Unleash YOUR Potential With Us
As a next-generation public research institute, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role in pushing us forward to become among the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck. We’re seeking qualified, motivated individuals who will help UCF fulfill its mission in unleashing the potential of every individual, enriching the human experience through inclusion, discovery, and innovation; and propelling broad-based prosperity for the many communities we serve.
The Opportunity:
The Associate Director, Sponsored Programs supports multiple program units within the Office of Research, working directly with faculty, research deans, and chairs. The role will have complete responsibility for the day-to-day operational project management of the program units providing administrative leadership and advanced problem-solving to support the program unit’s mission. Additionally, the Associate Director, Sponsored Programs is tasked to supervise and ensure quality control for a team of post-award managers who are responsible for post-award administration of sponsored projects for the entire university. The team supervised is responsible for the sponsored program functions associated with the review and submission of financial information associated with sponsored awards with multiple complexities for federal, state, and private sponsoring agencies for the program units. This position will report to the Director, Sponsored Programs (Post Award).
Responsibilities:
- Directs and serves as a lead that supervises all post-award award management reporting and deliverable reporting to federal, state, and private funding sponsors of ~$200M in expenditures annually. Build and maintain a strong customer service-centric organization to serve the needs of the growing university.
- Hire, train, and supervise award management personnel to ensure an optimum level of staff and staff expertise as well as enhance their professional development. Provide training, coaching, and mentorship to teams and other personnel in the Office of Research as well as represent the department in ORC committees on behalf of the Director, as requested.
- Provide guidance to the department and college in the interpretation and implementation of post-award policies as well as full award compliance in regard to sponsored research projects as required by the Uniform Guidance, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements, sponsor terms and conditions, State of Florida Statutes and University of Central Florida policies.
- Oversee, implement, and monitor internal controls for all sponsored award management transactions. Monitor and manage collection of account setup and report progress and results to upper management. Supervise and review A-133 audit reports due to agency, review equipment for sub-awards annually, and makes requests to the agency for all award amendments.
- Serve on the department leadership team to assist with the development and implementation of harmonious procedures and policies for the management of awards from the time of proposal review through award setup, award management, and final project closeout. Serve as the AOR for federal grants and deliverables for the college and departments.
- Ensure effective stewardship of sponsored projects, in collaboration with other Office of Research units and Colleges/Departments, through appropriate application and oversight of compliance requirements stipulated by authoritative sources like the award terms and conditions, Uniform Administrative Requirements and Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
- Lead internal operations of the department, assisting in the coordination of various initiative teams (e.g. policy & procedure development teams, principal investigator manual chapter teams, etc.) working with Assistant Directors, team leads, managers, etc.
- Serve as a liaison on behalf of the university and keep in contact on a regular basis with various federal and other agencies as well as other professional groups to keep abreast of current developments and to ensure compliance with relevant laws and applicable regulations to help remain up to date on various changes in legal requirements and regulations to prevent ramifications.
- Oversee and develops and implements assurance measurements and map business process to improve processes and promote constant review and improvement of the administrative procedures governing Sponsored Research and related programs to ensure high-quality service is provided to all faculty, college, and department units for the university.
- Oversee and establish the maintenance of essential records related to grants and contracts while complying with records retention requirements according to the uniform guidance for real property and equipment purchased on a Federal Grant. Affirming that all required documents and supporting documents will be available for a Federal audit if needed.
- Collaborate with investigators and administrators at the college and departmental levels to address and resolve issues as well as to provide guidance with regards to the interpretation and application of research requirements; Interpret and disseminate procedural and policy updates. Prepare training material and award guidance documents.
- Provide other support to the Director of Sponsored Research Post Award as required.
- Other duties and special projects as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and 6+ years of relevant experience with at least 2+ years of leadership experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree
- Evidence of strong project management skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills with a high degree of analytical ability and strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Experience with research administration in a higher education environment with progressive responsibilities.
- Knowledge of federal rules and regulations relating to research grant and/or contract activity, with a specific understanding of post-award management processes for multiple sponsoring bodies.
- Experience using spreadsheets, databases, and web-based database applications for research and grants-related management. Workday and Huron Research Suites is a plus.
Special Instructions to the Applicants:
Hybrid work schedule or remote work within the state of Florida may be considered based upon specific circumstances and candidate qualifications.
If you are selected as the final candidate for an employment opportunity here at UCF, both your position and salary will be significantly based upon the information that you have provided in your application for employment. We urge you to please take the time to complete the application in its entirety.
Are Benefits Important to You?
Working at UCF has its perks! In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, UCF offers:
- Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
- Paid time off, including annual and sick leave and paid holidays
- Retirement savings options
- Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
- Education assistance
- Flexible work environment
- And more…For more benefits information, go to the UCF Employee Benefits page click here .
Who Are We?
Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger, and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 220-degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete, online programs leading to bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, Ph.D.’s., certificates, and more.
Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins. #LI-HYBRID
Department
Office of Research – Operations
Work Schedule
Monday – Friday; 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Schedule may vary as required.
Type of Appointment
Regular
Expected Salary
$104,664.00 to Negotiable
Job Posting End Date
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF’s Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf.
As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.
The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.