Associate Director of Research Administration

Associate Director of Research Administration

Apply for the Associate Director of Research Administration role at Howard University
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• Health & Wellness:
  Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work‑Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness:
  Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development:
  Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks:
  Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant university culture

The Associate Director of Research Administration oversees the College Research Administrators (CRAs) and departmental research administrators, ensuring effective pre‑ and post‑award support for faculty. Responsibilities include training, oversight, and performance evaluation of research administrators across all colleges and serving as the primary liaison between the Office of Research (OOR) and Associate Deans to improve administrative efficiency and assure compliance with federal and institutional policies.

The role acts as the principal point of contact for CRAs and departmental research administrators, providing strategic oversight, training, guidance, recruitment, and onboarding support while ensuring consistent research administration processes across colleges.

Reporting directly to the Director of Research Administration/AVP of Research Operations, the Associate Director implements a centralized research administration model, establishes standardized workflows, leads monthly research administration meetings, and works closely with Associate Deans and faculty to troubleshoot issues.

• Supervise CRAs and departmental research administrators to ensure consistent, effective support.
• Collaborate with Deans, Associate Deans, and Principal Investigators to monitor and enhance grant support services.
• Develop and implement standardized departmental processes for pre‑ and post‑award administration university‑wide.
• Integrate existing departmental research administrators into the new centralized structure.

• Develop and implement an onboarding program for newly hired and transitioning research administrators.
• Ensure all research administrators complete 12 hours of required annual training covering:
  • Proposal development and sponsor guidelines
  • Budgeting and financial management
  • Workday Grants system workflows
  • Federal compliance and university policies
• Lead monthly 3‑hour research administration meetings to provide updates, training, and address concerns.

• Work with Associate Deans to evaluate CRA and departmental research administrator performance.
• Develop and implement performance metrics to track research administration effectiveness across colleges.
• Address faculty concerns and identify opportunities for process improvement.

• Serve as the primary liaison between CRAs, departmental administrators, Associate Deans, Sponsored Programs Office (SPO), and Research Operations.
• Identify and resolve issues related to grant setup, payments, budgeting, and compliance.
• Work with HR and Procurement to streamline grant‑related hiring and financial workflows.

• Ensure research administrators stay current with federal, state, and institutional policies affecting sponsored programs.
• Provide updates and guidance on changes in grant regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoE, 2 CFR 200).
• Monitor research administration practices to ensure adherence to university and federal compliance requirements.

• Strong leadership skills managing teams across multiple colleges.
• Expertise in pre‑ and post‑award research administration within a university setting.
• Advanced knowledge of federal grant regulations and institutional compliance policies.
• Effective problem‑solving and ability to streamline complex administrative workflows.
• Excellent communication and training skills to support administrators and faculty.
• Collaborative mindset with experience working across…