Associate Director, Sponsored Project Contracts

Southern Methodist University; University Park (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness benefits

Retirement programs

Professional development

Job summary

Southern Methodist University (SMU) seeks a seasoned Associate Director, Sponsored Project Contracts to lead negotiation, drafting, and administration of complex research agreements. The role partners with principal investigators, legal, and compliance teams to safeguard the university’s interests while enabling sponsored programs.

The candidate will supervise a team of contract professionals, develop templates and workflows, and ensure compliance with 2 CFR 200, FAR, and sponsor requirements.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; JD preferred for legal grounding in contracts.
• Minimum 5 years in sponsored programs or research administration.
• Experience negotiating research-related agreements with diverse sponsors.
• Ability to lead and develop staff, manage priorities, and communicate clearly.
• Knowledge of 2 CFR 200, FAR, and IP provisions in research.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiation, review, drafting, and execution of sponsored research contracts.
• Provide guidance on sponsor requirements and risk management to faculty and administration.
• Supervise contract staff and oversee workload and performance.
• Assess legal, financial, compliance, and security risks with various offices.
• Develop templates, SOPs, and workflows; monitor and improve operations.
• Engage in professional organizations and ongoing professional development.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract management

Leadership

Risk management

Staff supervision

Cross-functional

Legal understanding

Communication

Analytics

Education

Master’s degree

Juris Doctor (preferred)

Tools

Cayuse

Huron Research Suite

InfoEd

Kuali

Workday

DocuSign

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Job Description - Associate Director, Sponsored Project Contracts (PRO00000406)

Job Description

Associate Director, Sponsored Project Contracts - ( PRO00000406 )

Description

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

A The Office of Research and Innovation as well as the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies advance the goals of SMU's 2nd Century Strategic Plan to enhance the academic quality and stature of the University by supporting and safeguarding the growth of research and graduate education. The ORI aims to provide leadership, quality communication, responsiveness and transparency to the research community. The ORI provides leadership in the development of new research initiatives, guidance and assistance through intellectual property development, grant management, and adherence to the regulations and policies, and facilitates graduate recruitment, retention and graduation.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Associate Director, Research Contracts provides leadership for the negotiation, execution, and administration of complex research agreements supporting a large, diverse, and externally funded research enterprise. The position oversees research contract operations, supervises contract professionals, and serves as a principal institutional negotiator for federal, industry, foundation, and nonprofit-sponsored research agreements. The Associate Director works closely with principal investigators, academic leadership, technology transfer, research compliance, research security, and university counsel to facilitate research collaborations while protecting the university's legal, financial, intellectual property, and compliance interests. The Associate Director will also manage the operations of the Contract team, including training, planning, assigning, and reviewing work from staff and evaluating job performance.

Essential Functions:

Lead negotiation, review, drafting, and execution of sponsored research agreements, subawards, confidentiality agreements, data use agreements, material transfer agreements, and other research-related contracts.

Provide guidance to faculty, department administrators, and institutional leadership on contractual matters, sponsor requirements, and risk management issues.

Supervise, mentor, and evaluate research contracts staff; manage workload allocation and professional development activities.

Assess contractual, legal, financial, compliance, and research security risks and coordinate with General Counsel, Export Controls, Technology Transfer, Risk Management, IT, and other offices as needed.

Ensure compliance with federal regulations, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), FAR, agency-specific requirements, and institutional policies.

Develop and maintain contract templates, standard operating procedures, negotiation guidance, and operational workflows. Monitor operational metrics and implement process improvements to enhance service and efficiency.

Participate in professional organizations, training, and continuing education activities to maintain expertise in research administration.

Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

This position requires occasional evening and/or weekend work to meet proposal, award, and contract deadlines.

Occasional travel is required for professional development, conferences, and sponsor meetings. Estimated travel is less than 10%.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Master’s degree is required. A Juris Doctor is preferred.

A minimum of 5 years of experience in sponsored programs (research administration) in higher education, contract negotiation and administration, and/or federal and non-federal sponsored projects is required. Experience managing/supervising is also required.

Experience negotiating research-related agreements and supporting faculty research programs is preferred. Experience working with federal, state, industry, and foundation sponsors is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

Candidate must have knowledge of sponsored research administration principles and Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), understanding of federal grant and contract regulations, and knowledge of intellectual property provisions in research agreements.

Candidate must have the ability to interpret legal and contractual language and negotiate contracts. Must also have risk assessment and mitigation skills.

Candidate must have the ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive contractual and institutional information. Staying current and informed regarding changes to sponsor, regulatory, and institutional requirements is required.

Knowledge of export controls and research security requirements is preferred.

Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and electronic contract management and document management systems is required. Experience with Cayuse, Huron Research Suite, InfoEd, Kuali, Workday or similar ERP systems, DocuSign or comparable electronic signature platforms is preferred.

Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA) preferred.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

The position is open until filled.

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of healthand related benefit s. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMUand, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.