Executive Director Research Engagement - Associate/Full Professor - Campus only search - Tenure - 529178

The University of Alabama • Tuscaloosa, AL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Alabama seeks a peer-level academic leader to direct the Research ASSIST Office within the Division for Research. The position combines a 50% faculty appointment with leadership of an end-to-end institutional research development framework focused on proactive support rather than administrative compliance. The Director will help advance the university’s Research 2030 Strategic Plan and strengthen its research enterprise through cross-disciplinary collaboration and discovery.

The successful candidate will be an active, respected scholar with credibility in academic grant-seeking and a record of leading major federal grants and center-scale programs. The Director will develop trusted relationships across campus and with national laboratories, federal agencies, and industry, working collaboratively with deans, center directors, institute directors, and faculty to build consensus, teams, and institutional research capacity. The role calls for a multidisciplinary advocate who supports scholarship across STEM and non-STEM disciplines, mentors faculty, and helps cultivate cross-disciplinary team science.

The position requires strong interpersonal and communication skills, tactical diplomacy, operational resilience, and strategic planning. The Director will navigate institutional complexity, coordinate across colleges, balance stakeholder priorities, and plan deliverables and resources over multi-year horizons.

Requirements

• Tenured Associate Professor or higher academic rank at the University of Alabama.
• Terminal degree.
• Proven and active leadership as a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator.
• Demonstrated record of securing, executing, and scaling major federal grants and center-level programs, including programs involving agencies such as DoD, DoE, NIH, or NSF.
• Exceptional success building proactive, multi-year relationships with national laboratories, federal funding agencies, and industrial consortia.
• Ability to understand, respect, and support diverse fields of scholarship and advance the university enterprise across STEM and non-STEM disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal skills, tactical diplomacy, and high emotional intelligence.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, transparency, accessibility, and an approachable communication style.
• Operational resilience and adaptability in a dynamic, fast-paced research environment.
• Patience, reliability, and emotional stability when balancing competing stakeholder priorities under pressure.
• Advanced strategic planning skills and the ability to manage constrained resources, pace deliverables, and establish multi-year plans.
• Collaborative leadership and the ability to motivate and inspire faculty.

Nice To Haves

• Full Professor rank is preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of securing competitive external funding from multiple federal, state, industry, or other external funding agencies.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Research ASSIST Office.
• Lead an end-to-end institutional framework focused on proactive research development rather than administrative compliance.
• Build trusted, visible relationships across campus and work collaboratively with deans, center directors, institute directors, and faculty.
• Build consensus and cross-functional research teams across colleges and disciplines.
• Develop relationships with national laboratories, federal funding agencies, and industrial consortia to advance institutional research agendas.
• Support and advocate for diverse fields of scholarship across STEM and non-STEM disciplines.
• Mentor faculty, build effective research teams, and foster cross-disciplinary team science.
• Plan strategically across multiple years, manage constrained operational resources, and pace deliverables.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree