Associate Director, Contracts & Grants

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

13d•$100,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The Department of Contracts and Grants is excited to announce an opening for an Associate Director of Contracts and Grants Administration at our University Park Campus (Credit Union Building). This leadership role is pivotal in advancing research administration operations across the university by providing strategic oversight, operational leadership, and expert guidance in the management of sponsored projects. As the Associate Director, you will over see the teams at USC that provide support to teams of officers that manage research for a variety of schools and units on the USC Campuses. You will work closely with the Executive Director to manage office operations, support and mentor staff, and serve as a critical resource to faculty, senior administrators, and external sponsors. You will play a key role in building successful relationships with the schools, faculty, sponsors and other central units we work with, shaping and implementing policy, enhancing systems, and procedures, resolving complex issues, and ensuring the highest standards of compliance and customer service in research administration. Our department is committed to upholding USC’s standards of academic freedom, research integrity, regulatory compliance, and fiscal responsibility. We pride ourselves on being trusted experts and collaborative partners in supporting the university’s research mission. In summary, the Associate Director operates as a senior strategic leader, operational authority, and primary problem-solver within the research administration environment, ensuring regulatory compliance, financial integrity, staff excellence, sponsor confidence, and faculty success across the full lifecycle of sponsored programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or related undergraduate study.
A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Contracts and Grants Administration (combined education and experience may substitute).

Nice To Haves

5+ years of experience in Contracts and Grants or Sponsored Research Administration
Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience
Strong knowledge of university policies, federal regulations, and sponsor requirements
Experience with complex negotiations, compliance matters, and systems development

Responsibilities

Complex Issue Escalation & Resolution: Serve as the senior escalation point for complex pre- and post-award issues, troubleshooting and resolving high-risk, high-complexity administrative, regulatory, financial, and contractual matters across sponsored projects.
Staff Leadership & Development: Provide comprehensive staff leadership and development, including hiring, training, mentoring, work assignment, performance evaluation, professional growth, and, when necessary, corrective action.
Deputy to the Executive Director: Function as the Executive Director’s principal deputy, assuming full managerial and operational accountability in the Director’s absence and supporting overall unit leadership and continuity.
Complex Contract Negotiation & Drafting: Negotiate and draft complex contractual agreements and legal clauses in alignment with university policy for a wide variety of sponsors, including federal, industry, non-profit, local government, and international entities.
Oversight of High-Profile & Complex Awards: Oversee the administration of particularly complex and high-profile awards, such as national research centers, program projects, and multi-institutional initiatives.
Post-Award Financial & Compliance Oversight: Provide comprehensive post-award oversight, including expenditure approvals, compliance monitoring, reporting requirements, and coordination of sponsor submissions.
Process, Systems & Service Improvement: Design, implement, and continuously improve procedures, services, and systems to enhance research administration operations and campus-wide service delivery.
Faculty, Campus & Sponsor Engagement: Cultivate strong working relationships with faculty, school-based administrators, central offices, and sponsor representatives to ensure excellent customer service, effective coordination, and successful sponsored research activity.
Leadership-Level Customer Service: Serve as a primary leadership-level point of contact for customer service, ensuring concerns are addressed promptly, professionally, and effectively.
Sponsor & Agency Liaison: Liaise directly with funding agencies to negotiate awards, establish accounts, coordinate documentation, and represent the university in official sponsor interactions.
Funding Opportunity Development: Assist faculty and staff with identifying external funding opportunities to support sponsored research and training initiatives.
Strategic Planning & Policy Development: Participate in long-range planning, policy development, and procedural enhancement, contributing to the formulation, implementation, and assessment of departmental goals and objectives.
Research Activity Reporting & Analysis: Provide ongoing reporting and analysis of research activity, offering insight into trends, risk areas, and operational performance within the assigned portfolio.
Professional Engagement & Continuous Learning: Maintain professional excellence and current expertise through participation in training programs, professional associations, and national conferences related to sponsored research administration.
Additional Duties & Evolving Responsibilities: Perform additional responsibilities as assigned, recognizing that duties may evolve with institutional needs and strategic priorities.