Administrative Director, Research Operations, Neuroscience Institute

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

19h•$124,342 - $180,898•Hybrid

About The Position

The Administrative Director of Research Operations is the operational leader for the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute’s (NSI) grant-funded research portfolio, supporting investigators in the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery. Reporting to the NSI Senior Director of Research, this position translates Institute research strategy into daily operations and is accountable for operating performance, workforce deployment, service standards, process execution, financial stewardship, and operational risk escalation. The Director leads a research administration team of approximately 30 research administrators and financial analysts organized into Research Administration Units (RAUs), which provide dedicated, end-to-end support to related research and clinical divisions from proposal through closeout. The Director directly supervises the NSI Senior Manager, Research Financial Planning & Analytics and the NSI Senior Manager, Sponsored Research Operations & Compliance. The portfolio consists of standing, grant-funded research supported primarily by federal and foundation sponsors. The NSI manages approximately $420 million in annual research expenditures and more than 2,000 active grants across MGB research sites. The role ensures investigators and research programs receive responsive, dependable, high-quality research administration support through well-defined pre- and post-award workflows, clear award-lifecycle ownership, effective use of institutional systems, reliable staffing and backup coverage, and strong financial stewardship and compliance. The Director partners with the Senior Director and other stakeholders to build a consistent, investigator-centered operating model, guide organizational change, use portfolio data to inform decisions, and plan for research growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, health administration, or a related field.
At least 6 years of research administration experience at an academic medical center or research university, covering both pre-award and post-award work.
At least 3 years managing managers and large teams, ideally across several departments or units.
Deep working knowledge of federal sponsored research regulations and policies, including NIH Grants Policy, effort reporting, cost transfers, and related research administration requirements.
Track record of standardizing workflows, writing standard operating procedures, and building internal controls across groups with differing practices.
Strong financial skills, including reconciliation, forecasting, and portfolio reporting.
Clear communication skills and ability to work with principal investigators, department leaders, and central offices and lead teams through change.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree, such as an MBA, MHA, MPA, or similar.
CRA (Certified Research Administrator) or similar certification.
Experience in a large academic health system and integrating department-based research operations into a shared model.
Hands-on experience with electronic research administration (eRA) systems and leadership dashboards.
Working knowledge of clinical trial operations, including relevant administrative and financial processes, to support coordination and collaboration with the Clinical Trial Center.

Responsibilities

Translate Institute research strategy into operating plans, annual priorities, measurable service standards, and accountability for the grant-funded portfolio.
Direct the NSI Research Administrative Operating Model and ensure services are organized, resourced, and aligned with Institute and department priorities.
Design and refine the RAU structure with Chairs, Vice Chairs, and the Senior Director; assign new programs and awards to RAUs.
Set clear ownership across the award lifecycle, including rebudgets, no-cost extensions, and modifications.
Track and report performance measures, including proposal turnaround, reconciliation timeliness, closeout status, staff-to-award ratios, and service quality.
Lead process improvements to make operations more efficient, consistent, and scalable.
Build effective partnerships between principal investigators and research administration teams, maintain accessibility, and use investigator feedback to improve operations.
Oversee pre-award workflows, proposal development support, and timely, accurate submissions across RAUs.
Oversee post-award management, including award setup, monthly reconciliation, effort reporting, cost transfers, progress and financial reports, subcontract monitoring, and checklist-based closeout.
Oversee standard operating procedures, practice standards, training, quality reviews, and internal controls.
Partner with central research management offices to support compliance with federal and non-federal sponsor requirements and hospital policies, and communicate relevant policy and regulatory changes.
Maintain audit readiness, serve as the primary operational escalation point, and raise enterprise risks to the Senior Director.
Promote effective use of research systems and establish troubleshooting and escalation paths.
Serve as operational liaison to Research Management, Research Finance, Materials Management/Accounts Payable, Human Resources, and other central offices.
Oversee forecasting, trend analysis, resource planning, and financial modeling.
Ensure investigators receive accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports and leadership receives timely dashboards on portfolio performance and risk.
Monitor sponsored accounts, identify shortfalls and over- or underspending early, and recommend corrective action.
Maintain consistent grant budget preparation practices, including direct and indirect costs, and coordinate review and approval of sponsored expenditures with the Senior Director.
Work with principal investigators and department leaders to identify salary sources and process salary distribution changes on time.
Provide operational data and financial analysis to support planning for research growth, investments, and budget challenges.
Lead the two Senior Managers and RAU-based research administrators and financial analysts; promote collaboration, clear roles, communication, and effective workflows.
Set staffing models and staff-to-award ratios according to portfolio size and complexity, and establish cross-training and backup coverage.
Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, retention, and career development.
Manage personnel actions with Human Resources, including hiring, Workday transactions, performance reviews, and corrective action up to termination.
Balance workloads across RAUs and provide interim leadership to RAUs in transition.
Lead change management and continuous improvement, including efficiency and resource-use projects.
Ensure salary equity and foster a diverse, inclusive, development-focused workplace.
Attend Institute and department meetings to advance research activities.
Perform other related duties assigned by the Senior Director.