Your Responsibilities

The Grant Office is a central hub at ISTA, enabling our researchers to secure and manage competitive external funding from national and international sources. The unit plays a strategic role in ISTA’s mission to conduct world-class research.The Grant Office consists of two teams - Pre-Award (application preparation and submission) and Post-Award (contract negotiation and financial management) - led by experienced team leads. Working closely with research coordinators, a dedicated legal expert, and specialists in digitalization, the Head of the Grant Office provides vision, leadership, and strategic oversight to ensure ISTA researchers are supported at the highest level. Beyond its core function, the Grant Office is also a driver of innovation in science administration, shaping processes across the institute. Close collaboration with other central units, such as HR and Finance, is a key part of this role.

• Lead, inspire, and develop a strong and motivated team (currently ~20 members, including 2 team leads)
• Provide strategic direction for the Grant Office, ensuring alignment with ISTA’s growth and research strategy
• Ensure smooth operations across the full grant lifecycle, from proposal to project completion
• Drive process innovation and digitalization in collaboration with other administrative units
• Liaise with national and international external stakeholders including funding bodies, cooperation partners, and auditors
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership, researchers, and administrative peers

Your Profile

• Academic degree and several years of experience in research administration, grant management, or comparable fields
• Proven leadership experience in an international environment; ability to lead through both direct and indirect reports
• Strong strategic mindset with a proactive, innovative approach to science administration
• Experience in process optimization and/or digital transformation of administrative workflows
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trustful relationships across functions
• Fluency in English; good working knowledge of German

ISTA is growing. Grow with us!

Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is a constantly growing international institute for conducting world-class research in mathematics, computer science, life sciences & physical sciences. We strive to recruit passionate professionals from across the world over all fields who strive to support our goal of excellent research. Located within a beautiful campus on the outskirts of Vienna, we offer multiple opportunities for personal growth in a stable working environment. Get an insight!

ISTA promotes a diverse and inclusive working environment and is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all applicants, free of discrimination. All employment decisions at ISTA are based on job requirements, qualifications, merit and organizational needs. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

Your benefits

Education & training

Cafeteria

Childcare

Free shuttle bus

Multiple health offers

Pension insurance

Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0) 2243 9000-0 | www.ista.ac.at