Assistant Director, Award Setup Services

Job Description The Research Administration Collaborative (RAC) in the Office of Research has an outstanding opportunity for an Assistant Director to join their team.

About this Opportunity Reporting to the Executive Director, Assistant Director is responsible for providing operational leadership for centralized award setup and modification services within the Research Administration Collaborative (RAC). The position is responsible for establishing, managing, evaluating, and continuously improving a shared-service capability designed to provide accurate, timely, consistent, and accountable research administration services on behalf of participating University units.

Key Responsibilities
· 35%:
Centralized Award Setup and Modification Service Leadership Responsible for the overall operation and performance of centralized award setup and modification services.

- Direct day-to-day service operations, including workload management, prioritization, resource allocation, and service delivery.

- Establish and maintain operating procedures, service standards, quality controls, and escalation practices.

- Monitor service performance and address operational issues, risks, bottlenecks, and emerging priorities.

- Ensure services are delivered in accordance with University requirements, institutional controls, and established operating practices.

- Foster a culture of accountability, responsiveness, accuracy, transparency, and customer service.
· 20%:
Staff Leadership and Workforce Development Responsible for building and leading a high-performing operational service team.

- Recruit, supervise, coach, and develop staff responsible for award setup and modification services.

- Establish performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback, evaluation, and performance management.

- Develop workforce capabilities through onboarding, training, cross-training, and professional development.

- Assess staffing needs and allocate resources to meet service demands and evolving operational requirements.

- Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and continuous-improvement-oriented team culture.
· 20%:
Process Improvement and Operational Implementation Responsible for implementation and continuous improvement of award setup and modification services.

- Lead implementation of redesigned workflows, procedures, controls, and operating standards.

- Partner with RAC colleagues and stakeholders to reduce administrative burden, streamline processes, and improve service outcomes.

- Develop and maintain operational documentation, decision frameworks, and quality-assurance practices.

- Identify recurring process issues and implement corrective actions to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency.

- Support evaluation and adoption of technology, automation, and decision-support solutions.
· 15%:
Performance Management and Stakeholder Coordination Responsible for monitoring service effectiveness and coordinating delivery across organizational boundaries.

- Establish and monitor key performance indicators, service levels, productivity measures, and quality metrics.

- Use operational data to identify trends, risks, capacity needs, and improvement opportunities.

- Provide leadership with regular assessments of service performance, operational risks, and improvement priorities.

- Partner with OSP, GCA, academic units, and other stakeholders to resolve cross-functional issues and improve service delivery.

- Communicate operational expectations, process changes, and performance outcomes to stakeholders.
· 10%:
Service Scaling and Strategic Program Development Responsible for supporting long-term growth and sustainability of RAC services.

- Evaluate service effectiveness, capacity, scalability, and operational readiness.

- Develop operational plans…