ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, POST AWARD

CSUAOA; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Paid training and conferences

Retirement plan

Job summary

San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) seeks an Associate Director of Post-Award to lead a team managing over $70M in annual expenditures. You will shape post-award strategy, develop staff, and drive high-quality research administration services across the university.

The role emphasizes analytics, policy implementation, and collaboration with faculty, sponsors, and university partners to ensure compliance and effective operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in a directly related field.
• Demonstrated management experience with increasing leadership responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on supervision of the post-award staff handling grants, subawards, and contracts.
• Oversee collaboration with Accounts Receivable on sponsor invoices and payments.
• Review and approve financial reports and ensure timely sponsor reporting.

Skills

Research administration

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Training development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Workday

Cayuse SP

Job description

OUR STATEMENT

The San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) is committed to building a work environment where everyone can show up as their own self and have an opportunity to contribute, develop, and advance in their career. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are core values of the organization. We strive to attract, retain, and develop employees who reflect the community and society where we work and live. The Research Foundation aims to develop a culture where everyone feels welcome, shares their views, and where differences in backgrounds and perspectives are seen as adding value.

GENERAL NATURE OF POSITION

The San José State University Research Foundation Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) seeks an accomplished associate director of post-award to provide strategic leadership for its post-award team. This position oversees a team of post-award professionals responsible for managing and stewarding more than $70M in annual expenditures, while advancing operational excellence, service quality, and compliance across the portfolio. As a senior-level member for the OSP leadership team, the associate director will assist in shaping post-award strategy, developing staff, and promoting consistent high-quality research administration services to faculty across the university, leveraging metrics-based tools and analytics to inform decision-making, enhance service delivery, and support operational effectiveness.

The position will provide training, direction and management of a team of post-award analysts. The role oversees and manages teams engaged in documentation review, portfolio management, workload assessments, process improvements, and workflow coordination. The associate director may also serve as a support resource for the post-award teams during periods of increased workload, staff absences, or vacancies.

The position will also establish and maintain professional, effective communication with internal and external customers, both personally and across multiple platforms, including SJSU administrators, faculty, and community partners.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide active, hands-on supervision of the post-award staff performing primary transactional actions related to grants, subawards, and/or contracts.
• Oversee the post-award team’s collaboration with the Accounts Receivable Team on sponsor programs’ invoices and payments.
• Oversee the preparation of financial reports and ensure timely technical reporting in accordance with sponsor requirements. Review and approve the financial report prior to submitting to the sponsor agency.
• Oversee review and approval of expenditures and cost transfers, ensuring compliance with sponsor restrictions, regulatory requirements (allowability), and availability of funds.
• Lead the post-award related audits, such as SJSURF financial annual audits, including single audit, CSU audits, or any sponsor agency audits.
• Provide expert advice to faculty and staff regarding sponsored projects and related activities. Serve as liaison for compliance with regulations and Foundation and university policies.
• Provide regulatory and compliance oversight and guidance to the post award team related to university policies and procedures and all applicable rules, regulations, and sponsor guidelines. Monitor risk and compliance concerns.
• Implement systems to track research administration reporting and metrics as well as sponsored projects deadlines and activity.
• Project and analyze long-term trends in total research funding and sponsored effort.
• Monitor onboarding and ongoing training and ensure processes are effective.
• Ensure effective ongoing training programs for research administration staff, including developing and participating in training for students, staff, and faculty on university and sponsor policies, regulations, and supporting systems.
• Participate in institutional committees for research compliance and sponsored programs administration.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to address new regulatory requirements in alignment with the Foundation, university, federal, and other sponsored guidelines.
• Serve as a research administration ombudsperson for faculty and staff by providing leadership and guidance in support of sponsored projects.
• Participate in long-range and strategic planning related to policy, organizational structure, process, outreach, and professional growth and development of staff. In coordination with leadership, assess gaps and overlaps in business processes and lead efforts to analyze and streamline processes to improve organizational metrics, performance and service levels and ensure consistency across the division.
• Other duties as assigned.

INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS

• Reports to the Director, Office of Sponsored Programs.
• Actively interacts with Research Foundation auditors and individual project auditors.
• Actively interacts with AVP of Research, College Deans, Department Chairpersons, faculty, other university personnel and sponsor agencies on a regular basis.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Manages the post-award team, including the post-award manager and post-award analysts.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in a directly related field.
• Demonstrated management experience with increasing leadership responsibilities required.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond high school diploma/graduation equivalent.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

• Advanced knowledge of research administration principles, sponsored programs, and applicable federal, state, sponsor, and institutional regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and interpret policies, procedures, and process improvements that enhance operational effectiveness and compliance.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with faculty, staff, leadership, sponsors, and external partners.
• Experience developing and delivering research administration training and engaging diverse stakeholders to support institutional research objectives.

DESIRED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Experience in sponsored projects, contracts and/or research compliance administration.
• Experience and/or familiarity with Workday and Cayuse SP

COMPLEXITY OF DUTIES

• Manages complex research administration issues requiring analysis, evaluation of multiple factors, and development of effective solutions.
• Exercises independent judgment in developing processes, evaluating outcomes, and making recommendations.
• Independently addresses critical issues and makes decisions in alignment with institutional policies and sponsor requirements.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Must be able to operate a personal computer, including mouse and keyboard, and use standard office equipment such as a ten-key adding machine.
• Requires visual acuity for extended and concentrated computer use.
• Must be able to sit for extended periods while performing desk-based work.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the SJSURF. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current SJSURF employees who apply for the position.

PLEASE NOTE: This position is considered a “sensitive” position by SJSURF and California State University (CSU) policy. Consequently, the successful candidate must undergo and successfully complete the Live Scan (fingerprinting) background check as a condition of their employment. This background check must be completed before the actual start of employment.

NOTE: This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.

COMPENSATION RANGE

$135,000-$145,000 Annually, DOQ/E

Exempt, Benefited

BENEFITS

The SJSURF provides an excellent benefits package to benefited employees. The comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Four company health insurance plans to choose from (employee contributions differ according to plan and level of coverage).
• Employer-paid dental and vision for both employee and eligible dependents.
• Life, AD&D, LTD with supplemental coverage opportunities.
• 14 paid federal & state holidays.
• Retirement Plan: 403 (b) employee contribution plan component and a 403 (b) employer contribution component, which vests immediately.
• Vacation-hour accruals and separate sick-hour accumulations.
• Employee discounts.
• Paid training and professional-development conferences.

Please visit the Benefits & Compensation page on the SJSURF website for more detailed information.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The SJSURF is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with physical or mental disabilities in the employment, recruitment, examination, interviewing, and hiring processes. If you are a job seeker with a physical or mental disability, and you require a reasonable accommodation to search, apply, or interview for a job opening or otherwise need a reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process, please contact us at [e-mail]. In the email message, please indicate your full name, phone number and the type of assistance required. You must not reveal the underlying medical reason for your needed reasonable accommodation or otherwise disclose confidential medical information.

About The Sjsu Research Foundation

SJSURF employment is separate and distinct from San José State University (SJSU) or state of California employment. SJSURF employees are not employees of SJSU or of the state of California. SJSURF is a non-profit auxiliary of SJSU. SJSURF is totally self-supported. The majority of the organization’s funding comes from the federal government, and other public and private entities. With annual revenues totaling over $65 million, programs managed through SJSURF cover a rich diversity of applied research, public services, and educational-related activities.

San José State University Research Foundation is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, genetic information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, and local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.

It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. All employment practices such as recruitment, selection, promotions, and other terms and conditions of employment are administered in a manner designed to ensure that employees and applicants for employment or services are not subjected to discrimination. We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. This policy is in accordance with federal, state and local laws and reaffirms the Research Foundation’s continuing commitment to both the spirit and intent of equal employment opportunity laws and policies.

San José State University Research Foundation is an EOE M/F/Vet/Disability. Learn more about our organizations EEO and AAP policy by visiting our website HERE. Data metrics on the AAP is available for review upon request. Please also visit OFCCP for additional resources: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/posters.

If you have any questions or need assistance or an accommodation in completing this application, please contact Research Foundation HR at [phone].

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