Director, Grants and Sponsored Research

Overview

Director of Grants and Sponsored Research

The College of New Jersey

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. TCNJ has a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to achieve diversity among our faculty and staff. We strongly encourage a host of diverse, intersectional populations and cultures to apply including, but not limited to, identities based on race, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, and veteran status.

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) seeks an experienced sponsored research professional to serve as Director of its Office of Grants and Sponsored Research. The Director will provide leadership and vision to advance and increase extramural grant and sponsored funding, in order to sustain and grow a robust and supportive environment for research, scholarship, and creative activity and the teacher-scholar culture at TCNJ. Partnering with others in the office and at the college, the Director will broaden and deepen TCNJ’s culture of grant seeking by advising and assisting faculty in identifying funding opportunities, providing training in proposal development, assisting with the preparation and submission of external proposals, working with faculty and staff to develop budgets and justifications for proposals, compiling and analyzing data, and preparing reports. The Director will also negotiate contracts and awards with external funding agencies, ensure compliance with TCNJ and award agency policies, manage sub-contracts with other institutions, track sponsored research proposals and awards, and oversee a seamless transition of funded grants and contracts to post-award administration.

The Director will have a strong commitment to working directly with and supporting the college’s faculty across all disciplines, to strengthening their opportunities for securing extramural support, and to being a member of a team of professionals focused on setting a standard of excellence in research development and administration.

The Director currently supervises and works with two full-time professional colleagues, an Associate Director of Grant Development and a Senior Coordinator of Pre-Award Administration. The Director and Office are also supported by a graduate assistant and several undergraduate students. The college anticipates making additional investment in the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research moving forward.

Qualifications

The position reports directly to the Vice Provost. The successful candidate will have a record of accomplishment in research development and grant acquisition, an understanding of sponsored research, and demonstrated leadership experience. Candidates must be knowledgeable about contemporary trends in grants and sponsored research program funding, performance, policies, government regulations concerning research compliance, and information management. The successful candidate will be professionally engaged at the national level.  

The successful candidate will bring an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse community of faculty and staff members, and a strong commitment to shared governance. The candidate will demonstrate proven ability in identifying, prioritizing, organizing, and implementing their work along with an understanding of academic excellence and accountability. The candidate will possess excellent planning and analytical skills, the ability to make strategic decisions independently, and exemplary communication skills.

Education and Experience

Candidates should have a master’s degree and at least five years of experience in sponsored research activities in higher education, including significant experience in working with faculty members to seek external support for their research, scholarly, and creative activities. Candidates with a doctoral degree and/or ABD candidates will also be considered. 

Employer Qualifications

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background and reference checks
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required for all non-classified positions

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit (a) a letter of application highlighting their interest and qualifications, (b) a current CV or resumé, (c) a statement of their commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity, and (d) a list of 3-5 current references (names, position titles, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses). All materials should be submitted electronically to the following link: https://tcnj.taleo.net/careersection/00_ex_staff/jobdetail.ftl?job=21002957&lang=en. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with education and experience. This position includes a comprehensive benefits package and generous sick and vacation leave. Final offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation.

About TCNJ

Founded in 1855, TCNJ is a selective public primarily undergraduate institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. TCNJ emphasizes the residential experience for our nearly 7,400 full-time students, 30% of whom are self-described as members of groups traditionally underrepresented in academe. Students benefit from a 13-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 21 students, which has contributed to TCNJ attaining a first-year to sophomore retention rate of 94%, a 4-year graduation rate of 76% (7th highest in the U.S. for public institutions), and a 6-year graduation rate of 86% (among the highest in the country). TCNJ has also received national recognition for the adoption and promotion of the teacher-scholar model for our faculty and deep engagement of our students in research, scholarship, and creative activity. In part because of TCNJ’s intentional and comprehensive integration of research into our undergraduate curricula, institutional culture, and residential summer research experience program, an increasing number of TCNJ graduates have pursued and completed doctoral degrees over the past ten years. TCNJ also has a Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ’s seven schools—Arts and Communication; Business; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Science. TCNJ is located within an hour of New York City and Philadelphia. The College’s campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty. For more information, visit www.tcnj.edu.