Director Of Research Administration

Job Description

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

Req #: 233214 Department: COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Job Location: Seattle Campus Job Location Detail: Hybrid Eligible Posting Date: 08/09/2024 Closing Info: Closes On 08/23/2024 Salary: $9,000 - $11,000 per month Other Compensation: Shift: First Shift Benefits: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Together with world-class partners, the University of Washington’s College of Engineering is developing a new generation of innovators. A national leader in educating engineers, each year the College turns out new discoveries, inventions, and top-flight graduates, all contributing to the strength of our economy and the vitality of our community. As a College of Engineering employee, you can help create a real impact for our students, faculty, friends, and fellow staff while joining a community of innovators committed to building a culture where all members thrive, are valued, and feel a sense of belonging.
The CoE Office of Research is housed in the College of Engineering Dean's Office. The office manages ~ $170M in annual research expenditures for the College of Engineering. The office ensures that the College's research is conducted in a creative, efficient, and ethical manner and fosters best practices for integration research with the College's educational goals, as well as the College's commitment to inclusive excellence. As a departmentalized college, this position is expected to help support the mission of the CoE Office of Research to accelerate the translation of engineering discoveries into societal impact. Balancing compliance with service, this position helps promote the College's strategic commitment to engineering excellence for the public good. We develop critical resources and infrastructure to help faculty move their discoveries forward through partnerships both internally (with other UW colleges, schools, institutes, and centers), and externally (with other universities, industries, nonprofits, and national laboratories).
The CoE Office of Research has an outstanding opportunity for a Director of Research Administration position to support and expand the College's diverse research related activities and programs.
The Director of Research Administration, under the direction of the Vice Dean, spearheads the comprehensive management research administration within the college. This role involves strategic oversight and enhancement of processes across the entire grant and contract lifecycle, with the goal of streamlining proposal preparation, project implementation, and award execution. The Director ensures rigorous compliance with regulatory frameworks and university policies, while also developing and overseeing internal research administration and compliance policies.
In this capacity, the Director is responsible for developing and executing advanced training programs designed to equip researchers and grant administrators with the essential skills and knowledge, thereby fostering a culture of compliance, efficiency, and excellence within the academic units. The role demands a strategic approach to nurturing a robust research environment that supports and elevates diverse research activities and programs.
As a pivotal figure in the college’s research ecosystem, the Director collaborates extensively with the Vice Dean and Associate Dean for Medical Technology Innovation. They are instrumental in initiating and expanding strategic initiatives that enhance research capabilities, including contributing to strategic plans for securing institutional funding and fostering interdisciplinary projects within the College of Engineering.
The Director actively engages with leaders across the University of Washington and external organizations, facilitating partnerships that accelerate translational research. This position requires a high level of project management expertise to execute new partnerships and initiatives while working closely with other leaders in the College. Through leadership and strategic planning, the Director of Research Administration plays a crucial role in advancing the college’s research mission and achieving its long-term objectives.
The College of Engineering, comprising nine departments and one school, is a highly departmentalized unit. The Director role demands a strategic leader skilled in consensus-building, engagement, and collaboration. The College houses numerous engineering research facilities and the Collaboration Core (an administrative unit to support interdisciplinary institutes, centers, and facilities), and partners broadly to serve a broad range of UW schools and colleges, external institutions, and industries. The College also provides educational programs and training to strengthen career development among faculty and postdoctoral researchers.
Reporting directly to the Vice Dean, the Director of Research Administration will strategically identify, and address needs related to planning, organizational development, and the management of operational, personnel, and administrative functions within the College of Engineering's Office of Research. This role requires a leader who can represent the College and the University of Washington at both local and national meetings and conferences, ensuring the College's interests and achievements are prominently showcased and aligned with broader institutional goals.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Research Administration & Compliance (40%)

Serve as the College of Engineering (CoE) liaison to key university entities including the UW Office of Research, Office of Sponsored Programs, Human Subjects Division, Office of Animal Welfare, Grants & Contract Accounting, Graduate School, CoMotion (Tech Transfer), Academic Units, Institutes and Programs within CoE, and UW schools/colleges and central administrative offices involved in research.

Represent the CoE Vice Dean in campus-wide research initiatives, administrative meetings, task forces, and committees such as the Research Administration Process Improvement Team, Admin Advisory Board meetings, Research Advisory Board meetings, and Research Integrity and Compliance meetings.

Represent CoE at local research administration meetings including the UW Monthly Research Administrators Meeting (MRAM).

Serve as the approver for CoE eGC1s on behalf of the Dean, College of Engineering.

Understand, interpret, and advise researchers and grant administrators on the Grants Information Memorandum (GIMs)

Direct grant administrators on matters concerning research administration, grant submission, compliance, conflict of interest, and etc. Provide subject matter expertise and support to grant administrators on research-related activities in Workday finance, such as award set-up request, cost share, and effort reporting through the Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC) module.

Ensure all CoE research activities comply with federal, state, and institutional regulations, as well as ethical standards and guidelines. Stay updated on changes in research administration and compliance, including new sponsor and university procedures and systems, and adjust document workflows accordingly.

