[Hiring] Associate Director, Pre-Award Research Administration @Tufts University

Role Description

The Associate Director of Pre-Award Research Administration provides leadership and oversight for a team of Pre-Award Research Administrators supporting faculty and researchers across Tufts University. This role is responsible for the effective delivery of pre-award research administration services, including:

• Proposal development
• Sponsored project review and submission
• Award negotiation
• Regulatory compliance

The Associate Director serves as a key partner to faculty, departmental research administrators, and university leadership, helping to advance sponsored research activity while ensuring compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements. This position leads staff development, process improvement initiatives, and strategic efforts that strengthen research administration services across the university.

Key Responsibilities

• Research Administration Leadership
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of pre-award research administration professionals.
  • Establish team goals, priorities, and service standards.
  • Foster a collaborative and customer-focused culture.
• Sponsored Research Proposal and Award Management
  • Provide expert guidance for proposal development, review, approval, and submission activities.
  • Support faculty and department research administrators in preparing competitive proposals and budgets.
  • Manage a portfolio of complex sponsored projects, awards, and subawards.
  • Review, negotiate, approve, and execute sponsored research agreements, grants, contracts, and related documents.
  • Finalize and approve subcontract agreements and amendments.
• Compliance, Policy, and Process Management
  • Ensure consistent interpretation and application of sponsor requirements, federal regulations, and university policies.
  • Oversee non-financial post-award activities.
  • Analyze research administration processes for operational improvement.
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Strategic Partnerships and Outreach
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships with faculty, departmental administrators, and institutional leaders.
  • Collaborate with colleagues throughout OURI and the broader research community.
  • Develop training materials and educational programs.
  • Mentor junior research administration staff.
  • Lead special projects and represent the unit on university committees.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, sponsored programs, grants administration, or a related field.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing research administration staff and/or professionals.
• Demonstrated experience managing compliance with federal grants and contracts.
• Experience with electronic grants management systems and enterprise research administration platforms.
• Knowledge of pre-award research administration, proposal development, and post-award financial management.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.

Requirements

• Experience working within a central research administration or sponsored programs office in a higher education, academic medical center, or research-intensive environment.
• Experience supporting federally funded research programs, including NIH, NSF, and other federal sponsors.
• Experience developing or implementing research administration policies, procedures, or operational improvements.
• Professional certification in research administration, such as CRA, CPRA, or CFRA.

Benefits

• Minimum $108,200.00, Midpoint $135,300.00, Maximum $162,400.00.
• Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity.
• Generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.