Senior Director of Grants and Contracts Administration - Law Center

Georgetown University comprises two unique campuses in the nation’s capital. With the Hilltop Campus located in the heart of the historic Georgetown neighborhood, and the Capitol Campus, just minutes from the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court, Georgetown University offers rigorous academic programs, a global perspective, and unparalleled opportunities to engage with Washington, D.C. Our community is a close-knit group of remarkable individuals driven by intellectual inquiry, a commitment to social justice, and a shared dedication to making a difference in the world.

Requirements

Job Overview

The Senior Director of Grants and Contracts Administration provides strategic, financial, and operational leadership for the full lifecycle management of funding supporting the Law Center’s interdisciplinary centers and institutes and faculty research. The Senior Director oversees a diverse and complex portfolio, which includes publicly and privately funded grants and contracts, and ensures sound financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and consistent service delivery across multiple research units.

Serving as the primary institutional authority for sponsored research administration within centers and institutes, the Senior Director partners closely with center and institute leadership, faculty, the Law Center’s Office of Finance, central research administration, legal counsel, finance, and compliance offices. The role also supports the full lifecycle of sponsored projects, from proposal development and contract negotiation through award management and closeout, while aligning administrative practices with institutional priorities and sponsor expectations.

The Senior Director is responsible for overseeing a complex and diverse research portfolio that includes both hard and soft money funds, encompassing federal, state, foundation, philanthropic, and industry-sponsored grants and contracts. The position ensures that all sponsored and institutionally supported activities are conducted in accordance with sponsor requirements, university policies, and applicable laws and regulations, while enabling centers and institutes to pursue ambitious and interdisciplinary research agendas.

Additional duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing strategic direction and expert guidance on grants and contracts administration tailored to the unique operational and funding needs of interdisciplinary centers and institutes as well as individual faculty research endeavors.

• Leading, supervising, and developing a team of grants and contracts professionals supporting pre-award, post-award, and contract negotiation activities.

• Monitoring hard and soft money fund expenditures, burn rates, and overall financial performance; developing multi-year forecasts; and advising center and institute leadership on portfolio health, long-term sustainability, and financial risk.

• Serving as a trusted advisor to center and institute directors, faculty leaders, and senior administrators on funding strategies, compliance risks, financial stewardship, and operational best practices.

• Overseeing the negotiation and administration of complex agreements, including industry-sponsored research, cooperative agreements, multi-institutional collaborations, subawards, and philanthropic research funding.

• Ensuring consistent, efficient, and compliant grants and contracts administration practices across diverse units while balancing institutional standards with the operational realities of semi-autonomous centers and institutes.

• Identifying opportunities for process improvement, standardization, and scalability as centers and institutes grow, launch new initiatives, or engage new sponsors.

The Senior Director plays a critical role advancing the Law Center’s research mission by integrating grants and contracts expertise with rigorous financial management, ensuring that Georgetown Law’s centers and institutes are positioned for long-term success while maintaining sponsor confidence and institutional compliance.

Work Interactions

The Senior Director of Grants and Contracts Administration reports directly to the Senior Executive Director of Centers & Institutes, under the Office the Chief Operating Officer, and supervises relevant operational and administrative staff within the Centers & Institutes Management Team. The Senior Director works closely with faculty and staff within Georgetown Law’s centers and ins