Assistant Director, Research Finance Compliance

In collaboration with the Executive Director of Research Finance for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU SOM) we are seeking a Assistant Director, Research Finance Compliance who will be responsible for developing SOM-wide policies, procedures and guidelines for the financial and compliance monitoring and oversight of SOM sponsored projects, service centers and non-sponsored research related funds which encompass roles, responsibilities, and expectations of department personnel. In this role, the Assistant Director, Research Finance Compliance will assess research compliance needs for the SOM (admin, clinical, basic science), develop innovative reporting, influence and deploy IT applications/solutions, monitor progress and make recommendations for improvements through policies and standardized processes while promoting transparency and ensuring compliance. The Assistant Director will lead and manage multiple sponsored finance projects requiring strong analytical skills with the ability to proactively communicate information impacting strategic fiscal planning. Strong leadership, organization and communication skills are imperative.

Critical to this role is the responsibility to work collaboratively with School and University stakeholders supporting sponsored compliance activities including, but not limited to: Sponsored Projects Shared Services (SPSS), Financial Research Compliance (FRC), Office of Internal Audits (OIA), Office of Research Administration (ORA), SOM Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Financial Systems Administration.

Scope of Responsibility

The Assistant Director, Research Finance Compliance will oversee the administrative and financial monitoring of sponsored research accounts across the School of Medicine, encompassing 39 clinical, basic science and other academic departments totaling over $1B in annual sponsored expenditures, optimize operating margins, direct proper financial stewardship, mitigate risk and enhance operational performance and efficiencies in the sponsored space. The Assistant Director will develop and distribute innovative reports and technology-based reporting solutions to be for use by SOM department administration, research administration & finance teams, to drive compliance and financial monitoring for sponsored and non-sponsored research funds.

The Assistant Director oversees and guides the financial activities of all SOM service centers, coordinates the rate and budget development activities for the research finance vertical, and meets regularly with departmental points of contact to ensure two-way communication for advocacy, knowledge transfer, and a shared understanding of financial activities of SOM service centers. The Assistant Director demonstrates an understanding of SOM service centers operations to align operations and implement best practices across service centers.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• The primary focus of this position is to enhance sponsored research and operational compliance within the SOM with a strong emphasis on areas with high regulatory and financial risk.
  
• Collaborates with and directs IT programmer(s) in the building of Enterprise-wide IT applications by leveraging a deep knowledge of hierarchal structures, SAP/Analysis, logic and regulatory requirements. Leads the testing, training, deployment, and enhancement of these IT applications.
• Through strategic collaborations, identifies, recommends and influences operational and reporting changes at the Enterprise level based on School and Departmental operational impacts (PI Dashboard, JHU-Enterprise Research Compliance Dashboard and JHU Internal Audits Dashboard). Identifies trends and advocates for business process improvement at the Enterprise level to prevent, detect and respond appropriately to compliance risks.
• Serves as a resident expert on central school developed systems, SAP/Analysis and research administration activities by leveraging institutional knowledge to provide at the elbow advice and training to departmental personnel in areas of sponsored research accounting and compliance. Serve as SOM Boot Camp Instructor and host training sessions on SOM developed systems.
• Identifies data blind spots and works with School and University Stakeholders to implement process improvements with a focus on utilizing technology to provide transparency and departmental accountability.
• Design, develop, and analyze School-wide comprehensive reports by leveraging automated systems and delivery portals where possible on a monthly basis including, but not limited to: Control Salary, Undistributed Budget, Deficit Balance, Surplus Balance, Clinical Trial Start-Up Billing, Deferred Revenue, Goods Receipt/Invoice Receipt (GR/IR) Discrepancies. Manage and monitor the monthly distribution of compliance reports ensuring accuracy