Senior Associate Director, Research Support Hub

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior Associate Director, Research Support Hub

Job Profile Title

Associate Director D, Research

Job Description Summary

About The Research Support Hub: The Research Support Hub (RSH) is a collaboration between the School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2), the Weitzman School of Design (Weitzman), Penn Carey Law (PCL), and the Annenberg School for Communication (ASC) to administer research support functions. The primary goals of the RSH are to: (1) streamline and strengthen research support services across participating schools; (2) create a center of excellence for implementing and disseminating best practices; and (3) achieve efficiencies by reducing duplication and consolidating administrative functions.

The Senior Associate Director plays a key leadership role within the Research Support Hub (RSH), providing operational oversight of research administration services supporting multiple schools across the University. Reporting to the Director of the Research Support Hub, the position provides operational leadership for post-award research administration and serves as the senior resource for diverse sponsored project administration, faculty financial planning, and compliance.

The Senior Associate Director maintains an assigned portfolio of faculty sponsored research programs and provides advanced pre-award and post-award research administration support for complex federally sponsored projects. The position partners with faculty, departmental administrators, Grants Managers, the Office of Research Services, and other central administrative offices to ensure the effective administration of sponsored projects and compliance with University and sponsor requirements. The Senior Associate Director works collaboratively with Grants Managers to establish consistent business practices, monitor completion of post-award activities, provide guidance on research administration issues, and develop standardized workflows and operational improvements that promote efficient and sustainable research administration across the schools served by the RSH. The position also leads the implementation of operational initiatives designed to enhance service delivery, strengthen internal controls, improve operational efficiency, and support the continued evolution of the Research Support Hub.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Provide advanced pre-award and post-award research administration support for an assigned portfolio of faculty with diverse sponsored research programs.
• Serve as the primary research administration contact for assigned investigators and provide expert guidance on proposal development, sponsor regulations, award administration, financial and non-financial post-award management, compliance, reporting requirements, prior approvals, and complex research administration matters.
• Provide operational leadership for post-award research administration activities across the Research Support Hub. Coordinate post-award workflows, establish standardized business practices, monitor completion of post-award activities, and collaborate with Grants Managers to promote consistent service delivery across multiple schools.
• Provide leadership for complex faculty financial planning activities associated with sponsored research portfolios. Oversee processes related to faculty compensation planning, effort reporting coordination, financial forecasting, and other post-award financial management activities. Partner with Grants Managers to ensure assigned faculty portfolios are effectively monitored, compliance requirements are met, and effort reporting and other institutional obligations are completed accurately and timely.
• Serve as the senior technical resource for Grants Managers and research administration staff by providing mentoring, training, consultation, and guidance on complex research administration issues. Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, operational documentation, and best practices. Support onboarding of new RSH staff. Promote consistent implantation of research administration processes, and contribute to the ongoing development of an effective and sustainable shared services model.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with faculty, school leadership, departmental administrators, the Office of Research Services, and other central administrative offices. Provide consultation on sponsored project administration, sponsor regulations, financial stewardship, and research administration best practices.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement and support implementation of new processes, technologies, and shared services initiatives that enhance efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
• Represent the Research Support Hub on committees, workgroups, and institutional initiatives, fostering collaboration and promoting consistent research administration practices across supported schools.
• Perform additional duties as assigned and participate in special projects as assigned in support of the mission and objectives of the Research Support Hub.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree and 5 to 7 years of experience required.
• Strong grantsmanship, compliance, and research administration experience required.
• Exceptional knowledge and experience with financial analysis and forecsting, spreadsheets, Excel, and MS Office suite required.
• Experience in UPenn research and financial systems strongly preferred (PennERA, Penn GFM Research Portal/Cayuse, Research Other Support App, ERS, HS-ERA, RIS, PHS-FITS, BEN Financials, Markview/BEN, Business Objects/Data Warehouse, Concur, Penn + Box, Secure Share, Workday@Penn, etc.)
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills in addition to outstanding customer service skills,
• Must exhibit the ability and desire to troubleshoot issues and demonstrate exemplary organizational and critical thinking skills.
• Must be timely and responsive to deadlines and adept at juggling multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must be comfortable working independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Must be reliable with strong interpersonal skills and possess a positive attitude and professional demeanor.

A resume AND cover letter must be submitted with the application to be considered.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Annenberg School for Communication

Pay Range

$80,891.00 - $120,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay