Pre-award proposal manager - European R&D projects

Funding Opportunity Identification & Proposal Development

• Proactively identify and analyse funding opportunities in European R&I programs, in collaboration with the Business Director and the CEO to track relevant calls and funding schemes that are strategic for SFC and can contribute to the development of its products and services. This will include Horizon Europe, Interreg, Life+, Eurostars, Creative Europe, Erasmus+, among others.
• Screening of other funding opportunities that can complement the SFC project portfolio (e.g. national, regional and local calls, calls from foundations, banks or NGOs, embassies, etc.), thinking out of the box.
• Prioritisation of opportunities based on their connection to the business strategy and needs of SFC, the funding rates and the possibilities of success of the call.
• Lead the preparation, structuring (planning and budgeting), writing and submission of project proposals, ensuring excellence and compliance with funding requirements, strategic priorities and evaluation criteria, and coordinating the internal writing team (pursuing the necessary technical, administrative and financial contributions).
• For proposals led by SFC, consortium building, coordination of the overall communication with the partners, organization of periodic meetings, coordination of external and internal writing and proposal preparation (including the budget), contribution to proposal writing and to administrative related tasks (including gathering relevant information from the partners as needed, with the support of the administration team when requiered).
• Develop key proposal sections, including excellence, impact, and implementation, ensuring a clear, compelling, and structured narrative.
• Internal coordination of the appointed SFC writing team during the proposal phase to develop project plans, define tasks, timelines and budgets, accomplishing calls and bids requirements.
• Manage and develop international consortia, ensuring smooth communication with partners and supporting partner search as needed.

Representation & Networking

• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, including universities, research organizations, industry partners, and EU or international funding bodies through the signature of long-term collaboration agreements.
• Attend Info Days and other relevant events to stay up-to-date of EU funding programs, policies, and evaluation criteria to enhance proposal success rates, as well as making new contacts and bringing new opportunities to SFC.
• Actively participate in EU R&D policy discussions, consortia-building meetings, and brokerage events to stay ahead of emerging trends and opportunities.
• Coordination with the Business Director to manage all leads and contacts generated to foster new business opportunities beyond the research projects.
• Support internal capacity building by organising trainings and sharing knowledge and best practices in EU proposal development to the operations, administrative and financial teams as required.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Engineering, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Business Development and Administration, International Relations, Political Sciences, or related disciplines).
• Innovation management, Project Management, European Policies, or other related technical training is a plus.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in European R&I proposal writing, both as partner and coordinator, with a strong knowledge in Horizon Europe and other EU funding schemes such as Interreg, Erasmus+, Life+, Creative Europe, etc.
• Valuable experience in other type of funding and fundrising opportunities, including national, regional and local calls, or opportunities lead by foundations, banks, embassies or other funding bodies.
• Knowledge of EU policies and funding schemes is a must.
• Previous experience should cover the whole cycle: screening of relevant calls, criteria for selecting the most interesting opportunities, networking with peers to build consortia, consortium management, planning and budgeting, coordination of proposal writing with the support of the operations and the financial team (plus the partners) until submission, guaranteeing the compliance with internal and external deadlines.
• Knowledge and previous experience in citizen science, collaborative research, science communication, co-creation, public engagement in science, open data, GDPR and science for policy is a plus.
• Knowledge and previous experience in business models, exploitation strategies and IPR is a plus.
• Knowledge of new digital technologies and AI applied to the work environment is a plus.
• Previous experience in building long-term collaboration agreements with universities, research institutions and/or private actors is a plus.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English, with strong writing and editing skills.
• Spanish is a must and Catalan is a plus.

Interpersonal skills

• Proactive, results oriented, committed, and highly motivated individual.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple proposals in parallel, with the support of the operations and the administration and financial team, guaranteeing the compliance with the deadlines.
• Strong coordination skills and problem resolution.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills to engage with EU institutions, research entities, and industry partners.
• A nose for business.
• High level of organization, attention to detail and excellence.
• Strategic thinking for detecting and prioritising opportunities, building strategies and partnerships.
• Ability to make decisions and take risks when needed.
• Capacity to adapt to changing priorities and to work effectively under pressure.
• Sensitivity to work in multicultural environments and to embed the inclusivity and gender perspective into research.
• Ability to work in teams and individually.
• A person with a purpose, willing to lead and push projects that make an impact and matter to society and to the world.

What We Offer

• A dynamic and international work environment.
• Professional growth opportunities, including training in EU R&D funding and our unique areas of expertise.
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options (2 remote working days).
• A nice office with a terrace in the centre of Barcelona.
• Coffee, fruit and biscuits to share with a young and motivated team, interested in improving society and our planet with a gender perspective, with a huge mix of interdisciplinary knowledge… and, above all, a super nice team! :)