Assistant Director, Research Administration

Leadership Responsibilities
• Serves as key part of management team, including primary supervisor of research administrators including management of international portfolios for the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as backup supervisory function of entire team in situations in which the Director is absent (i.e., vacation, business travel, sickness, etc).
• Supervise day-to-day operations of the ORGS office. Establish performance goals and develop metrics to evaluate success or areas of improvement.
• Collaborates with Director in conducting pre- and post-award grant management for College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS).
• Assists the Director in interviews, hiring, and training employees in grants management; consults on performance appraisals; mentors and educates faculty and staff on grant-related activities; establishes back-ups through cross-training.
• In conjunction with the Director, analyzes policies and processes to promote compliance, efficiency, and productivity. Works with Director to formulate and implement strategic plans for ORGS.
• Collaborates with Director in developing comprehensive training manuals and guidelines for grants management including step-by-step processes. Regularly updates training materials to reflect changes in regulations and procedures and disseminates to all CVM faculty and ORGS staff.
• Provides excellent and efficient customer service to unit leaders, Principal Investigators and fiscal administrators.
• Interprets complex grant requirements and provides guidance to faculty, staff, and administrators to support the development of competitive proposals.
• Promotes and maintains relations with other UF units (e.g., Division of Sponsored Programs, Contracts & Grants, etc).
• Stays current with relevant grant-related information and policies.
• Engages in conferences, workshops and informational development seminars to continually grow and develop professional skills.

Portfolio Management
• Maintains a set of sponsored projects with a focus on nationally- and internationally-funded projects deemed high impact/high risk.
• Leads the establishment of international collaborations.
• Schedules regular PI meetings to provide timely communications.
• Ensures skills and knowledge are kept up to date.
 
Research Administrator Support
• Advises and counsels the ORGS team by serving as a resource for RAs when problem solving and interacting with faculty on complex issues.
• Provides mentoring and training to ORGS team to ensure consistency in grants-related services, procedures, compliance, and communication.
• Provides training to ORGS team in a wide variety of topics including solicitation review, budget development and other areas related to sponsored projects.
• Updates ORGS team on changes to federal/state/institutional grant practices and policies.
• Collaborates with other UF units, colleges, and outside institutions on proposal submissions.

Compliance
• Support compliance by reviewing budgets and other submission documents and providing guidance and counsel for the stewardship of sponsored research funds and ensuring University policies and processes, Federal Uniform Administrative Requirements (2.CFR 200), and sponsor requirements and expectations are met.
• Support compliance in all other areas related to grant and contract management, including compliance registrations, safety and environmental health issues, internal protocols, conflicts of interest, etc., as related to proposal submission.
• Maintain authoritative knowledge of Uniform Guidance and other relevant grant regulatory requirements.
• Resolve mid-size compliance-related proposal issues and work with leadership on larger issues, as well as act as a resource for other staff.
• Review and consult on cost share and budget items requiring CAS exemptions.

Other Duties as Assigned
Executes other duties as assigned by Director and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.

$90,000 - $102,000

Master’s degree in an appropriate area and two years of relevant experience; or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area and four years of relevant experience.

• Experience with UFIRST, myUFL, Microsoft Office applications, and a knowledge of fiscal and Human Resources related to sponsored programs
• Global understanding of the research environment in higher education from proposal preparation, to final deliverables, and financial closeout.
• Proven leadership demonstrating the ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment leading a broad team.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Experience managing multiple projects and workflow simultaneously to maximize efficiency and pro-actively identify best practices. Strong background in project management, compliance, and process improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to relate, communicate, and cultivate effective working relationships with groups of stakeholders both internal and external to the University.
• Extensive knowledge of Uniform Guidance, and all other policies and procedures related to sponsored programs including all state, national, and international partners.
• Strong problem-solving ability.
• Evidence of growth mindset and interest in lifelong learning.

In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter, resume, and list of three references.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.