Assistant Director of Pre-Award (Outgoing Awards)

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission.

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Here is what we offer: 

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match 
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! 

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

JOB PURPOSE:

The Assistant Director, Pre-Award leads Howard University's outgoing subaward function within the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO), Pre-Award. The role provides direct staff supervision and technical and operational oversight for subrecipient classification, proposal- and award-stage subrecipient documentation, pre-issuance risk assessment, subaward drafting and negotiation, execution and amendment of outgoing subawards, applicable federal transparency reporting, and documented handoff to Post-Award/Compliance and other downstream functions. The position reports to the Senior Director, Sponsored Programs Office, Pre-Award, and is accountable for timely, accurate, policy-aligned, and audit-ready administration of the outgoing awards portfolio.

SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY:

Directly supervises staff assigned to the outgoing awards/subaward function. Responsibilities include workload assignment and balancing, technical review, coaching and cross-training, performance management, coverage planning, quality assurance, and escalation of capacity or performance concerns. The Assistant Director may also provide functional direction to other staff supporting outgoing award activities.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

This position reports directly to the Senior Director, Sponsored Programs Office (SPO), Pre-Award and serves as the first-line manager and senior technical lead for the outgoing awards function. The role is focused primarily on outgoing subawards issued under federal, federal flow-through, state, local, nonprofit, foundation, industry, and other sponsored programs. The position manages the front-end subaward lifecycle from intake and classification through due diligence, risk assessment, drafting, negotiation, execution, modification, federal transparency reporting when applicable, and documented transition to the appropriate downstream owner.

The Assistant Director collaborates closely with Pre-Award colleagues, Post-Award (including Post-Award Compliance), the Office of General Counsel, Research Compliance, Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, principal investigators, academic departments, and subrecipient organizations. The position is responsible for establishing clean handoffs and clear ownership across the lifecycle. It does not replace responsibilities assigned to principal investigators for programmatic oversight, Post-Award/Compliance for ongoing subrecipient monitoring, or Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Legal, and other central offices for functions within their respective authority.

The position requires demonstrated fluency in university or comparable sponsored research administration; advanced knowledge of outgoing subawards and pass-through entity responsibilities; working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 and applicable sponsor and federal requirements, including FAR/DFARS provisions when relevant; and disciplined use of research administration and enterprise systems. The incumbent must be able to manage people and a complex portfolio, independently analyze and apply requirements, maintain accurate and audit-ready records, identify cross-functional dependencies and control gaps, and escalate issues early with a clear analysis of the risk and recommended path forward.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Outgoing Award & Subrecipient Review

· Lead review and classification of proposed downstream relationships, ensuring that subrecipient-versus-contractor or consultant determinations are based on the substance of the relationship and are documented before a subaward is issued.

· Ensure required proposal- and award-stage subrecipient documentation is complete, current, and consistent with the approved scope, budget, period of performance, prime award, sponsor requirements, and institutional approvals.

· Oversee preparation, review, negotiation, execution, and amendment of domestic and foreign outgoing subawards using University-approved, Federal Demonstration Partnership, sponsor, or other appropriate agreement templates and required flow-down provisions.

· Review subaward terms and proposed actions for sponsor prior approvals, fixed-amount or cost-reimbursement requirements, cost share or other institutional commitments, changes in scope or key personnel, special conditions, and other matters requiring institutional action.

· Apply approved institutional positions and escalation pathways; coordinate with leadership, Office of General Counsel, Compliance, Finance, or other responsible offices when non-standard terms, legal issues, sponsor restrictions, or material institutional risks arise.

Portfolio Ownership, Staff Leadership & Workflow Control

· Manage the outgoing awards portfolio and team workload, ensuring each matter has a current status, next action, responsible party, dependencies, and expected timing in the designated institutional system of record.

· Establish clear performance expectations, review work for technical quality and completeness, coach and cross-train staff, and address recurring errors, capacity concerns, or performance issues through appropriate management action.

