Senior Associate Director of Institutional Research Funding

Institutional Funding Programs

• Leads the full award lifecycle of OVPR's centrally administered internal funding programs.
• Manages Penn's limited submission program, through which the University nominates a single applicant to high-profile external funding competitions.

Research Funding Data Analysis and Reporting

• Responsible for research funding data analysis and reporting in support of the Vice Provost for Research.

Institutional Research Platforms

• Operational lead for OVPR-sponsored platforms that support the research community across the university.

Institutional Research Funding Communications and Training

• Plays a central and driving role in how the OVPR communicates institutional funding opportunities and builds the research funding literacy of Penn's academic community.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate brings a combination of operational rigor, analytical capability, and strong interpersonal and communication skills in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Specific qualifications include:
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a relevant field preferred.
• 7-10 years in research administration, higher education, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in grant or award administration, program management, or a closely related function in a research or higher education context.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-phase programs and workflows with attention to detail and accountability for deadlines.
• Experience working across organizational units and building effective relationships with faculty, staff, and senior administrators.
• Familiarity with research funding ecosystems, including internal award programs, limited submission processes, or sponsored research administration.
• Comfortable working with institutional or sponsored research data, with the ability to translate quantitative findings into clear narratives.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint required; experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with research information platforms such as Pivot, InfoReady, or similar systems is advantageous.
• A working fluency with AI tools (such as Claude or Gemini) in a professional context is expected.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to write clearly for varied academic audiences and to convene and facilitate groups with diplomacy and discretion.
• Comfortable presenting data, program updates, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Experience developing training or informational programming for professional audiences is a plus.

Application Requirement

A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Job Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pay Range

$110,907.00 - $135,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.