Assistant Director of Research Financial Services

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

About The Position

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a preeminent center for discovery, learning, and engagement, committed to serving people from every background. Through collaboration across Wisconsin and with partners around the world, UW–Madison faculty, staff, and students work to address some of the most urgent and complex challenges facing society. UW–Madison is also one of the world’s leading research universities, consistently ranking among the top public universities in the nation for research expenditures. The university receives more than $1.5 billion annually in sponsored project awards and submits more than 4,000 proposals each year requesting over $2.5 billion in funding. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), a unit reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR), supports this highly active research enterprise, managing approximately 9,000 active projects valued at nearly $4 billion. The Assistant Director of Research Financial Services plays a key leadership role in supporting this extensive research portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Research Financial Services, this position provides leadership and oversight for the core financial management functions associated with sponsored grants and contracts. The Assistant Director leads managers and Post-Award teams, helps ensure consistent and effective operations, and contributes to the development of practices and services that support researchers and administrators across the university. This position comes at an important time for RSP and offers a significant opportunity to help shape its future. RSP is evolving its operations, services, and approaches to research administration to better meet the needs of UW–Madison’s research community. The Assistant Director will be an important part of that work; helping strengthen Post-Award operations, develop effective and sustainable practices, and influence how research administration is delivered across the university. For a collaborative and forward-thinking leader, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on both RSP and UW–Madison’s broader research enterprise.

Requirements

Leadership of Post-Award research administration, including oversight of sponsored project financial and administrative activities.
Management of research administration operations, policies, and best practices, including award terms and conditions, compliance, and award management.
Strong communication, interpersonal, and collaborative skills, with the ability to work effectively across organizational units and levels.
Bachelor's Degree is Required.
Eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment.

Nice To Haves

Strong working knowledge of federal and non-federal grant and contract administration, including applicable regulations, policies, and requirements.
Supervision, development, and motivation of professional and administrative staff.
Development, implementation, or use of electronic systems and training programs that support research administration.
Degree in Business, Accounting, or closely related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
Develops and monitors the budget
Serves as a liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information and representing the interests of the institution
Directs strategic planning initiatives and establishes project objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and/or staffing resources, and alignment with the strategic plan
Approves or reviews processes or activities related to financial compliance, audit, or reporting on behalf of the institution
Directs service-oriented training and outreach to communicate and implement policies and procedures related to post-award research administration operations