NSF and NIH.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and translate granting agency regulations and requirements.
• Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, and database software as well as familiarity with online grant submission portals.
• On occasion, may be required to work outside of normal office hours, including nights and weekends, to complete tasks required to meet deadlines and to engage with faculty and on- and off-campus partners as part of our efforts to build a supportive grants community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experience working in a college or university setting.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with pay expectations, including a resume and cover letter, by October 18, 2024. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled.

PA Criminal Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Review the 2024 Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and those with underrepresented identities are encouraged to apply.