ORS Research Administration Director

About the role

The School of Education's Office of Research and Scholarship (ORS) is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking leader to serve as Director of Research Administration. This position provides strategic leadership for the School's comprehensive research administration program, overseeing pre-award and research compliance functions that support a diverse portfolio of externally funded research, scholarship, and creative activity.

Responsibilities

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Develops, conducts, and administers training initiatives for faculty, staff, and other stakeholders in areas related to research administration
• Oversees pre-award and/or post-award research administration activities
• Directs and coordinates staff, systems, and procedures related to the processing of sponsor supported grants, contracts, and agreements on a daily basis
• Oversees division compliance related to sponsored grants and contracts
• Establishes, implements, and maintains policy and procedures for sponsored project administration
• Serves as a liaison to internal and external leadership and stakeholders
• Advises principal investigators, leadership, and central grants administration, interacts with granting agencies regarding policy interpretation, and provides recommendations for successful outcomes
• Facilitates internal or external audits of grants and contracts

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, higher education administration, accounting, finance, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, sponsored programs, grants management, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience managing the full lifecycle of sponsored projects, including pre-award, post-award, and compliance functions
• Experience supervising and developing professional staff and leading teams in a complex organizational environment
• Knowledge of federal regulations governing sponsored research, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and sponsor requirements from agencies such as NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, and other federal and non-federal sponsors
• Experience developing and implementing policies, procedures, and operational improvements to support research administration functions
• Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships and collaborate with faculty, administrators, and campus partners
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues, exercise sound judgment, and make independent decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a related field
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or other research administration certification
• Experience supporting sponsored research in an R1 higher education institution
• Experience leading both pre-award and post-award functions within a centralized or shared-services environment
• Experience with research compliance areas such as effort reporting, conflict of interest, research security, subrecipient monitoring, export controls, or cost sharing
• Experience managing organizational change, process improvement initiatives, or implementation of new systems and technologies
• Experience using data analytics and reporting tools to support decision-making and operational effectiveness
• Experience with Workday, Tableau, Cayuse, Huron, or similar enterprise administration systems
• Demonstrated success leading service-oriented teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Experience supporting a diverse portfolio of federal, state, foundation, and industry-sponsored projects

Benefits

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.

Pay

Minimum: $150,000 Commensurate with qualifications and experience.