Senior Director of Sponsored Projects Office

Primary Purpose

The Senior Director’s primary charge is to promote research and grant activity. The Sr. Director provides the leadership and strategic vision for positioning the Sponsored Projects Office as a campus leader in creating a robust research infrastructure and fostering a thriving community of scholars that is actively engaged in projects supported by external sponsors. The Sr. Director is responsible for administrative oversight of all pre- and post-award functions of the Sponsored Projects Office. The Sr. Director is also responsible for ensuring that all pre- and post-award functions are in compliance with all relevant regulations and laws and serving as an institutional liaison with federal and non-federal sponsors. The Sr. Director is regularly consulted by Deans and senior management on issues ranging from research expenditures, indirect costs, and external partnerships. The Sr. Director routinely makes decisions on behalf of the University involving expenditures of federal dollars, and offers guidance and instruction to individual faculty overseeing external awards.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Oversee research and grant activity
• Lead, develop and implement strategic, innovative programs and strategies for increasing the external funding base, fostering a community of scholars actively engaged in research and grant activity, presenting workshops for faculty and staff on grant processes, and sustaining a robust SPO infrastructure
• Present campus programs on grant opportunities and processes with SPO staff
• Advocate for internal and external support for research, scholarship and creative activity
• Execute, develop and implement short and long range strategic plans to position the Sponsored Projects Office as a campus leader in creating a robust research infrastructure
• Develops long-term strategic alliances and partnerships to measurably improve the University’s research infrastructure
• Collaborates with staff from Human Resources, General Counsel, University Finance Office, Information Services, the College and schools, centers of distinction, and administrative units to conduct analyses and develop recommendations to improve the integration of processes and practices associated with award management issues in order to strengthen the overall research infrastructure
• Conducts analyses, researches issues, and prepares reports to collaborate closely with individuals in Development to be sure funds are appropriately counted
• Oversee the revision and maintenance of a robust, user-friendly SPO website
• Chair an internal SPO Advisory Board
• Attend and present at professional conferences and workshops to help stay up to date with federal regulations and legislation affecting grant awards
• Advise the Associate Provost for Research with analysis on research activities and allocation of resources
• Oversee two Faculty Associates charged with enhancing overall SPO support to differing units.
• Administration Of All SPO Functions
• Lead SPO staff to facilitate the development of multi-component proposals, including the development of complex budgets, review of agency guidelines, and submission of proposals and other required submission materials
• Oversee professional, high quality services are provided in the development, preparation and submission of external grant and contract proposals, award negotiation, and post-award set-up, accounting, close-out and audits
• Oversee internal standard operating procedures are carefully documented, regularly updated, and routinely followed in SPO functions
• Proposal preparation and award negotiations for major projects
• Acts as the lead SPO staff member on the preparation and submission of major projects
• Negotiates terms and conditions for awards and contracts, including interfacing with CFR (Code of Federal Regulation)
• Lead contract discussions around MOUs, NDAs, IP ownership, unique IDC structures and distributions, and logistical considerations of where and how research will be executed with the ever-increasing number of external partnerships under SPO
• Compliance As Related To SPO Functions
• Stay up to date with OMB circulars as well as federal/state/local government award policies and legislative mandates
• Update standard operating procedures and, as needed, develop new procedures to ensure SCU is in compliance with all sponsor terms and conditions, university and campus policies, applicable federal, state and local regulations and requirements
• Communicate compliance information to awardees as needed
• Work with the Director of Research Compliance and Integrity to ensure SPO is in compliance as required by all relevant regulations and laws
• Staff supervision
• Directly supervise Pre-award Specialist and Accountants
• Provide cross-training opportunities
• Develop and implement professional development plans for all staff members
• Overseeing Faculty Associates
• Provides leadership, strategy, and vision to a diverse team of staff involved in the review, approval, negotiation, and administration of research, educational, and public service proposals, grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and sub-awards and may include ancillary research agreements
• Parameters of external partnerships including IP and IDC structure
• Negotiating institutional IDC rates with Department of Health and Human Resources
• Increasing partnerships and training opportunities with other institutes of higher ed (particularly Jesuit institutions)
• Grant writing to increase institutional capacity for research infrastructure
• Reviewing and updating research policies and procedures
• Codifying policies, procedures, and practices for industry research partnerships
• Special projects
• Prepare and lead negotiations with indirect cost rate proposal preparation every three years
• Other projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required. Doctorate degree preferred.
• 12 - 15 years experience in research and sponsored projects administration.
• At least five years of experience in contract and award negotiations.
• Experience in staff supervision.
• Demonstrated knowledge of a wide array of funding agency policies and federal regulations related to research/sponsored projects administration.
• Demonstrated knowledge of policies and procedures relating to electronic research administration, including Grants.gov, FastLane and eCommons.
• A record of significant leadership experience in research and administrative operation.
• Evidence of strong communication skills (writing, editorial, interpersonal skills).
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from diverse disciplines and at varying organizational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under the pressure of externally determined deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to handle multiple tasks, work independently and be detail-oriented.
• Demonstrated ability to complete projects from inception to implementation.
• Professional service-oriented demeanor.
• Understand and support the values and ideals of Jesuit education.