What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Research Compliance position at Smithsonian Institution?
Description
OPEN DATE: April 15, 2025
CLOSING DATE: May 12, 2025
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Permanent
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Position sensitivity and risk
Example: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Open to all qualified applicants or Unit Only or SI Only
What are Trust Fund Positions?
What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).
Conditions of Employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
- Complete a Probationary Period.
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
- The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
- Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
OVERVIEW
This position is located organizationally in the office of the Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian Institution (SI). SI is a diverse museum and research complex dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. This position develops and oversees the Institution’s research compliance function, ensuring compliance with grant stipulations and applicable legal, regulatory and policy requirements.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Researches, develops, implements, and revises research-related Institutional policies and procedures, including but not limited to use of human subjects in research, animal care and use, financial conflicts of interest, misconduct in research, research security, export controls, responsible and ethical conduct of research, National Security Presidential Memorandum-33, and relevant sanctions.
- Fosters a culture of research compliance across the Institution with research related policies and requirements through outreach, training, and advocacy.
- Applies administrative knowledge and understanding of priorities, policies, procedures, and systems to anticipate the impact of externally driven and internal changes on administrative procedures and systems.
- Maintains updated knowledge of federal regulations related to human subject research, animal care and use, and other topics as listed above.
- Oversees the preparation, update, and submission of the Institution's formal assurance to the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP), Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and Office of Research Integrity (ORI).
- Plans, manages, direst, and supervises the activities of staff.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade 14. For this position, specialized experience is defined as ten years of progressively advanced experience with the administration of university or corporate regulatory compliance, including externally sponsored academic research, OR its equivalent; and post award university project research compliance issues, or corporate equivalent.
Experience required for this position is as follows:
- Expert knowledge of compliance measurement and improvement methods and a thorough understanding of administering research programs.
- Knowledge of federal regulations regarding use of human subjects in research, animal care and use, financial conflicts of interests, misconduct in research, research security, export controls and sanctions, and responsible and ethical conduct of research.
- Knowledge of federal and private grant administration and contracting, including relevant domestic and international research administration regulations (2 CFR 200).
- Ability to communicate orally and in writing to a wide range of internal and external constituencies and utilize negotiation and facilitation techniques to conduct meetings and correspond with a variety of officials.
- Skill in supervising staff towards meeting an organization's program requirements.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."
Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
Relocation expenses are not paid.
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact washingtonka@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact washingtonka@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: https://www.si.edu/oeesd.
About Smithsonian Institution
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and 14 education and research facilities. There are more than 6,500 Smithsonian employees, including approximately 500 scientists. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at more than 157 million.
