Director of Sponsored Programs, Contracts

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

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At VCU, we are UNCOMMON and UNLIKE any other university.  A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers for diversity, VCU is a great place to work. It’s a place of opportunity where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

VCU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) and our Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) invites all interested candidates to apply for our Director of Sponsored Programs, Contracts position!  VCU is UNLIKE the rest. Our impact is measured one student and patient at a time.  VCU’s unequaled combination of excellence, diversity, research and creativity makes success possible for every one of our 300,000 “RAMily” members. And that makes us one of the most innovative universities in the country. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers for diversity, VCU is a great place to work. It's a place of opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can thrive.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package that includes choices for health, vision, and dental coverage, life-insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, flexible spending accounts, tuition benefits, significant paid-time off,12 paid holidays, and more.  Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/

Primary Purpose and General Responsibilities:

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is currently seeking to hire a full-time Director to join the Division of Sponsored Programs. This position will support community members with professional, client centered service in the pursuit of externally funded projects. This position will provide leadership to a team in support of the research program at VCU. The position will support a staff with hybrid work schedules and will work significantly on-campus.
The successful candidate will interface with many units within the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, with key stakeholder groups within the broader VCU research community, and with many external funders and collaborators. This position will be responsible for identification of and implementation of strategic initiatives for the Division and provide leadership, guidance and support to a team of contracting professionals. The Director is responsible for the following duties:

- Provide oversight and management of a variety research contracting activities, including funded and non-funded federal, non-profit and industry agreements.

-Manage high volume, high complexity contracts in a heavily regulated environment.

-Articulate a vision for guiding the organization to grow in its capacity to handle complex and high priority contracting in support of institutional and school initiatives.

-Serve as Authorized Official for sponsored programs activities, including contracts.

-Assesses policy exception requests and makes risk-based decisions.

-Monitor regulatory changes, and changes to sponsor guidelines to develop and maintain policies and procedures governing research contracting activities.

-Facilitate a culture of exceptional customer service in a growing research environment.

-Work with key stakeholder groups both internal and external on all matters related to research contracting.

Minimum Hiring Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of skills and experience
Several years of increasingly responsible experience within the field of research administration and/or research contracting
Expertise in negotiating contract terms related to clinical trials, intellectual property, data privacy (domestic and international), and federal contracts/subcontracts
Experience with complex sponsored projects including multiple funding sources and/or multiple partners
Strong organization, analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
Excellent written and oral communication skills with an ability to interact with people at all levels of an organization, both internal and with external stakeholders.
Strong initiative with focus on continuous improvement
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in research
Ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, while providing excellent customer service to a diverse population
Ability to maintain positive and productive working relationships throughout the organization
Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

Preferred Hiring Standards:

Five years of progressive work experience in research administration contracting at an R1 institution
Five years of supervisory experience
Juris Doctorate or advanced degree in a related field
Demonstrated experience managing and supporting change