Director of Sponsored Programs

Overview

Director of Sponsored Programs.

University Information    
UNC Greensboro, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is 1 of only 57 doctoral institutions recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for both higher research activity and community engagement. Founded in 1891 and one of the original three UNC System institutions, UNC Greensboro is one of the most diverse universities in the state with 20,000+ students, and 3,000+ faculty and staff members representing 90+ nationalities. With 17 Division I athletic teams, 85 undergraduate degrees in over 125 areas of study, as well as 74 master’s and 32 doctoral programs, UNC Greensboro is consistently recognized nationally among the top universities for academic excellence and value, with noted strengths in health and wellness, visual and performing arts, nursing, education, and more. For additional information, please visit uncg.edu and follow UNCG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit    
The mission of the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is to provide comprehensive support to members of the UNCG research community engaged in the preparation and submission of proposals and the management of funded projects. As steward of the university’s externally funded research portfolio, OSP is responsible for ensuring that all research proposals and projects adhere to UNCG’s academic and research policies and meet its obligations to external sponsors.

Position Summary    
The Director of Sponsored Programs reports directly to the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Engagement and will be responsible for the vision, leadership, comprehensive management, and oversight of a large, complex array of external funding. Over the past 5 years, UNCG’s external funding has grown by over 50% with over $48 million in external funding in FY21. The Director has oversight for all externally funded sponsored projects, grants, and contracts that foster research, scholarship, and innovation in the education and research enterprises and directs the entire operations of the Office of Sponsored Programs. This position operates with broad authority and has delegated signatory authority for external funding proposals, contracts, grant documents, and other agreements for sponsored projects.

The position provides the day-to-day operational oversight, management, and leadership of the office including ensuring compliance with all federal, state, sponsor, and institutional administrative requirements, state regulations, grantor restrictions, and university fiscal policies. The Director serves as the point person for all issues related to sponsored research activities and affiliated contractual requirements, analyzing and interpreting policy and procedures related to research administration, and developing and disseminating research administration-related information to the campus. The Director reports to and works with the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Engagement.

Minimum Qualifications    

  • Doctorate degree from an accredited university including 3+ years of leadership experience or Master’s degree and 5 years of relevant experience.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience directly supervising grants and/or contract staff, including planning, hiring, mentoring, evaluation, and management of staffing and performance issues.
  • Advanced knowledge of and experience with grants, legal and contractual matters in a higher education research setting (including federal, state, foundation and private industry regulations governing sponsored programs).
  • Advanced knowledge of the Uniform Guidance and the Federal Acquisition Regulations
  • Possess strong skillset to train, develop, and motivate a large research administration sponsored programs, pre-award team.
  • Experience reviewing, revising and developing research-related policies.
  • Strong leadership and interpersonal skills that facilitate positive transactions with faculty, research administration community and other administrative units.
  • Demonstrated leadership, organizational, and management skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.
  • Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
  • Broad knowledge of all functions and operations within the Office of Sponsored Programs.
  • Promote constant review and improvement of the administrative procedures governing sponsored research and interact with other relevant offices to ensure the highest quality service is provided to all principal investigators and sponsors.
  • Coordinate training, coaching, and mentoring to pre- and post-award and other personnel in the Office of Research and the research community.
  • Facilitate communication in regard to research administration issues to the university community at large in a timely manner including overseeing research administration training through regular and ad hoc training events and programs.

Preferred Qualifications    

  • Experience working in higher education setting.
  • Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Pre-award Research Administrator (CPRA), or Certified Financial research Administrator (CFRA) certification.

Key Responsibilities

  • Leadership and Supervision, 30% of Time
    • Lead and oversee the execution of a university-wide public and private sponsored research program in keeping with the needs, priorities, and competencies of the institution and its research community.
    • Participate with the Office of Research & Engagement and other collaborating units in developing policies and practices to promote competitive and compliant grantsmanship which in turn supports the University’s research objectives.
    • Interview, select, train, mentor, and motivate OSP staff (recruit / retain / reward) and develop a strong, productive, service-oriented, collaborative, competent, and confident team.
  • Operations Management, 25% of Time
    • Direct and establish processes for day-to-day operations for all aspects of proposal administration, sponsored program agreements, and contract negotiation to ensure efficient, timely, compliant grant and contract submission, negotiation and awarding, and management of non-financial post-award tasks.
    • Develop, implement and monitor metrics to ensure internal operational efficiencies, maximum productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee proficiency.
    • Serve as an expert resource for interpreting and applying policies and regulations related to research administration.
    • Monitor changes in federal regulations, specific agency requirements, and procedures for administration of extramural awards and university policies and procedures, and advise university leadership and the research community of potential impacts of new or proposed changes.
    • Write and maintain high-quality documentation such as standard operating procedures and process documentation related to OSP.
    • Provide insight into federal regulations governing research including Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFARs), Export Control; and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); state and local regulations; and institutional policies and procedures.
      Act as a liaison between funding agencies and the University.
    • Work collaboratively with the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Engagement to oversee the maintenance and accuracy of sponsored programs information technology tools, including grant management software and associated databases.
  • Communications, 15% of Time
    • Effective communication skills are critical in this position to promote customer service and compliance culture.
    • Provides timely, regular, face-to-face, remote, and email-based communications with relevant offices and the university research community.
    • Possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Education and Training, 15% of Time
    • Design and develop training/educational programs to support the professional development needs of OSP team members and the research community at large.
    • Develop and implement regular educational programs for the research community regarding OSP services and relevant research administration topics.
    • Maintains working knowledge of best practices, functional processes, procedures, and workflows.
    • Pursues professional development and networking opportunities related to research administration, sponsored programs, and leadership.

Contact Information

Company
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
First Name
Julie
Last Name
Voorhees
Address
Phone
(336)334-3729
Contact Email
jkvoorhe@uncg.edu
Contact URL

Background Information

Education
High School
Years of Experience
Doctorate degree fro
Industries
  • College/University
Categories
  • Sponsored Projects/Programs
Work Authorization
Authorized to work in the US
Security Clearance
None

Target Job Information

Salary
Commensura
Job Type
  • Full Time