Assistant Director, Research Administration

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

15h•$95,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The Assistant Director provides day-to-day operational leadership for sponsored research administration, including workflow execution, quality control, compliance readiness, and staff development. The role serves as an escalation point for complex or high-risk proposals and awards and partners with CLAS leadership and central offices (e.g., Division of Sponsored Programs and Contracts & Grants) to implement policies, procedures, and training that improve consistency and customer service.

Requirements

Master’s degree in appropriate area of specialization and two years of appropriate experience or a bachelor’s degree in appropriate areas of specialization and four years of experience.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated knowledge of sponsored research administration, including university/state/federal requirements and sponsor guidelines.
Experience with research administration systems/tools (e.g., UFIRST and sponsor portals).
Strong analytical/problem-solving skills; ability to manage competing deadlines; excellent customer service and communication skills.
Knowledge of contract and grant management, accounting principles, databases/accounting systems, payroll/personnel procedures, and MS Office tools.

Responsibilities

Research Administration Operations, Policy, and Service Delivery Provide leadership for day-to-day sponsored research operations (pre- and post-award), including standardized workflows, intake/triage, quality review, and service expectations.
Establish and maintain internal review standards/checklists; identify issues and direct corrective actions prior to proposal submission and/or award processing.
Partner with the Associate Dean for Research and anticipated Director to develop, implement, and maintain college policies and procedures for proposal preparation, award management, and compliance.
Develop guidance and training resources that support consistent practices and strong customer service.
Ensure timely resolution of escalated issues requiring coordination with Principal Investigators, departments, colleges, and central offices.
Compliance Monitoring, Fiscal Oversight, and Audit Readiness Lead and coordinate routine monitoring of awards and internal controls to support fiscal compliance and assurance of allowability/allocability, effort/salary appropriateness, and sponsor terms.
Define the review cadence and documentation expectations for periodic reconciliations.
Track exceptions and ensure timely follow-up with responsible parties.
Provide technical assistance for complex or high-risk situations; coordinate with principal investigators, departments, and central offices to remediate issues.
Support audit readiness through organized records, consistent practices, and issue trend analysis.
People Leadership and Staff Development Provide direct or functional supervision for CLAS Research Office staff as assigned.
Assist with recruiting, onboarding, training, workload balancing, and performance support.
Set and monitor team goals and workflow metrics.
Conduct regular work reviews for accuracy and consistency.
Ensure continuity of operations during peak cycles and staff transitions.
Build and maintain a structured training environment and mentoring approach that strengthens best practices and customer service across the team.
Liaison and Stakeholder Management Serve as a key liaison with central research administration offices (e.g., DSP and Division of Contracts & Grants) and, as appropriate, sponsor contacts.
Determine escalation pathways and coordinate issue resolution across investigators, departments, and core offices.
Support proposal submission, award set-up, amendments, reporting, and closeout needs.
Communicate expectations and timelines to stakeholders to maintain momentum and compliance.
Reporting, Dashboards, and Communications Infrastructure Support development of office reporting related to proposals, awards, and expenditures.
Track service delivery measures and compliance calendars.
Contribute to communications (e.g., reference materials, web content, and process guidance) that help units understand requirements, deadlines, and office expectations.