Director, Federal and Non-federal Sponsored Projects

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Federal and Non-federal Sponsored Projects based in the United States.

This role offers the opportunity to lead complex sponsored research administration activities within a highly collaborative academic and research environment. The ideal candidate will provide strategic leadership across contract and grant operations, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and strong service delivery. You will oversee agreement negotiations, award administration, institutional policies, and operational improvements that support impactful research initiatives. This position requires deep expertise in sponsored projects, regulatory requirements, and research administration best practices. You will collaborate with faculty, administrators, senior leadership, and external stakeholders to navigate complex funding environments and protect institutional interests. This is a primarily remote leadership opportunity for an experienced research administration professional who excels in strategic planning, negotiation, and team development.

Accountabilities:: Provide strategic and operational leadership for sponsored projects administration, including proposal review, award management, agreement negotiation, acceptance activities, clinical trial agreements, and subaward oversight.

Lead complex negotiations with federal, state, nonprofit, industry, and international sponsors, addressing key provisions such as intellectual property, data use, confidentiality, publication rights, indemnification, and compliance requirements.

Develop and implement short- and long-term strategic plans to improve contract and grant operations, service delivery, and organizational effectiveness.

Advise senior leadership, faculty, department chairs, deans, and campus stakeholders on sponsored research policies, compliance matters, operational challenges, and process improvements.

Oversee contract and grant teams through subordinate managers, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, workload planning, and professional development initiatives.

Establish operational goals, productivity metrics, workload standards, and service expectations while continuously evaluating team capacity and improving processes.

Serve as a subject matter expert on sponsored projects regulations, policies, and procedures across federal, state, sponsor, and institutional environments.

Exercise delegated institutional authority to review, approve, and execute sponsored project agreements, contracts, grants, and subawards.

Represent the organization in campus-wide, system-wide, and national research administration meetings, committees, and professional forums.

Develop and deliver training programs, workshops, and professional development resources to strengthen research administration knowledge across teams and stakeholders.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.

10+ years of relevant experience in sponsored projects administration, contracts and grants management, research administration, or a related area.

Demonstrated expertise negotiating complex agreements and developing mutually beneficial solutions with sponsors and partners.

Strong knowledge of grant funding processes, contract administration practices, compliance requirements, and research enterprise operations.

Experience working independently with strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.

Excellent leadership, management, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage multiple stakeholder groups.

Strong judgment and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to manage complex and sensitive issues.

Proficiency with common desktop and web applications, research administration systems, and operational databases.

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and verbal formats.

Preferred experience includes in-depth knowledge of organizational operations, personnel processes, financial transactions, and systems related to contracts and grants.

Benefits:

Competitive annual salary range of approximately $108,100–$146,890, depending on experience and qualifications.

Primarily remote work arrangement with occasional on-site requirements.

Comprehensive medical insurance options.

Paid sick leave and vacation time.

Retirement savings plans.

Access to employee discounts, perks, and additional wellness benefits.

Opportunity to lead high-impact research administration initiatives within a prestigious academic environment.

Professional growth opportunities through leadership, training, and collaboration with research experts.

How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!  Why Apply Through Jobgether?    Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.     #LI-CL1