Director, Office of Sponsored Programs and Academic Research

Colorado Mesa University•Grand Junction, CO

About The Position

The Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and Academic Research leads a team responsible for the full grant lifecycle, including pre-award services, post-award financial management, and applicable compliance and regulatory matters. The role identifies, secures, and stewards grants and funding opportunities aligned with Colorado Mesa University’s strategic plan, institutional priorities, and faculty scholarly research. It manages the department budget, contributes to annual strategies and goals, and cultivates relationships with private, foundation, and governmental funding agencies. The Director oversees grant compliance, financial stewardship, award administration, reporting, and operational processes. The position supports faculty investigators and project directors through training, communication, proposal and award support, and ongoing guidance. It also coordinates with institutional financial and academic offices, maintains grant-related registrations and portal access, supports research compliance operations, and provides portfolio analysis and projections to institutional leaders.

Requirements

Master’s degree (MA/MS/MBA) from a fully accredited university.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple awards, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholders while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and continuity of operations.
Demonstrated experience in pre-award and post-award grant administration, including proposal submission, award acceptance and management, sponsor reporting, compliance monitoring, and closeout.
3–5 years of demonstrated leadership experience, including personnel management, relationship building, budget oversight, and operational administration.
Ability to analyze data and performance metrics, develop meaningful reports, and communicate financial and operational information effectively to senior leadership to support planning and decision-making.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret written materials, professional journals, technical procedures, and government regulations; write reports and prepare and deliver verbal and visual presentations; and respond effectively to questions from senior management, public groups, and boards.
Strategic and analytical reasoning skills, practical problem-solving ability, and ability to interpret written, oral, diagrammed, or scheduled instructions.
Ability to communicate with and advise senior leadership, enforce compliance and policies at all levels, and manage potential desk reviews and audits.
Curiosity and capacity to learn broad information and departmental priorities quickly.
Ability to meet the position’s physical demands, including frequently standing, walking, sitting, and talking or hearing, and occasionally lifting or moving up to 10 pounds.
Must be able to verify U.S. employment eligibility; final applicants are subject to background investigations.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of grant funding policies and procedures, federal forms and processing systems, and contract management (preferred).
Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or similar certification (preferred).
Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to improving access and success for underrepresented students in higher education.

Responsibilities

Lead a team covering pre-award services, post-award financial management, and grant compliance and regulatory matters.
Cultivate a portfolio of private, foundation, and governmental funding agencies.
Manage the department budget and participate in setting annual strategies and goals.
Maintain procedures and processes for compliance with grantor requirements, including fiscal management, subaward monitoring, records retention, procurement regulations, and time and effort reporting.
Build and maintain productive relationships with Principal Investigators and Project Directors, including holding meetings as needed or requested.
Stay current with changes in government regulations and higher education practices related to grant funding and policies.
Train and communicate with Principal Investigators and Project Directors about grant responsibilities, policies, procedures, compliance requirements, and sources of support.
Oversee timely communications with sponsors, investigators, project directors, and stakeholders regarding award acceptance, requirements, questions, issues, and compliance.
Collaborate with the Office of Academic Affairs and the CMU Foundation to develop strategic funding goals addressing needs across the university.
Coordinate with OSP staff to monitor grant progress, spending, reporting requirements, and award deliverables.
Oversee project timelines and timely submission of technical, progress, and financial reports and sponsor-required deliverables.
Maintain and improve policies, procedures, and operational practices; monitor department operations, portfolio volume, workload trends, and staff performance.
Track, analyze, and report grant portfolio data, trends, and projections for financial planning and institutional decisions; provide annual projections for Finance and Board of Trustees reporting and timely portfolio information to senior leaders and other stakeholders.
Administer federal, state, and other grant-related portals; maintain registrations such as SAM.gov renewal; manage user access and permissions; and complete or submit institutional certifications, assurances, proposals, and other materials as appropriate.
Coordinate with Finance, Accounts Payable, the Bursar, Financial Aid, and the CMU Foundation on proposal and award routing, financial administration, cross-departmental issues, and institutional processes.
Provide cross-functional backup for OSP work, including proposal preparation and submission, funding searches, sponsor reporting, billing and invoicing, and award administration.
Present and provide training or informational sessions to faculty, departments, and campus groups on grant administration, compliance, institutional procedures, and OSP resources.
Maintain general knowledge of IRB and IACUC operations, platforms, protocol submissions, and applicable requirements; provide backup support to the IRB/IACUC Administrator as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.