Associate Director, Post Award

SJSU Research Foundation

38d • $135,000 - $145,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) seeks an accomplished associate director of post-award to provide strategic leadership for its post-award team. This position oversees a team of post-award professionals responsible for the management and stewardship of more than $70 M of annual expenditures each year, while advancing operational excellence, service quality, and compliance across the portfolio. As a senior-level member for the OSP leadership team, the associate director will assist in shaping post-award strategy, developing staff, and promoting consistent high-quality research administration services to faculty across the university, leveraging metrics-based tools and analytics to inform decision-making, enhance service delivery, and support operational effectiveness. The position will provide training, direction and management of a team of post-award analysts. The role oversees and manages teams engaged in documentation review, portfolio management, workload assessments, process improvements, and workflow coordination. The associate director may also serve as a support resource for the post-award teams during periods of increased workload, staff absences, or vacancies. The position will also establish and maintain professional, effective communication, both personally and across multiple platforms, with internal and external customers, including SJSU administrators, faculty, and community partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in a directly related field.
• Demonstrated management experience with increasing leadership responsibilities required.
• Advanced knowledge of research administration principles, sponsored programs, and applicable federal, state, sponsor, and institutional regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and interpret policies, procedures, and process improvements that enhance operational effectiveness and compliance.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with faculty, staff, leadership, sponsors, and external partners.
• Experience developing and delivering research administration training and engaging diverse stakeholders to support institutional research objectives.
• Must be able to operate a personal computer, including mouse and keyboard, and use standard office equipment such as a ten-key adding machine.
• Requires visual acuity for extended and concentrated computer use.
• Must be able to sit for extended periods while performing desk-based work.
• A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the SJSURF.
• The successful candidate must undergo and successfully complete the Live Scan (fingerprinting) background check as a condition of their employment.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond high school diploma/graduation equivalent.
• Experience in sponsored projects, contracts and/or research compliance administration.
• Experience and/or familiarity with Workday and Cayuse SP

Responsibilities

• Provide active, hands-on supervision of the post-award staff performing primary transactional actions related to grants, subawards, and/or contracts.
• Oversee the post-award team’s collaboration with the Accounts Receivable Team on sponsor programs' invoices and payments.
• Oversee preparation of financial reports and ensure timely technical reporting in accordance with sponsor requirements.
• Review and approve the financial report prior to submitting to the sponsor agency.
• Oversee review and approval of expenditures and cost transfers, ensuring compliance with sponsor restrictions, regulatory requirements (allowability), and availability of funds.
• Lead the post-award related audits, such as SJSURF financial annual audits, including single audit, CSU audits, or any sponsor agency audits.
• Provide expert advice to faculty and staff regarding sponsored projects and related activities.
• Serve as liaison for compliance with regulations and Foundation and university policies.
• Provide regulatory and compliance oversight and guidance to the post award team related to university policies and procedures and all applicable rules, regulations, and sponsor guidelines.
• Monitor risk and compliance concerns.
• Implement systems to track research administration reporting and metrics as well as sponsored projects deadlines and activity.
• Project and analyze long-term trends in total research funding and sponsored effort.
• Monitor onboarding and ongoing training and ensure processes are effective.
• Ensure effective ongoing training programs for research administration staff, including developing and participating in training for students, staff, and faculty on university and sponsor policies, regulations, and supporting systems.
• Participate in institutional committees for research compliance and sponsored programs administration.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to address new regulatory requirements in alignment with foundation, university, federal, and other sponsored guidelines.
• Serve as a research administration ombudsperson for faculty and staff by providing leadership and guidance in support of sponsored projects.
• Participate in long-range and strategic planning related to policy, organizational structure, process, outreach, and professional growth and development of staff.
• In coordination with leadership, assess gaps and overlaps in business processes and lead efforts to analyze and streamline processes to improve organizational metrics, performance and service levels and ensure consistency across the division.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Four company health insurance plans to choose from (employee contributions differ according to plan and level of coverage).
• Employer-paid dental and vision for both employee and eligible dependents.
• Life, AD&D, LTD with supplemental coverage opportunities.
• 14 paid federal & state holidays.
• Retirement Plan: 403 (b) employee contribution plan component and a 403 (b) employer contribution component, which vests immediately.
• Vacation-hour accruals and separate sick-hour accumulations.
• Employee discounts.
• Paid training and professional-development conferences.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager