Research Development Manager

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

The Office of Research Development is a pan-University office serving the broad faculty research and scholarship community at UNC-Chapel Hill. ORD supports the Vice Chancellor for Research's campus-wide research enterprise that attracts over $1 billion in extramural funding. ORD's mission is to expand the University's capacity for innovative, groundbreaking research and scholarship by resourcing Carolina faculty and postdoctoral researchers as they work to address challenging problems for the benefit of the citizens of North Carolina.

The office's services include scholar consultations, pre-award and project team formation, funding search and project alignment, as well as a suite of proposal development services. ORD engages with representatives from federal grant-making agencies to foster dialogue around funding opportunities. The office also supports and implements several strategic initiatives on behalf of the Vice Chancellor for Research, including the Creativity Hubs, the Idea Seed Grant Program, and co-funds the Arts and Humanities Award Program with the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Finally, ORD administers Carolina's selection process for limited submission funding opportunities.

UNC Chapel Hill's ( UNC CH) research expenditures exceeded $1.6B in 2025, ranking seventh among the nation's public universities. Research efforts at UNC CH span a vast array of disciplines and continue to increase in scale and quality through collaboration across academic boundaries and by partnerships with diverse groups across the US and around the world. This approach reflects UNC CH's longstanding emphasis on a culture of interdisciplinary scholarship between and among the arts and humanities, the basic and applied physical sciences, and health science research.

The Office of Research Development, an office within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research ( OVCR), seeks a dynamic and highly motivated individual for the position of Research Development Manager to support UNC CH's growing research enterprise. The Research Development Manager advances ORD's efforts to help UNC Chapel Hill compete for large and complex external funding opportunities. The position works across schools, departments, centers, and institutes to understand UNC's research strengths, identify strategic funding opportunities, and connect faculty investigators with the collaborators, sponsor information, and proposal development resources needed to pursue major awards.

This role guides proposal efforts from early concept development through submission, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and working with departmental pre-award personnel, ORD colleagues, and sponsor contacts to shape competitive applications. The position contributes to proposal strategy, technical writing and editing, alignment of internal Strategic Research Areas with external funding priorities, and development of proposal resources that help research teams respond effectively to sponsor expectations.

The position also contributes to ORD's broader research development work by engaging with external partners, guiding internally funded teams and early-career researchers as they pursue extramural funding, and communicating timely funding intelligence to campus stakeholders through targeted opportunity notices, agency updates, newsletters, and related materials.

Master's or Bachelor's and 0-2 years' experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

Ability to communicate effectively in both writing and orally, inside and outside the University.

Experience working in research development and / or research administration. The ideal candidate will be a scientist that has supported grant submissions and/or has obtained his/her own grant funding, able to develop strong scientific understanding of different types of research being conducted at UNC-Chapel Hill, welcomes new responsibilities, and is organized and detail oriented. A publication record is expected but not required.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.