· Meet established SPO response and processing standards; proactively manage aging, follow up on outstanding items, distinguish SPO processing time from external dependencies, and escalate stalled matters before sponsor, institutional, or regulatory deadlines are jeopardized.

· Do not report or close a matter as complete until required classification, risk review, agreement actions, approvals, documentation, system updates, applicable reporting, and downstream handoffs are complete and can be verified.

Compliance, Risk Assessment & Pre-Issuance Controls

· Oversee and document required pre-issuance subrecipient risk assessments and due diligence for applicable federal and federal flow-through subawards, including review of organizational status, exclusions, audit information, prior performance, financial or operational concerns, foreign involvement, and other relevant risk indicators.

· Ensure identified risks are translated into a documented monitoring approach or special conditions proportionate to the assessed risk and that material concerns are resolved, escalated, or formally accepted through the appropriate institutional authority before execution.

· Oversee applicability determinations and timely completion of required federal transparency reporting for first-tier subawards and modifications, including retention of reporting evidence and correction or reconciliation of identified exceptions.

·  Research and apply 2 CFR Part 200, sponsor terms, applicable FAR/DFARS provisions, institutional policy, and established guidance; escalate matters requiring specialized review with a concise issue summary, governing requirement, identified risk, and recommended options.

Systems, Documentation & Data Integrity

·  Use and enforce the designated systems of record and workflow tools, including Cayuse, Workday, ticketing or case-management tools, sponsor systems, and approved repositories, to maintain complete and current records for outgoing award matters.

· Maintain audit-ready records containing classification decisions, subrecipient documentation, risk assessments, approvals, negotiation history, executed agreements and amendments, applicable federal reporting evidence, material correspondence, and documented handoff information.

· Accurately enter, update, and reconcile subaward data so institutional systems reflect current amounts, periods of performance, organizations, agreement status, key terms, special conditions, reporting requirements, and downstream management needs.

· Develop and maintain management reporting, aging data, exception tracking, quality-review results, and other evidence needed to assess workload, control performance, data quality, and audit readiness; email or personal tracking tools are not substitutes for the designated institutional record.

Stakeholder Communication, Execution & Handoffs

· Serve as the primary operational liaison for outgoing awards among Pre-Award, Post-Award/Compliance, Office of General Counsel, Research Compliance, Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, principal investigators, department administrators, subrecipients, and sponsors when sponsor action is required.

· Communicate clearly, accurately, professionally, and within established service standards regarding outstanding items, risk or compliance holds, negotiation issues, sponsor questions, expected timing, ownership, dependencies, and required next steps.

· Identify and escalate requests for work to begin before execution, retroactive subawards, unauthorized commitments, or other exceptions, and ensure no exception is treated as routine or advanced without the required institutional authorization and documentation.

· Complete and document the required handoff to Post-Award/Compliance and other downstream owners, including the executed agreement, approved risk assessment, monitoring approach, special conditions, deliverables, reporting requirements, and other information necessary for ongoing administration.

· Lead or co-facilitate award kickoff, transition, exception-review, or high-risk subrecipient meetings when early alignment is necessary to establish roles, responsibilities, monitoring expectations, and next actions.

Process Improvement, SOPs, Training & Quality Assurance

· Translate approved policy into operating practice through controlled SOPs, workflows, clear ownership, job aids, training, monitoring, and evidence that controls are functioning as designed; raise ambiguity or conflicts through established governance rather than relying on undocumented workarounds.

·  Conduct or oversee periodic quality reviews of outgoing award files and workflow performance; identify recurring issues and root causes across people, process/governance, technology/data, and institutional behaviors or dependencies, and recommend sustainable corrective action.

· Recommend and implement workflow, system, governance, documentation, and service improvements based on audit findings, quality-review results, aging patterns, sponsor requirements, recurring stakeholder pain points, and operational data.

· Develop and deliver role-specific training and guidance for outgoing award staff and contribute to training for principal investigators, department administrators, and institutional partners concerning subrecipient classification, risk, documentation, execution, and handoff requirements.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

· Advanced knowledge of university or comparable sponsored research administration, outgoing subaward administration, and the sponsored award lifecycle.

