Program Director, Regulated Research

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in shaping the future of regulated research. As the Program Director for Regulated Research, you will provide strategic leadership for a growing institution-wide program that enables groundbreaking research while ensuring compliance with federal and sponsor requirements. Working closely with researchers, technology leaders, compliance experts, and campus partners, you will help create the frameworks, governance, and technology strategies that support impactful research initiatives. This is a unique opportunity to operate at the intersection of research, technology, cybersecurity, and institutional strategy. The role offers broad campus visibility, the ability to influence policy and program direction, and the chance to build collaborative solutions that help researchers succeed in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. If you enjoy bringing people together, solving complex challenges, and leading initiatives with meaningful institutional impact, we encourage you to apply. Hybrid work options may be available for this position, with the ability to be on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as needed per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy. This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
A total of three (3) years (36 months) of professional experience in research administration, research compliance, regulatory affairs, contracts and grants, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating programs that cross organizational boundaries.
Demonstrated experience developing or maintaining program documentation such as SOPs, policies, control narratives, or similar at an institutional or enterprise scale.
Demonstrated experience working within or directly supporting a program governed by at least one federal regulated research or information security compliance framework, such as NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, CUI, ITAR, or EAR.
Demonstrated experience serving in a liaison or coordination role between technical/IT teams and non-technical stakeholders (researchers, compliance officers, legal, or sponsored programs staff), including the ability to understand and communicate with technical teams directly.
Knowledge of principles and methods for program design, administration, and evaluation, including curriculum and training design where applicable.
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership, and coordination of people and resources.
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks governing regulated research environments (e.g.,NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, CUI, HIPAA ITAR/EAR, federal acquisition regulations) and their application in higher education or research organizations.
Skill in analyzing complex information and evaluating results to identify and implement effective solutions.
Skill in planning, scheduling, and coordinating programs, activities, and the work of others across multiple organizational units.
Excellent communication skills,including the ability to convey complex technical and regulatory information to all audiences.
Ability to adjust actions in response to evolving organizational, regulatory, and stakeholder needs.
Ability to listen to and synthesize information and ideas presented through spoken and written communication.
Ability to apply general rules and regulatory frameworks to specific institutional problems to produce workable, compliant solutions.
Ability to develop goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish complex programmatic work.
Ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, researchers, administrators, and external constituency groups.
Ability to effectively plan, delegate, and lead colleagues without direct authority.
Ability to utilize various computer and enterprise software platforms relevant to program management, compliance tracking, and reporting.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and investigate and resolve a variety of complex programmatic and compliance-related questions.
Ability to analyze situations and develop guidelines, procedures, and systems to improve program effectiveness and compliance posture.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year of work experience.
Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating regulated research computing programs at a research university or federal contractor organization.
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving research administration, information security, and/or IT infrastructure in a higher education or comparable institutional setting.
Demonstrated experience with sponsored research operations, including federal grant and contract compliance, audit preparation, and sponsor reporting obligations.
Direct experience responding to and successfully passing audits as a federal contractor or in a federal-contractor equivalent role.

Responsibilities

Directs the regulated research program with full administrative authority, setting strategic priorities and establishing programmatic direction in alignment with OCIO and institutional goals.
Develops, interprets, and implements policies and procedures governing the regulated research program; ensures operational consistency and regulatory compliance across all program activities.
Provides authoritative, expert-level professional and technical knowledge in regulated research computing, research compliance, and relevant cybersecurity frameworks.
Develops and maintains a multi-year technical and programmatic roadmap, integrating emerging compliance requirements, infrastructure needs, institutional research priorities, and annualized reporting on roadmap outcomes.
Serves as primary advisorto the CIO, senior OCIO leadership, and OVCRI leadership on all matters related to regulated research strategy, risk posture, and program development.
Leads the institution's audit readiness posture for regulated research environments, coordinating preparation for federal agency reviews, sponsor audits, and compliance assessments.
Maintains comprehensive documentation of program controls, policies, and operational procedures to support continuous audit readiness under frameworks including NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, HIPAA and applicable federal acquisition regulations.
Monitors evolving regulatory landscapes, including CUI, ITAR, EAR, CMMC, HIPAA, and sponsor-specific requirements, and translates regulatory changes into actionable program updates.
Partners with the Office of Research, Sponsored Programs Administration, ExportControls, HIPAA Privacy Officer, and other compliance units to ensure the regulated research program satisfies institutional and sponsor obligations.
Serves as the primary institutional liaison for the regulated research program across campus units, research groups, federal agencies, and external partners, representing the CIO on relevant committees and working groups.
Coordinates cross-functional efforts spanning Technology Services, research computing, departmental IT, and administrative offices to deliver a cohesive regulated research program.
Facilitates stakeholder engagement with faculty, researchers, department heads, and compliance officers to identify program needs, communicate requirements, and resolve operational issues.
Represents the regulated research program in campus-wide governance bodies, including relevant University-level research compliance and information security committees.
Holds dotted-line program accountability across the supporting technical and compliance roles within the unit, ensuring the three-role staffing model operates as a coordinated system.
Identifies and develops matrix team support for the regulated research program; ensures resources are allocated and reported on; and provides an escalation path for challenges in supporting regulated research computing environments.
Serves as the escalation point for non-routine technical decisions — including incident response, identity and access management changes, and GCC High administration — coordinating execution through the program’s matrix team of subject-matter experts across Technology Services.
Develops and manages program budgets and budget proposals; directs financial resources, including budget allocation, facilities, and operational expenditures in support of regulated research infrastructure.
Researches and identifies potential funding sources and partnership opportunities in support of program sustainability and serves as primary liaison to external agencies to ensure compliance with applicable university, federal, state, and sponsor regulations.
Directs physical planning and logistical requirements for regulated research environments, including secure enclave infrastructure and controlled or sensitive computing facilities.
Develops and provides annual reports to OCIO, OVCRI, and broader communities on the status of regulated research computing.