Director of Research Administration

Alliance for Clinical Trial in Oncology Foundation•Chicago, IL

14h

About The Position

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation (Foundation) is a non-profit foundation created to enhance and expand the ability of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) to conduct cancer clinical research and address important treatment questions through large-scale clinical trials. Through efforts of the Foundation in support of the Alliance, clinical trials and laboratory research are conducted to discover new or improved ways to prevent, treat, and cure many types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and help educate the medical community on methods of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) is a clinical trials network sponsored by the National Cancer Institute that consists of approximately 10,000 cancer specialists at over 1,000-member hospitals, medical centers, and community sites across the United States and Canada. The Alliance develops and conducts clinical trials with promising new cancer therapy and utilizes the best science to develop optimal treatment and prevention strategies for cancer, as well as research methods to alleviate the side effects of cancer and cancer treatments. The Alliance Organization is collectively the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation and its Entities, including Alliance NCTN Foundation (ANF), Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT), and Alliance Data Innovation Lab, LLC (Data Lab). The Director of Research Administration is responsible for the operational management of the entire Alliance external grant portfolio. This role provides direct supervision and oversight to the pre-award and post-award teams, ensuring that all grant submissions, financial monitoring activities, and reporting to external funders are completed accurately and on time. The Director serves as the primary technical resource for Alliance staff and leaders, bridging the gap between high-level institutional strategy and daily project administration. This role will lead the Alliance Research Administration team to optimize processes, build grantor relationships, and align funding with organizational goals. This role requires strong leadership, financial acumen, and strategic thinking for efficient, compliant, and impactful grant programs. This Director of Research Administration will report to Chief Operating Officer and will support large scale federally funded grant programs in clinical cancer research. The Director of Research Administration is responsible for establishing processes and procedures for pre-award, post award and grant compliance activities, as well as working with their team to establish policies and procedures at the intersection of the pre-and post-award sections. The Director of Research Administration, under the guidance of the Chief Operating Officer, partners with the other Alliance departments to ensure the effective management of sponsored research activities, including but not limited to Contracts, Finance, Regulatory, and Operations. This position requires a significant amount of experience working with multiple types of grants (NIH, DOD, CDC) to provide hands-on leadership and guidance in Research Administration to Alliance Foundation leadership. This position is responsible for reviewing and applying federal and state laws, granting agency guidelines, and other regulations (as applicable) and will establish the appropriate grants administration structure for multi-million-dollar grants that can be scaled up within a few years. This is a new position that will require the Director of Research Administration to work closely with leadership and other staff performing multiple tasks for purposes of building a program.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree (Business, Public Admin, Education, Finance, Organizational Leadership); Master's preferred.
10+ years of experience in directing/managing grant programs for nonprofit organizations; or 20+ years experience equivalency working in the research administrative field in the absence of degree requirements
7+ years of prior experience in developing and operationalizing grant administration policies and procedures
7+ years of prior supervisory, managerial or project management work experience and proven ability to lead, plan and manage teams and complex projects
Thorough knowledge of grant managing program services and budgets as well as all applicable federal, state, and local rules, regulations and guidelines related to grants administration
Considerable knowledge of grant writing and application process
Strong understanding of financial management, budgeting, and grant accounting principles
Ability to analyze financial and other statistical data, identify issues, develop effective solutions and drive strategic decision-making
Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills to convey complex information clearly.
Strong listening skills, with the ability to synthesize feedback and information from various stakeholders
Proactive approach to improving processes and achieving organizational goals
Skilled in the management of other professionals and provides leadership and coaching
Ability to evaluate and prioritize multiple assignments in an efficient and timely manner
Meticulous in tracking, documenting, and ensuring compliance

Responsibilities

Develops overall grant strategy, sets goals, and provides leadership for staff; manages budgets, policies, and procedures
Collaborates with colleagues across the organization to execute grants that achieve the strategic and mission driven goals of The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation.
Oversees the daily workflow for pre-award proposal development and post-award management. Ensure the team meets all internal and external deadlines for submissions, progress reports, and close outs
Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures related to grants management, as well as provides leadership for interdepartmental activities regarding the execution and administration of grants
Serves as the subject matter expert on Uniform Guidance (2CFR 200), National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants policy, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Ensures that all expenditures, effort certifications, and subrecipient monitoring activities comply with federal regulations.
Manages and mentors direct reports, including Pre-Award and Post-Award Specialists. Conducts performance evaluations, coordinates training, and delegates complex tasks to ensure a balanced workload.
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity to learn more about current grant making practices, industry best practices and strategic needs to evolve the team and organizational operations
Leads decision-making among colleagues to design and execute efficient and effective funding programs
Researches, writes, organizes and submits proposals to secure funding from various sources (government, foundations, corporations)
Ensures adherence to grant agreements, federal/state regulations, and internal policies; manages timely and accurate reporting to funders
Cultivates and maintains strong relationships with funders, auditors, and internal stakeholders by answering and managing all inquiries about grant programs and specific funding opportunities
Cultivates and maintains strong relationships and processes with Alliance Comptroller and finance team.
Reviews study-specific budgets and financial narratives for accuracy before institutional approvals. Collaborate with the Finance department to monitor account infrastructure, reconcile expenses against budgets, and manages carryforward requests or no-cost extensions.
Communicates with grantees regarding their grant agreements, payments, and reports
Drives a culture of data-driven decision making when evaluating grant making and operational efficiency through the creation (or design) of reports, dashboard and trend analysis
Leads standardization, maintenance, and improvement of grants policies and procedures, and documentation while implementing and enhancing systems for efficient grant workflows, data collection, and reporting
All other related job functions as assigned