Director, Sylvester Programs

Position: Director, Sylvester Sponsored Programs
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The University of Miami/UHealth Department of SCCC has an exciting opportunity for a Full Time Director of Sponsored Programs to work at the UHealth campus in Miami, Fl.

CORE JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Sponsored Programs guides and oversees externally funded programs for the University, such as research programs and scholarship programs. Additionally, the Director, Sponsored Programs supervises the administrative activities of the relevant programs, including identifying funding sources, acquiring funding, setting program policies and objectives, and allocating resources.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS

* Oversees the post-award administration of all sponsored programs for the University.

* Develops and maintains the post-award database for sponsored programs.

* Monitors, keeps current with, interprets, and directs proper application of government and other external funding organizations' rules and regulations.

* Interacts with various university departments for system implementation design, and planning.

* Participates in the University's fiscal year-end tasks and other mandated year-end requirements.

* Hires, mentors, and trains staff, and conducts performance evaluations and corrective actions.

* Provides advice to leadership and staff regarding sensitive, critical, and highly complex issues, and interprets a broad range of sponsor policies and government regulations.

* Supervises staff review of grant and contract award terms and negotiation of sensitive and complex sponsored programs issues and awards.

* Establishes and continuously assesses the effectiveness of the internal controls within the unit and compliance with university policies and procedures. Ensures employees are trained on controls within the function and on university policy and procedures.

* This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Bachelor's degree in relevant field required

Experience:

Minimum 8 years of relevant experience required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

* Strategic Alignment:
Skilled in aligning departmental goals with enterprise-wide strategy and develops comprehensive strategic plans.

* Financial Management:
Ensures fiscal responsibility, and optimization of financial performance.

* Resource Management:
Ability to allocate resources and drive innovation and growth.

* Adaptability:
Proven ability to adjust to changes and leads/inspires transformational change.

* Team Leadership:
Ability to build and lead high-performing teams, manage complex projects, and ensure successful project delivery.

* Technology & Analytics:
Understanding of technology, data analytics, and performance measurement to drive strategic decisions and identify opportunities.

* Communication:
Ability to influence others, articulate strategic vision, and ensure clear and persuasive communication.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFICS:

The Director of Sponsored Programs provides leadership and operational oversight for sponsored research activities within Sylvester Cancer Center. Reporting to the Executive Director of Research Operations, this role is responsible for executing strategic priorities, integrating pre-award and post-award functions, and ensuring compliant, efficient, and high-quality support across the full lifecycle of sponsored funding.

Leadership and Organizational Oversight

* Provide day-to-day leadership of the Sponsored Programs Office, ensuring alignment with strategic direction established by the Executive Director of Research Operations.

* Lead and integrate Pre-Award and Post-Award functions to deliver coordinated and consistent operational support across the research lifecycle.

* Supervise and mentor functional leaders, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards.

* Identify and escalate operational risks, resource constraints, and compliance concerns, with recommendations for resolution.

* Coordinate operational alignment with institutional partners (e.g., Office of Research Administration, Finance, HR) to support effective execution of sponsored programs activities.

Operational Strategy and Performance Management

* Implement strategic and operational priorities established by Cancer Center leadership across sponsored programs.

* Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for pre-award activities, including submission timeliness, proposal volume, award success rates, and proposal issues and corrections, to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality proposal development across the Cancer Center.

* Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for post-award activities, including timeliness of award setup, expenditure management relative to…