Director, Research Security; Associate Director or Director

Director, Research Security (Associate Director or Director)

Inside Higher Ed’s Research Policy and Integrity (RPI) office, within the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research, develops and oversees the implementation of university research policies in collaboration with research administration offices, faculty leadership, school deans, and campus stakeholders. The office ensures that new and revised policies are clearly communicated and consistently applied across Stanford’s research enterprise. In addition to supporting the development and stewardship of the Stanford Research Policy Handbook, RPI provides policy and regulatory support in the following major areas:
Conflict of Commitment and Conflict of Interest;
Research Security, Export Controls, and Global Engagement Review; and Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research.

Position Summary

Provide programmatic leadership and operational oversight to ensure Stanford’s compliance with evolving federal research security requirements and to protect the integrity of the university’s research enterprise. Responsibilities include developing and implementing research security policies and processes; conducting risk reviews of research activities, disclosures, and international engagements; monitoring and analyzing federal and agency regulations; building awareness across the research community through training, tools, and guidance;

and facilitating collaboration across university compliance offices and committees. The position will also support related research policy, compliance, and integrity initiatives as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Provide complex operational and analytical support with minimal supervision.

• Identify, prioritize, and address competing institutional requirements and needs.

• Manage and coordinate committees, including preparing agendas, researching, and drafting background materials.

• Oversee and manage relationships with vendors and consultants.

• Draft documents and presentations; perform research, editing, and fact‑checking to ensure accuracy and clarity.

• Analyze complex federal and agency policies to identify relevant requirements and affected stakeholders.

• Monitor federal and state statutory and regulatory updates to stay informed on national and state trends in research compliance.

• Build and maintain relationships and lines of communication with key stakeholders across campus.

• Organize and support working groups to ensure alignment with Research Security Program objectives and timely completion of milestones.

• Collect and analyze data, prepare reports, and identify trends to inform program implementation and continuous improvement.

• Regularly assess the effectiveness of the Research Security Program in partnership with stakeholders.

• Develop and manage record‑keeping procedures and systems to ensure compliance and data integrity.

• Identify and assess potential risks related to international engagements using Visual Compliance, Dimensions AI, Refinitiv, and other tools.

• Create and maintain informational resources and tools to help faculty and staff independently assess and mitigate risk.

• Perform other duties as assigned related to the goals and operations of the Research Security Program.

• Support cross‑functional research policy, compliance, and integrity initiatives, contributing to coordinated and consistent institutional oversight.

Core Duties

• Lead strategic planning and analysis for complex university programs or functions with significant business, regulatory, and/or technical challenges requiring subject‑matter expertise.

• Act as the subject‑matter expert for school/unit and/or the university regarding the interpretation, implementation and compliance with policies and regulations.

• Represent the program or function at the university level and/or to external/internal stakeholders and constituencies.

• Direct and manage outreach strategy that may include relationship development, communications, and compliance.

• Oversee or supervise staff in the development and implementation of programs or functions.

• May develop and/or oversee budgets; manage finances including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and…