Senior Research Development Specialist

The Office of Research Development (Research Development) sits within the Tufts University Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) and supports the research and training pursuits of the Tufts research community in grantsmanship and development of groundbreaking proposals for funding, showcasing ideas on the cutting edge of their fields. We place a high value on a service-oriented approach and a collaborative mindset. Learn more about us here.

We are seeking an experienced Research Development professional with a passion for driving growth and innovation in a dynamic research environment. The Senior Research Development Specialist partners to help faculty, staff and administrators in the creation of highly competitive and complex extramural grant proposals, particularly in the areas of science (including social science), engineering, technology, education, and international programs.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborates with faculty and groups of faculty to develop strong, highly competitive proposals through team building, partnerships, strategic planning, grantsmanship editing, and writing
• Applying depth of knowledge of federal funding agencies and their priorities, provides grantsmanship editing and writing support for individual investigators and groups of faculty applying for extramural funding
• Works with the Director and Associate Director to identify priorities, disseminate funding opportunities, and provide support for individual investigators and teams of investigators to enhance competitiveness for extramural funding
• Completes special projects for the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to further Tufts' research and research funding goals
• Leads special projects of moderate scope to increase the range and effectiveness of research development services
• Trains and mentors less experienced research development staff and interns

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills typically acquired through completion of a Master's degree OR Bachelors degree and 5+ years of experience working in research development, grantsmanship, editing and writing
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with teams of stakeholders toward a common goal
• Ability to use MS Office and related word processing and design software
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Proven track record of secure funding for research initiatives
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to write clearly and persuasively
• Knowledge of research funding agencies and the grant proposal process

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with federal government grant proposals (e.g., NSF, NIH, USDA, Department of Education, etc.)
• Experience working in an academic research environment