Assistant Director of Pre Award

Department

BSD ADM - Pre Award

The University of Chicago is an intellectual community and a globally renowned research institution dedicated to fostering innovative and impactful research in various domains, including the Biological Sciences. The Biological Sciences Division is at the forefront of cutting‑edge research and the Research Administration Office (RAO) plays a pivotal role in supporting and facilitating the faculty who conduct research.

The job manages a team of professional staff responsible to administer pre‑award and/or post‑award activities relating to grant and contract proposals/funding within a department or unit. The Assistant Director of Pre‑Award in the Biological Sciences Division is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing all pre‑award activities related to sponsored research within the division. Reporting directly to the Director of Pre‑Award, the Assistant Director position will perform a crucial role in managing pre‑award administrators, implementing policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and supporting complex submissions.

This individual will also support training initiatives in the division and provide guidance to and expertise on all pre‑award matters to faculty, staff, and administrators.

Team Management:

• Supervise and lead a team of pre‑award administrators, ensuring effective coordination and collaboration within the team.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities for team members.
• Set team goals, evaluate performance, and provide feedback and additional training to ensure adherence to team standards.

Implementation of Policies/SOPs:

• Working directly with the Director of Pre‑Award, implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) in alignment with institutional guidelines and federal regulations.
• Regularly review and update policies to ensure compliance with evolving regulations and best practices.
• Provide feedback to the Director of Pre‑Award on policies and opportunities for process improvement to streamline pre‑award processes and team efficiency.

Complex Submission Support:

• Provide oversight for complex grant and contract proposals prepared within the division.
• Offer expertise and support to the primary research administrator assigned to that opportunity to facilitate appropriate support to the faculty. Help develop timeline and roles/responsibilities for administrators supporting this submission to ensure the submission is of high‑quality and compliant with institutional and sponsor policies.

Unit Reviews:

• Conduct divisional review of proposals routed within the division. Identify changes required for compliance with divisional and institutional best practices and policies.
• Provide feedback to the administrator on the proposal to provide immediate and practical instruction on areas for improvement.
• Based on patterns seen within reviews, identify enhancements to SOPs or additional training that may be needed for the pre‑award team.

Support Training Initiatives:

• Work with the Director of Pre‑award to develop and deliver training programs for faculty, researchers, and administrators on pre‑award processes, policies, and compliance requirements.
• Remains current with agency and regulatory changes. Plans for department/unit compliance with University, Divisional and Department policies and procedures and implements corrective actions for issues identified.
• Manages employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.
• Develops performance goals, allocates resources and assesses policies for direct subordinates. Ensures service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job…