Associate Director, Office of Scholarship & Sponsored Projects

Job DetailsJob Location: Hillsboro Professional Campus - ORPosition Type: ExemptJob Category: Faculty and Staff Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close and nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse, sustainable, and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching, scholarship, and practice.

At Pacific University, we thrive in an extraordinary environment, surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest, with campus locations in Forest Grove and Hillsboro. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live, work, teach, and acquire and share knowledge.
 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION 

The Associate Director of the Office of Scholarship & Sponsored Projects (OSSP) is a senior-level administrative position responsible for managing and executing one of the two core functional areas of the office — either Sponsored Projects Administration or Research Integrity & Compliance — while also supporting the overall operations and leadership of OSSP. This position exists to ensure sustained depth of expertise in a critical research administration specialty area, to serve as operational lead in that domain, and to provide continuity of leadership in OSSP. Together with the Director, the Associate Director ensures that both specialty areas are fully and robustly covered at all times.

Note on Expertise Pathways: One of the two OSSP leadership positions (Director or Associate Director) will hold expertise in Sponsored Projects Administration; the other will hold expertise in Research Integrity & Compliance. The individual with Research Integrity & Compliance expertise serves as the university's designated Research Integrity Officer (RIO), regardless of title.
 

ESSENTIAL  DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Specialty Area Leadership [Area A or Area B — one required]
The Associate Director provides operational leadership and day-to-day management of their specialty area. The assignment is complementary to the Director's expertise.

Specialty Area A: Sponsored Projects Administration – 85%
(If the Associate Director holds this specialization)


Manages the full lifecycle of sponsored grants and contracts, including pre-award development, award management, and non-financial post-award compliance for sponsored research, scholarly, and creative works and government grants. 
Advises faculty, staff, and students on identifying funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals, and meeting agency requirements.
Reviews and approves proposals, budgets, and supporting documentation to ensure compliance with federal agency guidelines (NSF, NIH, DOE, NEA, NEH) and OMB Uniform Guidance.
Manages and tracks grant/contract awards; ensures accurate financial reporting and post-award compliance in coordination with Finance & Administration.
Supports and may serve as lead or co-author on institutional or collaborative grant applications.
Negotiates and manages research agreements, material transfer agreements (MTAs), data use agreements, confidentiality agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
Develops and maintains databases of funding opportunities, submissions, and outcomes; develops handbooks and resources to support faculty grantsmanship.
Maintains the university's registrations with federal grant portals (Grants.gov, NSF Research.gov, eRA Commons).


Specialty Area B: Research Integrity & Compliance – 85%
(If the Associate Director holds this specialization; this individual also serves as the Research Integrity Officer)


Serves as the university's designated Research Integrity Officer (RIO): receives and evaluates allegations of research misconduct; manages inquiry and investigation processes; ensures compliance with ORI reporting requirements and federal regulations for research misconduct.
Provides operational management and oversight of the IRB, IACUC, and IBC: processes and tracks initial and post-approved submissions; arranges, attends, and records meetings; manages the audit process per federal and university regulations.
Monitors federal and state regulatory changes; ensures university policies and procedures are consistent with applicable guidelines; prepares required compliance reports.
Develops and implements research compliance education and quality improvement programs across all five colleges, including training in RCR, COI, research security, export control, and human/animal subjects research.
Manages clinical trial compliance and reporting on ClinicalTrials.gov; supports data sharing, export control, and controlled research activities.
Serves as the university's liaison with external agencies (OHRP, FDA, etc.) during audits or inquiries.
Works with the Compliance Office, HIPAA Privacy Officer, Legal Counsel, a