Director, Sylvester Sponsored Programs

University of Miami•Miami, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Sponsored Programs guides and oversees externally funded programs for the University, such as research programs and scholarship programs. Additionally, the Director, Sponsored Programs supervises the administrative activities of the relevant programs, including identifying funding sources, acquiring funding, setting program policies and objectives, and allocating resources. The Director of Sponsored Programs provides leadership and operational oversight for sponsored research activities within Sylvester Cancer Center. Reporting to the Executive Director of Research Operations, this role is responsible for executing strategic priorities, integrating pre-award and post-award functions, and ensuring compliant, efficient, and high-quality support across the full lifecycle of sponsored funding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required
Minimum 8 years of relevant experience required
Skilled in aligning departmental goals with enterprise-wide strategy and develops comprehensive strategic plans.
Ensures fiscal responsibility, and optimization of financial performance.
Ability to allocate resources and drive innovation and growth.
Proven ability to adjust to changes and leads/inspires transformational change.
Ability to build and lead high-performing teams, manage complex projects, and ensure successful project delivery.
Understanding of technology, data analytics, and performance measurement to drive strategic decisions and identify opportunities.
Ability to influence others, articulate strategic vision, and ensure clear and persuasive communication.
Bachelor’s or master's degree in business administration, Public Administration, or related field.
8+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, including supervisory experience.
Deep knowledge of federal regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, DOD), Uniform Guidance, and institutional compliance frameworks.
Demonstrated success in managing complex teams and sponsored research portfolios.

Nice To Haves

Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification preferred.
Experience in an academic medical center or NCI-designated cancer center preferred.
Familiarity with enterprise systems such as Huron Research Suite, Workday, and eRA Commons.

Responsibilities

Oversees the post-award administration of all sponsored programs for the University.
Develops and maintains the post-award database for sponsored programs.
Monitors, keeps current with, interprets, and directs proper application of government and other external funding organizations' rules and regulations.
Interacts with various university departments for system implementation design, and planning.
Participates in the University's fiscal year-end tasks and other mandated year-end requirements.
Hires, mentors, and trains staff, and conducts performance evaluations and corrective actions.
Provides advice to leadership and staff regarding sensitive, critical, and highly complex issues, and interprets a broad range of sponsor policies and government regulations.
Supervises staff review of grant and contract award terms and negotiation of sensitive and complex sponsored programs issues and awards.
Establishes and continuously assesses the effectiveness of the internal controls within the unit and compliance with university policies and procedures.
Ensures employees are trained on controls within the function and on university policy and procedures.
Provide day-to-day leadership of the Sponsored Programs Office, ensuring alignment with strategic direction established by the Executive Director of Research Operations.
Lead and integrate Pre-Award and Post-Award functions to deliver coordinated and consistent operational support across the research lifecycle.
Supervise and mentor functional leaders, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards.
Identify and escalate operational risks, resource constraints, and compliance concerns, with recommendations for resolution.
Coordinate operational alignment with institutional partners (e.g., Office of Research Administration, Finance, HR) to support effective execution of sponsored programs activities.
Implement strategic and operational priorities established by Cancer Center leadership across sponsored programs.
Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for pre-award activities, including submission timeliness, proposal volume, award success rates, and proposal issues and corrections, to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality proposal development across the Cancer Center.
Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for post-award activities, including timeliness of award setup, expenditure management relative to project timelines, financial reporting accuracy, subrecipient monitoring, volume of cost transfers and payroll allocation adjustments, and closeout performance, to ensure effective, compliant, and high-quality award management.
Translate performance data into actionable process improvements and operational enhancements.
Ensure appropriate staffing models, workload distribution, and resource planning to support a high-volume, complex research portfolio.
Oversee the implementation and optimization of systems, tools, and workflows supporting sponsored research administration.
Establish and maintain operational frameworks to support the effective development, review, and submission of grant and contract proposals.
Ensure consistent execution of sponsor and institutional requirements through standardized processes, quality controls, and team-level accountability.
Provide oversight of complex, multi-component proposals, including program project, training, and center-level submissions.
Support identification and dissemination of funding opportunities aligned with Cancer Center priorities.
Provide oversight and accountability for post-award financial management processes, including budget implementation, expenditure monitoring relative to project timelines, financial reporting accuracy, subrecipient oversight, and project closeout.
Ensure consistent execution of sponsor and institutional requirements through standardized processes, internal controls, and team-level accountability.
Ensure effective coordination and handoffs between Pre-Award and Post-Award functions across the project lifecycle.
Develop and implement policies, procedures, and internal controls to strengthen compliance and operational consistency.
Lead internal reviews and support institutional readiness for audits, site visits, and sponsor evaluations.
Serve as an operational liaison with institutional stakeholders and external sponsors, as appropriate.
Provide input to leadership on emerging risks, compliance trends, and operational impacts related to sponsored research.
Ensure the development and delivery of training, guidance, and communications related to sponsored programs processes and requirements.
Promote a service-oriented approach to faculty and research teams, ensuring consistent and high-quality administrative support across the Cancer Center.