Provide strategic oversight to researchers to ensure adherence to compliance requirements and mitigate risks associated with their research activities, this will include working collaboratively with UW offices that oversee various compliance areas for the University such as Intellectual Property (IP), Conflict of Interest (COI), Export Controls, Data Security, Significant Financial Interests (SFI), Outside Work for Compensation (1460s) and others.

Involve CoE Human Resources on research misconduct issues that may arise to ensure proper steps are taken for correction, compliance and accountability.

Design, prepare, and interpret analytical reports on college-wide research funding and expenditure trends and projections.

Utilize data insights for strategic planning and decision-making to support the growth and sustainability of CoE research initiatives.
Research Development & Strategic Initiatives (40%)

Collaborate with the Vice Dean in developing new research and interdisciplinary partnerships, initiatives, and/or consortiums.

Lead efforts to establish new centers and institutes and identify and cultivate new engagement and outreach opportunities with current centers, departments, and institutions.

Collaborate with the CoE Collaboration Core to improve and/or expand existing centers, institutes, and initiatives.

Provide strategic advice to CoE researchers and program teams, guiding the design, execution, and evaluation of center and institute programs and projects.

Leverage industry connections and opportunities to support research initiatives, working closely with the CoE Corporate & Foundations Relations (CFR) team.

Oversee the preparation and execution of letters of support and memorandum of understanding, ensuring they adhere to UW, state, and federal policies.

Manage institutional review committees, including member recruitment, review coordination, recommendation delivery to college leadership, and ongoing program evaluation and improvement.

Provide strategic recommendations to visioning committees on behalf of the Vice Dean and/or College, assisting in the realization of their objectives.

Collaborate with faculty and College leadership, as well as the Offices of Marketing and Communications and Advancement, to create and assess scientific content for strategic initiatives.

Oversee the development and execution of high-profile events featuring distinguished guests, enhancing the College's visibility and impact.
Leadership & Training (10%)

Lead CoE researchers and grant administrators in comprehending and adhering to University of Washington and sponsor research administration policies.

Coordinate college-wide communities of practice, workshops, meetings, and/or training events tailored for grant administrators and/or faculty researchers as needed.

Design and implement strategic training programs and educational resources to inform researchers and grant administrators about research compliance policies and procedures.

Lead initiatives to innovate and enhance research administration processes that includes the development, evaluation, and refinement of CoE research administration policies and procedures.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement by regularly assessing and updating policies and procedures.

Compose and disseminate routine communications regarding policy changes, compliance updates, sponsor requirements, and emerging research trends as necessary.
Supervision (5%)

Oversee the day-to-day activities of the CoE Office of Research Administration Program Operations Specialist, including recruitment and hiring processes, training oversight, performance management, and leave approval.

Offer consistent coaching and feedback to enhance employee performance; actively engage in performance management initiatives, including setting clear objectives, regular performance evaluations, and career development planning.
Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Represent the College of Engineering (CoE) at university and research meetings, acting as a strategic liaison.

Lead high-impact project management for emerging initiatives, strategically mobilizing resources, and directing efforts to ensure alignment with organizational goals and successful project outcomes.

Provide executive-level oversight and direction to project teams, ensuring optimal performance and timely achievement of milestones.
Supervisory Responsibilities

Manage and supervise the daily operations of a 1.0 FTE Program Operations Specialist, including overseeing recruitment and hiring procedures, training coordination, performance evaluation, and approval of leave requests.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Research Development, and/or engineering/science discipline, or related field and

5+ years of formal experience in a related industry Position with a minimum of three years of experience with preparing, writing, and submitting local and Federal grant proposals, and acting on grants that have been awarded (e.g., project completion and submitting final reports to the granting agency).
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for minimum education/experience qualifications except when there are legal licensing requirements to perform minimum job duties on first day of work.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

In-depth knowledge of federal, state, and institutional regulations and ethical standards related to research.

Ability to work effectively in the face of ambiguity, maintain an openness to new ideas, and facilitate innovation within a distributed organization.

Ability to effectively manage up, including anticipating superiors' needs, providing timely updates, and proactively seeking guidance to ensure alignment with organizational goals and priorities.

Extensive project or program management experience involving complex and/or open-ended projects, development of project charters, setting program requirements, prioritizing program goals, and evaluating program success criteria.

Experience with managing budgets and running projections.

Experience writing and editing technical scientific content.

Ability to communicate respectfully, effectively, and professionally in written and verbal formats; and the ability to explain, present, or distill complex information for various audiences.

Proven ability to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders and manage complex projects.

Experience in leading meetings and giving presentations.

Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Advanced proficiency with standard office software tools (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe, Teams, Zoom).

Experience working independently and leading individuals or groups of faculty, administrators, and/or staff in a research setting.

Adept in using diplomacy and collaborative skills to build relationships with diverse stakeholders in a matrixed team environment.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Master's degree in a project management, research development, and/or engineering/science discipline, or related field.

Experience working at the University of Washington, in higher education, or a large academic research center.
Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected] .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .

Apply for this job