· Working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200, pass-through entity and subrecipient requirements, applicable FAR/DFARS provisions, sponsor-specific requirements, and institutional policies governing sponsored programs.

· Demonstrated expertise in subrecipient-versus-contractor classification, subrecipient due diligence and risk assessment, drafting and negotiating outgoing subawards, required flow-down terms, amendments, and applicable federal transparency reporting.

· Demonstrated people-management capability, including workload management, technical review, coaching, performance expectations, cross-training, and accountability.

· Independent research, analysis, judgment, and escalation skills, including the ability to frame an issue, identify the governing requirement, assess risk and operational impact, and recommend a path forward.

· Strong portfolio and queue-management skills, including prioritization, aging control, follow-through, status accuracy, dependency tracking, and deadline protection.

· Demonstrated systems and data discipline using electronic research administration, contract-management, and/or ticketing or case-management systems; experience with Cayuse and Workday is preferred.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills, including faculty service, negotiation, expectation-setting, difficult conversations, and cross-functional coordination.

· Commitment to internal control, audit-ready documentation, version control, accurate institutional records, complete handoffs, and evidence that required processes were performed.

· Initiative, adaptability, professional judgment, continuous-improvement capability, and a root-cause mindset appropriate for a high-accountability research administration environment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

· Bachelor's degree required.

· At least seven years of progressively responsible sponsored research administration experience in a higher education institution, academic medical center, nonprofit research institute, or comparable sponsored research environment.

· The required experience must include substantial direct responsibility for outgoing subaward administration, including classification, subrecipient documentation, risk assessment, drafting or negotiation, execution, amendment, and lifecycle handoff; experience independently managing complex federal and non-federal subawards is required.

· Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying federal and non-federal sponsor requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200 and relevant FAR/DFARS provisions when applicable, within a sponsored research environment.

· Demonstrated supervisory or formal functional-lead experience, including responsibility for assigning work, reviewing quality, coaching staff, managing competing priorities, and addressing performance or capacity concerns.

KEY SUCCESS INDICATORS:

· Timeliness and portfolio control: outgoing award matters progress within established SPO service standards, aging and dependencies are actively managed, workload is visible, and material delays are communicated and escalated before they become avoidable crises.

· Technical quality and judgment: subrecipient classifications, risk assessments, agreement terms, flow-down requirements, approvals, reporting obligations, and institutional risks are accurately identified and handled at a level consistent with an Assistant Director and senior technical lead.

· Control operating effectiveness: required pre-issuance reviews, approvals, risk documentation, agreement actions, applicable federal reporting, and handoffs are performed consistently and can be evidenced without reconstructing the file after the fact.

· Staff leadership and accountability: team members have clear ownership and performance expectations, work is assigned and reviewed appropriately, recurring errors are addressed, and staff capability and coverage improve over time.

· Systems and documentation integrity: designated systems contain current, accurate, and complete status, documentation, approvals, correspondence, risk decisions, executed instruments, and handoff information sufficient to support continuity, reporting, and audit readiness.

· Communication and lifecycle handoffs: internal and external communications are timely, accurate, professional, and policy-grounded, and downstream owners receive complete information necessary to perform their assigned responsibilities.

· Continuous improvement and institutional contribution: the incumbent uses audit findings, quality reviews, operational metrics, root-cause analysis, and stakeholder feedback to strengthen policy implementation, SOPs, workflow, training, monitoring, and evidence of sustained control performance.

· Demonstrated ability to manage a concurrent portfolio of complex matters while maintaining accurate status, documentation, system records, quality control, and timely stakeholder communication.

· General procurement, commercial contracting, federal acquisition, or post-award financial experience may complement the required background but does not substitute for direct sponsored research administration and outgoing subaward experience.

*Hybrid Flexible Preferred*

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Compensation Range: $135,000 - $140,000