Associate Director, Service Center Rate Analysis & Compliance

Position Overview

Associate Director, Rate Analysis & Compliance: The University of Kansas Office of Research advances the university's research mission by supporting faculty and staff across the full sponsored project lifecycle — from funding opportunity identification and proposal development through award management and closeout. Fiscal Affairs is a unit within the Office of Research responsible for the financial and administrative infrastructure that enables compliant, efficient execution of research-related activities.

This includes setting, maintaining, and analyzing service center rates as well as compliance and oversight functions that collectively ensure KUCR meet their obligations to support service centre activity while ensuring compliance requirements are met. The Associate Director of Rate Analysis and Compliance is a key operational role on the Fiscal Affairs team, working to support a cohesive and well-coordinated research administration environment.

The Associate Director for Rate Analysis & Compliance provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for KUCR’s service center and core lab rate setting and compliance function. This position is responsible for supervising professional staff who calculate, review, and monitor service center and core lab billing rates to ensure compliance with federal regulations, University policy, and cost recovery principles.

The Associate Director serves as KUCR’s subject‑matter expert on service center rate methodology, breakeven analysis, and Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200 §200.468), and partners broadly with academic and administrative units — including Research Center and Core Lab Directors, department leadership, and central finance — to ensure service centers and core labs are financially sustainable, appropriately priced, and audit‑ready.

Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states:
California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

• Direct the development, review, and approval of service center and core lab rate models.
• Ensure rates are based on allowable costs only (e.g., salaries, benefits, overhead, supplies) and operate on a break even basis over time.
• Oversee treatment of prior year surpluses and deficits and ensure appropriate rate adjustments in accordance with 2 CFR §200.468 and University policy.
• Establish and maintain standardized tools, templates, rate-setting guides, and submission checklists to support consistent, efficient rate development across all service centers and core labs.
• Approve or recommend approval of service rate proposals and/or renewals.
• Determine appropriate corrective actions for non compliant or financially unstable service centers.
• Analyze trends in service center performance, fund balances, and rate stability; identify and elevate emerging financial or compliance risks.
• Provide strategic financial guidance on new service center or core lab proposals, rate changes, and operational risks.
• Interpret federal, state, and University policy (including 2 CFR Part 200, CAS, and related OMB guidance) and translate requirements into practical, actionable procedures.
• Maintain current knowledge of changes to federal cost principles, audit guidance (e.g., A-133/Uniform Guidance), and higher education rate-setting practices.

• Build positive relationships and collaborate with service center and core lab managers,…