Grant Specialist, Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Grant Specialist, Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Entity: Aga Khan University

Location: Karachi

Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standard relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital has well-equipped investigative services and provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities.

The Grant Specialist will support the Faculty of Arts & Sciences in the effective administration, coordination, and strategic development of research and academic grants. The role combines grant administration with pre-award grant exploration and support, ensuring compliance with institutional and donor requirements while proactively identifying funding opportunities aligned with faculty priorities. The position works closely with faculty members, programme/ research offices, finance, research support units, and external funding agencies to strengthen FAS’s grant portfolio and funding sustainability.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

This is a contractual position for a period of 8 months.

Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for:

1. Grant Administration

• Serve as the primary administrative contact for awarded grants within FAS.
• Support faculty and PIs in understanding grant terms and conditions, deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements.
• Coordinate grant initiation processes, including documentation, approvals, and internal clearances.
• Monitor grant budgets in collaboration with finance to ensure appropriate utilization and compliance with donor and institutional policies.
• Track grant milestones, reporting deadlines, and deliverables, and send timely reminders to PIs.
• Assist in the preparation and submission of financial and narrative reports, in coordination with faculty and finance teams.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date grant records, databases, and documentation.
• Support audits, reviews, and donor queries related to grants.
• Ensure adherence to ethical, legal, and compliance requirements across all funded projects.

2. Grant Identification & Development Support

• Proactively search for and circulate relevant funding opportunities (local, regional, and international) aligned with FAS research, teaching, and outreach priorities.
• Maintain a regularly updated repository of funding calls, deadlines, and eligibility criteria.
• Coordinate internal review processes for proposals where required.
• Facilitate collaborations by identifying potential funding partners, donors, and cross-disciplinary opportunities.
• Track submission outcomes and maintain data on success rates and funding trends.
• Support faculty in early-stage grant development by
  • 
    Interpreting calls for proposals
  • 
    Advising on eligibility and institutional requirements
  • 
    Coordinating internal approvals and endorsements
• 
  Assist with administrative components of grant proposals, including:
  • 
    Budget templates and justifications
  • 
    Supporting documents and institutional information
  • 
    Submission checklists and timelines

3. Strategic & Capacity-Building Support

• Contribute to the development of internal grant calendars and planning tools.
• Assist in organizing grant-related workshops, information sessions, or capacity-building activities for faculty and staff.
• Prepare periodic reports and dashboards on grant activity, pipeline status, and performance metrics.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of grant-related policies, processes, and templates within FAS.

4. Coordination & Communication

• Act as a liaison between faculty and central administrative units on grant-related matters.
• Ensure clear, timely, and professional communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support knowledge-sharing by documenting best practices, FAQs, and lessons learned from funded projects.

5. Other Research Support

• Provides administrative and technical support to faculty research projects as required.
• Assist with research documentation including (in some cases)

i. Research plans, progress reports, ethics submissions, and

ii. Research guidelines

• Support data collection logistics, research events, workshops, and seminars where relevant.
• Assist in maintaining institutional records of research outputs (such as publications and grants).
• Serve as administrative support for the Faculty Research Committee including minuting, briefing notes, and supporting documents in consultation with the Chair.
• Maintain an organized archive of committee documents and correspondence.
• Support day-to-day operations of the research office, including some communications, including liasoning with university offices.

Requirements:

You should have:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred (Social Sciences, Management, Education, Public Policy, or related fields.
• Prior experience in grant administration, research support, or project management (preferably in higher education or development sectors)
• Skills & Competencies:
  
  1. Strong organizational and project management skills
  
  2. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  
  3. High attention to detail and compliance orientation
  
  4. Ability to manage multiple grants and deadlines simultaneously
  
  5. Financial literacy and comfort working with budgets
  
  6. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse stakeholders
  
  7. Proficiency in MS Office / Google Workspace; familiarity with grant management systems (PURE) is an asset
• 
  Key Deliverable:
  
  1. Well-maintained grant tracking system and documentation
  
  2. Timely submission of grant reports and compliance documents
  
  3. Regular dissemination of relevant funding opportunities
  
  4. Administrative support for high-quality, compliant grant proposals
  
  5. Periodic grant performance and pipeline reports for leadership
• 
  Key Performance Indicators (Indicative)
  
  1. Timeliness and accuracy of grant reporting
  
  2. Compliance with donor and institutional requirements
  
  3. Accuracy and effectiveness of grant tracking and documentation
  
  4. Number and relevance of funding opportunities shared
  
  5. Faculty satisfaction with grant support services
  
  6. Contribution to increased grant submissions and success rates
  
  7. Timely and effective research operations and FRC support

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.