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Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

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Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

Position Summary:

The Wiess School of Natural Sciences seeks a Director of Research Administration who will provide leadership and oversight of all administrative and financial activities related to research in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and be a strategic partner with the Dean of Natural Sciences, Associate Dean for Research, and Assistant Dean for Business Operations to promote the school’s research endeavors. 

The Director  will lead a team of pre-award and post-award specialists in support of Natural Sciences faculty and will mentor and train department administrators and research accountants to facilitate best practices in the departments in post-award management and reporting. 

S/he will serve as the liaison between the faculty, students, and departmental staff, and the offices of Sponsored Projects, Technology Transfer, and Research and Cost Accounting and support close out of awards and compliance with all university policies, federal regulations, and agency guidelines. While representing the school on committees, in meetings, and in other settings regarding research activities. The Director will collaborate with faculty and departments to identify and facilitate funding opportunities. They will support the development and submission of interdisciplinary, multi-investigator proposals and limited submissions within the school.

Workplace Requirements– This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: This is an exempt position, and the hiring salary range is from $110,000 to $120,000 annually.  Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements: 

Bachelor’s Degree In lieu of the education/experience requirement, additional related education and/or experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis 4+ years of related experience in the following areas: Preparing proposals and managing grants from federal funding agencies (NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, etc.) in an academic setting.  Accounting or finance Managing and training members of a team

Skills: 

Superior Knowledge of Federal funding agencies’ policies Superior knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and database software programs Superior knowledge of research administration guidelines, regulations, and policies Exceptional business management, leadership, and supervisory skills Exceptional analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

Preferences:

Advanced Degree Pre- and post-award experience with DARPA, ARPA-H, and CPRIT Experience working closely with principal investigators in the fields of Science and/or Engineering Knowledge of OMB circulars A-21, A-110, and A-133.    Proficiency with Cayuse.  CRA Certification 

Essential Functions:

Oversees and manages pre- and post-award research administration for a portfolio of proposals and grants/contracts from funding sources such as federal, state, local government, foundation, and industry sponsors Oversees grant proposal development and submissions, including budgets and budget justifications Manages a team of pre-award and post-award specialists supporting faculty, staff, and students in the school Establishes and directs school-wide quality control for post-award research administration, including drafting guidelines and procedures and providing training for department staff  Advises senior leadership, faculty, staff and administrators, including providing reports on grant-related activity within the school Serves as a liaison with offices of Sponsored Projects, Technology Transfer, and Research and Cost Accounting, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, internal audit, funding agencies and organizations, subcontractors, institutes, centers and other departments Coordinates and reviews grant account setups  Oversees compliance with financial and administrative regulations of external funding agencies.  Interprets award documents Ensures cost share approvals are obtained and documented Manages grant expense records and monitors budgets at the school level Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

Reviews, tracks, monitors, and approves high-value/high-risk expenditures Works with faculty and department staff to ensure grant-related charges are allocated properly Participates in account close-out activities, coordinates with RCA to conduct close-out analysis Directly and through the team of post-award specialists, provides post-award support for large, complex programs and backup support for department staff: Reviews, tracks, monitors, and approves expenditures Manages effort commitments of key project personnel Supports faculty in the sponsor report preparation process; reviews reports and submits to sponsor Advises PIs of over-/under-spending Identifies the need for and requests no‐cost extensions

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

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Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels.  It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.