Assistant Director, Office of Programs - Financial Administration

Working Title: Assistant Director, Office of Sponsored Programs - Financial Administration

State Role

Title:

N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) - Financial Administration

Department: 539001 - Sponsored Programs Accounting

Pay Band: N/A

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: 65,000 - 75,000

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? Yes. This is a grant‑funded position and is contingent upon continued funding.

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 06/05/2026

The Assistant Director for Sponsored Programs Financial Administration provides leadership, oversight, and operational management of post‑award services supporting the institution's research and sponsored projects portfolio. This role ensures compliant financial management, effective award monitoring, compliant spending on sub‑awards, timely reporting, and exceptional service to faculty and project teams. With a customer‑service focus, the assistant director supports ‘post award’ analysis and monitoring functions for sponsored projects while maintaining compliance with university, federal, and state regulations in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants generally accepted accounting policies and procedures.

This role also maintains a high level of customer satisfaction, acknowledging that Principal Investigators rarely embrace compliance, administrative, or accounting issues.

• Sub‑recipient Monitoring:
  Monitor and approve payments for sub‑recipients as budgeted in sponsored programs; review and approve financial transactions and adjust transactions that require higher‑level scrutiny; work with JMU's PIs to gain approval to pay submitted invoices; work with Finance to gain approval for pre‑payments to sub‑awardees as approved by external sponsors; audit submitted invoices for compliance with the submitted budget and the written budget justification.
• Communications:
  Provide guidance to principal investigators, research administrators, and departmental staff on post‑award requirements and best practices; represent the office in cross‑campus meetings, committees, and working groups; act as a liaison to sponsors on post‑award issues, financial matters, and award modifications.
• Financial Compliance & Reporting:
  Ensure compliance with federal regulations (e.g., Uniform Guidance), sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and audit standards; oversee the preparation and submission of financial reports, invoices, drawdowns, and related documentation; oversee the financial and administrative management of sponsored awards, including budget setup, expense monitoring, and cost allocations; serve as an institutional resource for interpreting sponsor terms, allowable costs, and compliance requirements; monitor award spending and facilitate proactive communication with investigators and departments regarding financial status;
  
  partner with other internal units to ensure accurate and timely transactions and reconciliations.
• Leadership & Management:
  Supervise, mentor, and evaluate post‑award staff, promoting a collaborative, customer‑focused, and compliance‑driven work environment; provide training, guidance, and professional development opportunities to staff and campus stakeholders; assist the Director with strategic planning, workflow optimization, and operational improvements for post‑award services; contribute to the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and automated tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy in post‑award administration;
  
  identify and resolve process bottlenecks, compliance risks, and training needs; support system upgrades, testing, data integrity reviews, and workflow enhancements in research administration systems (e.g., ERP, grants management tools).

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, public administration, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Exp…