Executive Director, Office of Research & Sponsored Projects Administration

Arizona State University•Greendale, WI

20d

About The Position

As a model of the New American University, under the vision of President Michael Crow, Knowledge Enterprise, works alongside Learning Enterprise and Academic Enterprise, as operating frameworks at the university. Leveraging the deep capacity available among faculty, staff, and students, Knowledge Enterprise drives innovation and collaboration across core research facilities, corporate engagement and strategic partnerships, economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation, innovation zones, international development, research institutes, and technology transfer at the university. With the full support of, in partnership with, and under direction of the Vice President of Research, the Executive Director of the Office of Research & Sponsored Projects Administration. serves as an integral part of advancing the research agenda of Knowledge Enterprise at Arizona State University (ASU). This individual will be responsible for developing and executing effective operational strategies that align with the vision of Knowledge Enterprise while helping meet the goals of ASU and academic schools.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and nine (9) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field including five (5) years managerial experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree.
A minimum of 10 years of experience in research administration and operational management in a large institution including a minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience OR, any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities have been achieved.
Deep knowledge of federal regulations (2 CFR 200/Uniform Guidance, etc.) and complex sponsor agreements.
Demonstrated success leading large scale teams and managing budgets more than $500m in annual sponsored expenditures.
Experience with major enterprise research administration systems (e.g., Workday, ERA, etc.)
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and presentation skills, with the ability to take initiative and deliver results.
Direct knowledge of research operations, business processes, and sponsored project administration.
Proven ability to quickly research, understand, and apply emerging technologies and content.
Experience building and maintaining effective relationships within higher education or research administration environments.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to cultivate and sustain long-term, collaborative partnerships with university research stakeholders.
Established leadership record, with a history of motivating and inspiring teams in a collaborative, goal-oriented environment.
Proven success in interpreting and applying federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures related to research administration.
Active engagement at the federal level on issues impacting research administration.
Demonstrated record of innovation, leadership, and management at progressively higher levels of responsibility.
Strong knowledge of research administration principles and practices.
Expertise in advanced project management methods, including planning, execution, and evaluation.
Solid understanding of management, finance, and strategic planning principles.
Commitment to exemplary customer service, demonstrated through active listening, clear communication, ownership of issues, timely resolution, and professional conduct in every interaction.
Proven financial acumen with a record of making data-driven decisions based on business metrics.
Skilled in problem solving, decision-making, navigating complex organizational structures and managing change within complex organizations
Experience in negotiations, contract development, and agreement management.
Strong presentation, facilitation, and communication skills.
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
Demonstrated leadership in managing, supervising, and developing staff.
Analytical ability to comprehend and address complex issues with sound judgment.
Strong organizational skills, including planning, prioritization, and coordination of multiple initiatives.
Ability to thrive in a highly diverse environment and deliver on complex projects.
Commitment to advancing sustainability through leadership, communication, and modeling institutional best practices.

Responsibilities

Serves as an advocate and an advisor to the Vice President for Research (VPR)
Develop and execute, alongside the VP for Research, a multi-year vision for sponsored projects administration aligned with ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise strategic research goals.
Provides a “Best in class” research administration support structure for the university, to include administrative oversight of the pre- and post-award teams.
Works collaboratively with leads in other units within the Knowledge Enterprise (KE), within and outside of the Office of the VPR, including but not limited to, Finance, Operations, Research Compliance, Research Development and Research Project Management, as well as relevant units outside of KE, such as University Procurement.
Interface in a leadership capacity with the Academic Enterprise, including colleges and academic units.
Works collaboratively with faculty, department chairs, college and school deans, administrative officers, and other ASU stakeholders to provide effective and meaningful administration of ASU’s research administration infrastructure.
Serve as an authorized representative on behalf of the University with funding agencies and similar entities.
Monitor federal policy changes (e.g., OMB Uniform Guidance, Indirect Cost Recovery models) and lead proactive implementation of new requirements.
Serve as a resource for issue escalation/resolution, identification of customer services issues (internally and externally-facing), and collects feedback for continuous process and service improvement
Responsible for building and preserving continuity of the Office for Research and Sponsored Projects Administration
Develops and maintains Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure operational, financial and research return on investment
Develop and operationalize goals that support the goals and charter of Arizona State University
Develop and manage annual operating budgets
A leading change agent for improving culture and operations of the research enterprise
Plays a lead role in adapting a vision to develop, enhance and implement research infrastructure activities necessary to meet the growing needs of the research enterprise year after year
Provides leadership and operational oversight to the division directors within the Office for Research and Sponsored Projects Administration, including support of hiring, onboarding, ongoing training, supporting, developing and supervision of staff.
Ensures all research-related data, particularly data on proposals, awards, and research expenditures, are valid and reliable, act as the first point of contact to provide up-to-date information for various internal and external reports, and collaborate with Knowledge Enterprise Analytics on existing tools and reports available to the research community.
Proactively engage with colleagues at other leading research universities or at national organizations to gain insight regarding best-practices and approaches used at other institutions, learn about evolving polices and expectations at funding agencies and share the information within ASU, etc.