Office of the President - Director of Sponsored Programs and Research

D'Youville University•Buffalo, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Sponsored Programs and Research leads D’Youville University’s sponsored funding strategy, overseeing the full lifecycle from opportunity identification and proposal development through award administration, compliance, reporting, and closeout. The role combines hands-on grant writing with institutional leadership to build a funding pipeline, guide complex submissions, strengthen grants infrastructure, and support faculty and staff in leading successful funded projects. Working directly with the President and collaborating with academic leaders, faculty, staff, Finance, external partners, and grant-writing consultants, the Director serves as the University’s primary liaison to federal and state funding agencies. The Director develops funding priorities and partnerships aligned with institutional strategy, student success, workforce needs, and community impact. During the first year, the position will establish a comprehensive sponsored funding strategy, prioritize competitive opportunities, strengthen proposal and compliance processes, increase faculty and staff engagement, and advance high-quality proposals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and substantial, progressively responsible experience in sponsored programs, federal grant development, and award administration.
At least five years of relevant experience, including responsibility for both competitive proposal development and post-award administration.
Higher education sponsored programs experience.
Demonstrated experience developing grant policies and procedures, coordinating institution-wide approvals, and managing federal application and reporting systems.
Demonstrated success securing and/or administering competitive federal awards from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, HRSA, NIH, or other relevant federal funding agencies.
Strong experience interpreting and applying federal grant requirements and managing compliance throughout the award lifecycle.
Experience developing complex proposals, project budgets, evaluation frameworks, and partnerships involving multiple organizations.
Exceptional writing, editing, analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
Ability to advise senior leaders and collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and external partners.
Sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities and firm deadlines.
Familiarity with Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and relevant agency-specific electronic grant submission and award management platforms.
Legal authorization to work in New York State, as required for any job offer.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience securing funding for healthcare education, workforce development, educational access, student success, or community health.
Experience with higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, or comparable mission-driven organizations.
Success securing state and local grants and building partnerships with public agencies, employers, and community organizations.
Experience developing or strengthening a sponsored programs office, including its systems, policies, and faculty support.

Responsibilities

Work with the President, deans, and University leaders to establish funding priorities aligned with institutional strategy, student success, workforce demand, and community needs.
Identify and assess federal and state funding opportunities in areas including healthcare education, workforce preparation, educational access, student persistence and completion, research, and community partnerships.
Develop a multiyear funding strategy and proposal calendar that account for eligibility, capacity, and readiness.
Cultivate relationships with agency program officers, healthcare organizations, employers, educational institutions, and community partners.
Pursue competitive, multiyear federal and state funding opportunities that advance institutional priorities, expand academic programs, and strengthen the University’s financial position.
Serve as principal grant writer and proposal strategist for major institutional submissions.
Develop clear, persuasive proposal narratives supported by evidence, measurable outcomes, credible implementation plans, and sustainable budgets.
Lead proposal development from concept through submission, coordinating faculty, staff, partners, consultants, and institutional approvals.
Partner with the Business Office/Finance and project leaders to develop budgets, budget justifications, evaluation plans, and required institutional commitments.
Ensure applications are complete, responsive to funding requirements, and submitted on time.
Work with University leadership and project directors to assess the long-term financial and operational sustainability of grant-funded initiatives.
Oversee sponsored programs throughout the award lifecycle in partnership with principal investigators, project directors, and responsible offices.
Interpret sponsor requirements and guide project teams in meeting federal, state, and institutional obligations.
Establish and maintain clear responsibilities among Sponsored Programs, Finance, principal investigators, and project directors for approvals, financial administration, implementation, reporting, and closeout.
Establish processes for award acceptance, project startup, reporting, budget changes, approvals, extensions, and closeout.
Coordinate monitoring of expenditures, personnel effort, deliverables, and award timelines; identify concerns and help resolve them.
Coordinate subaward administration and monitoring with appropriate University offices.
Maintain complete, accessible award records and support audit readiness, accurate reporting, and responsible stewardship of funds.
Serve as the University’s principal liaison regarding sponsored funding compliance, including federal regulations, Uniform Guidance, sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and internal controls.
Serve as the primary contact for external grant consultants, coordinating priorities, institutional information, proposal schedules, internal reviews, and responsibilities.
Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and tools for grant pursuit decisions, application routing, budget review, award acceptance, project startup, reporting, and records management.
Provide training to support consistent use of sponsored-program processes across departments.
Create tools, training, and guidance to help faculty and staff develop fundable ideas and manage projects.
Strengthen coordination among academic programs, Finance, Human Resources, Advancement, and other offices supporting sponsored activities.
Track proposal activity, awards, project outcomes, and compliance milestones, and provide regular updates to the President and University leadership.
Use proposal feedback and project results to improve future submissions and build a sustainable funding portfolio.