Assistant Vice President, Research Administration & Security

Job Summary:

 The Assistant Vice President for Research Administration and Security (AVP RAS), reporting to the Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, with dotted lines to both the Office of the General Counsel and Vice President of Research, is responsible for leading Research Administration by overseeing, managing and evaluating the Pre- and Non-Financial Post Award aspects of contracts, grants, and awards for the Institute. The AVP is responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of policies, procedures, processes and practices related to research administration and finance services necessary to support and promote faculty research efforts.

Who we are:

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ↗︎

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world. 

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in research administration and research security
• Extensive knowledge of research administration functions with demonstrated leadership and team management experience
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with research stakeholders
• Experience implementing and redesigning processes to improve operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and regulatory compliance
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, supervisory, and change management skills

Applicants must meet all minimum education and experience requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Finance or related field
• Experience with Banner and Cayuse systems

 

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Management experience in a research setting serving strong, independent, innovative, and entrepreneurial scientists.
• Experience with grants management, and a good understanding of research funding agencies including government and industry.
• Strong financial analytic skills.
• Ability to grasp and translate into operations complex financial matters, as they relate to the administration of research awards.
• Knowledge of compliance regulations and a track record of success in the interpretation of those regulations.
• Demonstrated experience pulling together a team, developing staff, and building morale within an organization.
• Excellent negotiation skills, as well as the ability to advocate effectively on behalf of the research enterprise.

Representative Job Duties:

• Directs on-going management activities of Research Administration and the entire award process. Function as the senior Authorized Institutional Officer responsible for sponsor contracts and grant negotiations and acceptance. Directs verification of the accuracy of awards and adherence to internal and external regulatory requirements and assurances and cost sharing. Oversees non-financial post-award award management (e.g., requests for prior approval, such as no-cost-extension or re-budgets) and closely coordinates with research finance on matters related to expenditure review, invoicing, reporting, award closeout and accounts receivable management. Establish appropriate metrics to measure staff productivity and customer service levels.

   

• Oversees proposal review and submission processes to ensure sponsored research proposals are in compliance with and adhere to internal and external policies. Develop internal practices to streamline the process for submitting sponsored research proposals and applications, as well as evaluative metrics to gauge customer service and staff productivity.

   

• Lead, in coordination with the Office of General Counsel, implementation of campus-wide policies and pr