Director of AUC-GRANTED Operations

Spelman College Portal•Atlanta, GA

11d

About The Position

The incumbent will play a key role in planning, implementing, and evaluating activities that facilitate operations for the NSF -funded Atlanta University Center ( AUC )- GRANTED project, which is a collaboration between Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University. This includes assisting in the development, implementation, evaluation and/or revision of policies and procedures relating to operational activities that directly impact research leadership, research development, research administration, and research and technology commercialization as outlined in the AUC - GRANTED project description; establishing cooperative/collaborative working relationships between the AUC institutions; and assisting with the development and implementation of seminars, meetings and workshops and other dissemination activities. This position requires an in-depth understanding of and expertise with project management and shared service models for supporting multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research efforts. This position will be responsible for the day-to-day responsibilities of the AUC - GRANTED Project and will report to the Vice Provost for Research (PI of AUC - GRANTED project) with a matrix line reporting to the Director of Research Development & Sponsored Programs (co-PI of the AUC - GRANTED project). The individual will be required to interface with a multitude of stakeholders within Spelman, within the AUC , and external to the AUC .

Requirements

Master’s Degree required.
A minimum of five years of project management, organizational leadership, or project director experience with multi-disciplinary/multi-institutional settings and/or projects is required.
A professional demeanor with the ability to interface with internal and external customers with diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality is essential.
Independent judgment is necessary to plan, prioritize, and organize a diversified workload with attention to detail.
The ability to work effectively under pressure, demonstrate initiative, and promote teamwork is a key asset in the role.
Excellent oral and written communication skills are required when providing information and responding to questions from internal and external customers in one-on-one or group situations.
Good proofreading skills are essential.
Strong customer service, communication, and time management skills.
Strong leadership skills and extensive knowledge of principles and practices of project planning, development, management, and evaluation.
Detail-oriented, accurate, analytical, and organized.
Significant knowledge and experience with research administration and shared service models.
Ability to make optimal use of information technology in the recording, retrieval/fact-finding, compilation, and reporting of data and information.
Successfully plan and effectively implement programs and activities, particularly those that are novel;
Effectively present information and respond to questions from all levels of administration, faculty, staff, students, and the general public;
Write reports, proposals, business correspondence, journal articles, and procedure manuals;
Develop compelling presentations and marketing materials and/or social media posts;
Interact with governmental agencies, private foundations, businesses, and/or other organizations;
Work in a college setting and with diverse communities.
Advanced level computer skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook, Visio, or other workflow tools, developing dashboards, and use of project management tools.
Initiative, innovation, and creative thought to successfully execute the goals and objectives of the AUC - GRANTED Project with fidelity.
Team player with the ability to build and maintain effective collaborative working relationships with faculty, students, and staff at AUC - GRANTED institutions as well as with external stakeholders and collaborators, using the principles of outstanding customer service.

Nice To Haves

In addition to producing correspondence, memos and emails, duties may involve assignments that require creating proposals, articles, complex spreadsheets containing formulas and pivot tables, compelling presentations (PowerPoint, CANVA , Prezi), newsletters, reports, tables, graphs, or other accessible visualizations.
The use of applications such as SmartSheet, Ellucian Banner Financial Module, Qualtrics, Google Forms, and social media platforms are essential components of the job.
Being a quick learner and agility with any new platforms and systems are highly desired.

Responsibilities

Assists the AUC - GRANTED Steering Committee in the implementation of project goals, objectives, policies, and procedures that align with the mission of AUC - GRANTED .
Supports planning, implementation, and management of programs and activities related to research leadership, research development, research administration, and research and technology commercialization.
Organizes and facilitates the meetings for the AUC - GRANTED Steering Committee to maintain the effective implementation of project activities.
Identifies/develops, implements, and assists to manage improvements of shared service agreements, policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and the blueprint for the dissemination of shared support models for AUC - GRANTED operations.
Maintains liaison with departments, institutes, and centers within the AUC - GRANTED institutions to coordinate existing research support activities and resources, and/or initiate new activities and acquire additional resources as needed.
Works closely with the evaluation team to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of AUC - GRANTED activities, collect data, investigate trends, and recommend and implement modifications to improve effectiveness.
Interfaces with external organizations as appropriate to ensure cooperative efforts with research partners and collaborators, particularly with the MARDAC group.
Assists in the development and publication of reports for the AUC Council of Chief Academic Officers, Senior Vice Presidents for Research, AUC - GRANTED Steering Committee, and other senior leadership as appropriate.
Leads the development, review, and management of content for the AUC - GRANTED TEAMS and other internal working sites as well as the AUC - GRANTED website.
Works closely with AUC offices of communications and marketing to develop marketing strategies to publicize and showcase the work, resources, and achievements of the AUC - GRANTED Project.
Oversees and reconciles project budgets and reviews budgetary documents and reports (e.g. invoices from AUC partner institutions).
Attends conferences and workshops as needed and completes appropriate professional development activities; and Represents the AUC - GRANTED Project, along with the AUC - GRANTED Steering Committee, at relevant and appropriate internal, local, state, regional, or national conferences/workshops (e.g., NORDP , NCURA , SRA ).