Assistant Director, Research Security, Office of Research Support and Compliance

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Director, Research Security, Office of Research Support and Compliance

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Hiring Department:

Office of Research Support and Compliance

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Office of Research Support and Compliance (ORSC) at The University of Texas at Austin functions to ensure that all research conducted at the University is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies. The ORSC educates and supports the University research community with regulatory guidance concerning human subjects research (Institutional Review Board), animal research (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), use of biohazardous agents and use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids (Institutional Biosafety Committee), financial conflict of interest in research (FCOI), and research integrity education.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:  

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage  

• Retirement contributions

• Paid vacation and sick time

• Paid holidays

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

The Assistant Director, Research Security is responsible for daily operational oversight of risk-based monitoring and risk analysis activities in the Research Security Office (RSO) within the Office of Research Support & Compliance (ORSC). The Assistant Director, Research Security plays a key role in facilitating safe and productive international engagements, ensuring research security related activities and processes operate efficiently, enhance institutional compliance with federal and state requirements, and provide optimal support to university researchers. Key responsibilities for the position include continually monitoring the research security environment, collaborating with the Senior Director to ensure the university remains responsive to the evolving research security landscape, providing outreach to the research community related to the benefits and risks of international collaborations, facilitating collaboration across institutional units to ensure compliance, and leading risk based monitoring and risk analysis processes related to international activities. The Assistant Director, Research Security supervises research security analysts. This position is a member of the Research Support and Compliance leadership team, with shared responsibility for accomplishing research security related goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

Manage Research Security Program Operations

• Manage policies and processes for monitoring foreign activities of university personnel.

• Manage policies and processes for reviewing and monitoring foreign visitors to the university.

• Implement risk-based processes for ongoing monitoring of foreign activities, including situations that may trigger an audit. Routinely monitor internal disclosure systems for financial interests, outside activities, foreign travel, foreign gifts, and any other relevant information to assess international activity. Conduct risk-based reviews of international activities including research collaborations, foreign travel, and professional appointments. 

• Assist individuals with assessing risks associated with international activities.  Provide risk analysis guidance to faculty, staff, and trainees.  

• Continually assess processes for quality and efficiency, seeking areas for improvement as needed to ensure compliance while facilitating international collaborations.  Develop and implement updates to programs and processes as needed.  

• Assist with external or internal inquiries related to foreign influence compliance issues. Draft institutional responses to external inquiries.

• Manage the International Collaboration and Review Committee (ICRC) activities including membership, scheduling, submission intake and assessment processes, and communicate review outcomes to researchers.

Support the Research Security Office

• Continually monitor the evolving research security environment. Work with RSO leadership to