Director of Research Administration Systems

Baylor University•Waco, TX

About The Position

Baylor University is seeking a Director of Research Administration Systems. The Director of Research Administration Systems serves as the primary functional resource for research administration systems supporting the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR), including the Huron Research Suite (CARA), Huron Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC), and Oracle Project Portfolio Management Cloud (PPM) and Labor Distribution systems. This position analyzes business processes, gathers and documents requirements, and supports system operations and improvements while serving as the liaison between Research Administration, Information Technology Services (ITS), Oracle Cloud ERP support teams, and third-party vendors — translating business needs into functional and technical requirements, evaluating system impacts, and coordinating testing activities. As the primary functional support resource for research administration users, the Director troubleshoots issues, recommends process improvements, and determines when technical resources are required for resolution. This role also contributes to the operational effectiveness of the research enterprise by supporting divisional operations, developing procedures to ensure regulatory compliance, coordinating training, and providing analytical and reporting support for academic and research initiatives.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree and five years of relevant work experience are required.
All applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

A master's degree and eight years of relevant work experience are preferred.
Additional education or experience will be considered in lieu of one another.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary functional analyst and support resource for research administration business processes and systems, including the Huron Research Suite (HRS) — Grants, Agreements, Conflict of Interest (COI), and Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC) modules
Analyze and document current and future-state business processes related to proposal development, award management, effort certification, compliance, grants management, and sponsored research administration
Investigate and resolve functional issues reported by research administrators, principal investigators, departmental users, and central offices; determine root causes and differentiate between business, data, configuration, and technical issues
Escalate technical issues to appropriate Ignite Support Personnel, Oracle, or vendor support resources and monitor resolution through completion
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, data quality, and user experience; evaluate impacts of policy, process, and system changes across research administration functions
Gather, document, and validate business requirements for system enhancements, integrations, reports, and process improvements
Translate business requirements into functional specifications and technical requirements
Collaborate with technical analysts, vendors, and stakeholders to design solutions that meet business objectives
Review proposed system changes and assess impacts to research administration processes and data
Assist with prioritization and planning of system enhancements and projects
Support Oracle Project Portfolio Management (PPM) processes related to sponsored projects and research administration, including project setup, award administration, grants management, budget management, and project costing
Serve as a functional resource for Oracle Cloud Labor Distribution processes impacting sponsored projects, partnering with the Labor Distribution Accounting team on labor costing, effort reporting, payroll allocations, and sponsored project charging
Assist in identifying root causes of labor distribution discrepancies and coordinate resolution with Labor Distribution Accounting, Human Resources, ITS, and other stakeholders
Evaluate the impact of labor distribution and quarterly Oracle updates on research administration processes, Oracle PPM, Huron ECC, and related systems
Gather requirements for labor distribution enhancements and coordinate research administration participation in related projects and initiatives
Develop and maintain test plans, test scripts, and business scenarios for research administration systems
Coordinate and execute functional, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing; validate system functionality following upgrades, patches, environment refreshes, and configuration changes
Document testing results, coordinate issue remediation with technical resources, and support release readiness and production deployment activities
Develop and coordinate training programs, user documentation, and procedures for departmental staff and research system users
Partner with Ignite change management to support user adoption of system and process improvements
Serve as the primary liaison between OVPR business stakeholders and technology support teams, facilitating meetings, workshops, and requirements-gathering sessions
Communicate project status, risks, issues, and recommendations to stakeholders
Analyze research administration data to support operational decision-making and assist with data validation across Huron, Oracle, and related systems
Prepare reports, dashboards, and analytical summaries for leadership and stakeholders; identify trends, recurring issues, and improvement opportunities
Perform all other duties as assigned to support Baylor’s mission
Ability to comply with university policies
Maintain regular and punctual attendance