[Remote] Associate Director, Pre-Award Research Administration

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Tufts University’s Office of University Research and Innovation supports research and sponsored funding across the university. The Associate Director leads the pre-award research administration team and oversees proposal development, sponsored project review and submission, award negotiation, and regulatory compliance. The role also manages complex projects, develops staff, improves processes, and partners with faculty and university leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of pre-award research administration professionals, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and professional development
• Establish team goals, priorities, and service standards to ensure high-quality support for faculty and research administrators
• Foster a collaborative and customer-focused culture that supports the university's research mission
• Provide expert guidance and oversight for proposal development, review, approval, and submission activities
• Support faculty and department research administrators in preparing competitive proposals and budgets for external funding opportunities
• Manage a portfolio of complex sponsored projects, awards, and subawards
• Review, negotiate, approve, and execute sponsored research agreements, grants, contracts, and related documents on behalf of the university
• Finalize and approve subcontract agreements and amendments
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of sponsor requirements, federal regulations, and university policies
• Oversee non-financial post-award activities, including award modifications, budget reallocations, and no-cost extensions
• Analyze research administration processes and identify opportunities for operational improvement
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, and best practices that strengthen research administration services
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with faculty, departmental administrators, and institutional leaders across the university
• Collaborate with colleagues throughout OURI and the broader research community to support multidisciplinary research initiatives
• Develop training materials and educational programs for faculty and research administrators
• Mentor junior research administration staff and contribute to professional development efforts across the research enterprise
• Lead special projects and represent the unit on university committees and cross-functional initiatives

Skills

• Bachelor's degree
• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, sponsored programs, grants administration, or a related field
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing research administration staff and/or professionals
• Demonstrated experience managing compliance with federal grants and contracts and interpreting sponsor requirements, federal regulations, and institutional policies
• Experience with electronic grants management systems and enterprise research administration platforms
• Knowledge of pre-award research administration, proposal development, electronic proposal submission processes, contract negotiation, and post-award financial management
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills
• Experience working within a central research administration or sponsored programs office in a higher education, academic medical center, or research-intensive environment
• Experience supporting federally funded research programs, including NIH, NSF, and other federal sponsors
• Experience developing or implementing research administration policies, procedures, or operational improvements
• Professional certification in research administration, such as CRA, CPRA, or CFRA

Benefits

• This position is fully remote and may be performed from anywhere within the United States.

Company Overview

Company H1B Sponsorship