Assistant VP, Office of Research Administration

Job Summary:

Responsible for overseeing the research administration operations of The University of Akron, including proposal submission, contract negotiations, post-award administration, and compliance with federal, state, local and university regulations regarding management of sponsored research.

Essential Functions:

45% Daily management of the Office of Research Administration and supervision of staff.

• Serves as a member of the Office of Research Administration (ORA) management team
• Directly supervises the Manager of Pre-award Research Administration, Director of Financial Research Administration, Director of the University Vivarium, and others as assigned
• Resolves complex administrative and management problems.

• Ensures a high level of support to constituents.
• Oversees the annual ORA budget and expenditures.
• Works openly and communicates productively with multiple administrative units, including the Office of General Counsel, the Controller’s Office, colleges, and departments, and others as necessary.
• Represents ORA on university-wide committees as appropriate.

35% Oversee the preparation and submission of various research related reports to internal and external audiences including the UA Board of Trustees, federal, state, and local governments, and industry and foundation partners.

• Serves as Institutional Official for all pre-award and selected post-award activities, including grants, cooperative agreements and contracts with federal and state agencies, foundations and corporations, SAM.gov, and other federal and state portals (e.g., Grants.gov, Ohio Department of Higher Education, etc.).
• Monitors all sponsored projects proposals and awards for compliance with sponsor and UA regulations.
• Fosters compliant grants management environment by staying abreast of changes in funding agency regulations, requirements and policies.
• Reports on important issues and provides guidance on appropriate actions to resolve the issues.

15% Review, develop, and administer policies, including collaborative strategic planning, development and implementation of new administrative concepts, electronic systems, technologies, and programs.

5% Develop, deliver, and manage research administration training programs for faculty, staff, and student researchers in areas of proposal preparation and submission, grants management and compliance, and other research administration topics as needed.

Additional Position Information:

Education: Requires a relevant master’s degree.

Licenses/Certifications/Requirements: Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA) or a certificate in research administration strongly preferred.

Experience:

Required

• Requires 6-10 years of progressively responsible experience in the administration of sponsored research at a university, in the federal government, or at another research-intensive entity engaged in sponsored research.
• Experience developing and implementing research administration policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and sponsor regulations regarding research administration (including but not limited to: Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulations, NSF PPAPG, NIH Grants Policy Statement, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office suite of products.
• Experience in negotiating government and corporate contracts.
• Excellent leadership and problem-solving skills with demonstrated experience in managing, supervising and motivating professional staff in a research administration setting, some of whom are working remotely.
• Ability to develop staff and to delegate authority and responsibility.
• Demonstrated strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment across organizational units and at all levels, including faculty, college and departmental faculty and staff, central administration and senior institutional officials.
• High professional and personal integrity.

Preferred

• Experience supervising pre-award, post-award, and ancillary research operations staff.
• A working knowledge of Cayuse Sponsored Programs, Proposals (S2S), and Human Ethics.
• Proven ability to produce and deliver educational and training curriculum and complex information on technical issues to a diverse audience at all levels of the institution.

Application Instructions:

In order to be considered for this position, please complete the online application and attach your resume.

Leadership:

Responsible and accountable for the operations of a department or large program. Reports to the Vice President for Research and Business Engagement, with all management and/or administrative/professional personnel normally reporting to this position for operational coordination.

Physical Requirements:

• Job is physically comfortable; individual is normally seated and has discretion about walking, standing, etc.
• May occasionally lift very lightweight objects.

Working Conditions:

• Fully on-campus position. Standard working environment with possible minor inconveniences due to occasional noise, crowded working conditions and/or minor heating/cooling or ventilation problems.
• Near continuous use (>70% of the time) of a video display terminal.

Compensation:

The compensation for this position is commensurate with experience.

Application Deadline: Review of applicants will begin September 26, 2024

FLSA Status (exempt/nonexempt):

Union Affiliation (if applicable):

For assistance with your application or attachments, please contact the Human Resources representative listed:

Email:

Background Check Statement

The University of Akron is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and employees. The University endeavors to protect the health, welfare and safety of all students, employees and visitors on our campus. As such, all offers of employment with The University of Akron are contingent upon verification of credentials, and satisfactory completion of a criminal background check. Some positions may require additional credit investigation and a pre-employment driving record search.

Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution. View our Non-Discrimination Statement for more information. Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

State of Residence Statement

It is the expectation of the University of Akron that all work performed as an employee of the University will be performed in Ohio.