Associate Vice President for Research Administration
Overview
POSITION INFORMATION: The Associate Vice President for Research Administration (AVP-RA) provides strategic and operational leadership for research administration across the university. This role oversees sponsored program services, clinical trial and professional service contract management, non-financial post-award management and regulatory reporting. The AVP-RA is also responsible for developing performance and reporting metrics to assess service delivery, compliance, and institutional research activity. This position ensures that research operations are efficient, compliant, and supportive of faculty, clinical investigators, and institutional research goals. This position reports to the Senior Associate Vice President for Research (SAVP)
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
Strategic Leadership. Lead and implement research administration strategies that align with institutional priorities and promote research growth. Advise the SAVP on administrative operations, risk mitigation, and policy development. Advance operational effectiveness through data-informed process improvements and stakeholder engagement.
Research Administration & Contracting. Oversee all aspects of pre-award and non-financial post-award administration, including proposal review, research education, reporting, award setup, technical assistance, and sponsor communication. Direct the negotiation and execution of clinical trial agreements and professional service contracts, coordinating with departments, legal counsel, compliance, and clinical operations. Ensure contracts are processed efficiently and in alignment with institutional risk tolerance and sponsor requirements.
Compliance. Lead on a wide range of compliance issues as they pertain to sponsored research, including institutional and governmental policies and regulations involving use of human & animal subjects and issues of research integrity, including conflict of interest, research misconduct, grant submission and management, contracting, and data and record retention. Assist University offices and faculty in meeting their responsibilities for ensuring compliance with sponsored programs research-related policies. Establish internal workflows and documentation standards for tracking and demonstrating compliance.
Performance and Reporting Metrics. Develop, maintain, and regularly report on key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics related to research administration activity, turnaround time, volume, compliance outcomes, and stakeholder satisfaction. Collaborate with institutional research and IT units to support data visualization and reporting needs for leadership and external stakeholders.
Team Leadership. Supervise directors and managers across functional units including sponsored programs, contracts, and research compliance. Foster a service-oriented culture that values accountability, collaboration, staff development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Support continuous improvement through training, communication, and cross-functional coordination.
Institutional Engagement & Representation. Serve as liaison to faculty, department administrators, clinical leaders, and external sponsors regarding research administration policies and operations. Represent the institution in regional and national research administration networks and policy groups. Collaborate with campus partners to ensure seamless integration of research administration across departments and systems.
REQUIREMENTS:
Required Education: Master’s degree.
Equivalent/ Substitution: Bachelor’s degree plus an additional 24 months’ related experience in lieu of the master’s degree.
Required Experience: 8 years’ experience at a senior level in a university research environment, which includes supervisory experience.
Preferred: Master’s degree in research administration, business/public administration, or a related field. 10 years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, including 60 months in a senior leadership role. Experience in a research-intensive academic health center or complex university environment. Professional certification (e.g., CRA). Familiarity with research administration systems (e.g., PeopleSoft, Huron, InfoEd, Cayuse, Workday).
Certifications/ Licenses: None
KNOWLEDGE/ SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:
Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills; experience in working effectively in a research-intensive academic health center or complex university environment with a wide range of constituents; working knowledge of HHS, NSF, DOD, ORI, OHRP, and FDA and other federal and state regulations, rules, policies, and guidelines involving the administration of sponsored programs, the commercialization of university-created technology, the export of technology, and research compliance areas. Experience designing and implementing performance metrics