Lead - Research Grants Administration

Position Purpose:

The Lead – Research Grants Administration will oversee the full lifecycle management of internal and external research grants and contracts, from pre-award proposal support to post-award financial and compliance oversight. This role will ensure adherence to donor requirements, institutional policies, and applicable regulations while enabling faculty and researchers to effectively secure and manage external funding. The incumbent will serve as the primary liaison between principal investigators (PIs), donors, finance, legal, and other administrative units.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Pre-Award Management:

• Guide faculty and researchers in identifying funding opportunities, interpreting sponsor guidelines, and preparing competitive proposals.
• Review internal and external grant applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements and coordinate internal approvals.
• Liaise with donors/funders for clarifications and proposal submissions.

2. Post-Award Management:

• Oversee award acceptance, negotiation, and contract execution in coordination with legal and finance teams for internal and external grants.
• Track reporting deadlines, coordinate with finance team to ensure submission of financial and technical reports to funders.
• Coordinate grant amendments, extensions, and budget revisions.

3. Compliance and Project Management:

• Oversee the management of externally funded research awards, ensuring strict alignment with donor specifications and full compliance with organizational policies. Lead end-to-end project management, from initial concept development through to the successful completion of research
• Lead the management of internally funded grants by establishing a robust review mechanism, and coordinating with reviewers and faculty to ensure successful project execution. This includes overseeing call management, award announcements, ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and project closure.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Capacity Building

• Act as the primary point of contact for donors and internal stakeholders regarding grants administration.
• Provide training to faculty, researchers, and administrative staff on grants policies, grant submission portals and reporting requirements.
• Foster collaboration with finance, procurement, and HR teams to ensure smooth grant operations.

5. Process Improvement & Reporting

• Develop and implement efficient grant management processes, templates, and SOPs.
• Maintain accurate records in the grant management system and generate regular portfolio performance reports.
• Spearhead the continuous development of an indigenous project management solution for research grants, designed to streamline and enhance service delivery for the research community. Regularly optimize processes for proposal submissions, resource hiring, grant creation, budget and ethics approvals, bridge finance requests, and comprehensive project management from start to finish.

Perform any additional responsibilities, as assigned by senior management, that support the achievement of departmental and organizational objectives, whether directly or indirectly

Knowledge and Skills :

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• High attention to detail with ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners.
• Demonstrated skills in budgeting, financial monitoring, and contract management.
• Strong knowledge of donor regulations (USAID, World Bank, UN agencies, HEC, EU) and grants compliance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) :

• On-time and compliant proposal submissions.
• Minimal audit observations or compliance issues.
• Timely financial and technical reporting to donors.
• Faculty satisfaction with grants support services.
• Successful closure of grants with no outstanding liabilities.

Behaviours:

• Strong work ethic, especially in terms of punctuality, reliability, and responsiveness.
• Good with teamwork.
• Energetic and result-oriented, effective client management.
• Strong in multi-tasking and stress management.

Education:

Master’s degree in business administration, Project Management, Finance, Public Administration, or related field.

Experience:

5 - 8 years of post-qualification experience. Relevant experience will be preferred.

What We Offer:

A Learning Ecosystem

LUMS offers a dynamic work culture that encourages learning and innovation, skills development, and contribution to areas beyond your job role. You will have the opportunity to learn and interact with the best academic minds in Pakistan, as well as to work with highly experienced professionals.

Intellectual Freedom

We believe in the pursuit of knowledge, provide the freedom to explore across different disciplines and value the diverse expression of all community members for mutual learning and advancement.

Benefits

LUMS offers competitive benefits to its academic and professional colleagues including Provident Fund, Group Life Insurance, EOBI for Pension Scheme, Outpatient medical coverage for self and family, and In-patient Health Insurance for self, spouse, and dependent children.

Campus Perks

The LUMS campus offers all the facilities and amenities of a world-class university, including a Sports Complex offering international standard courts for badminton, squash, tennis, basketball and volleyball, a FINA certified 25M swimming pool, and separate gyms for women and men. In addition to the LUMS Dining Center, there is a variety of eateries across campus offering popular cuisines, a breath-taking mosque, a medical centre, the LUMS Library, car parking as well as transport facilities for females, and a professionally run Day Care Center for children of community members.

Discounts

LUMS also provides a wide range of corporate discounts and internal educational discounts to its community as a token of each member’s value to our community. Our internal educational discounts include waiver of undergraduate tuition fees of employees’ children studying at LUMS, scholarships for master’s programs in several schools, and executive development programs offered by the nationally recognized Rausing Executive Development Center (REDC).

LUMS is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive workplace for all our employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, caste, ethnicity, age, non-disqualifying physical or psychological disability or social status. Candidates belonging to minority groups are encouraged to apply.