Director of Research Security

The University of Texas at Arlington; Arlington (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Arlington seeks a Director to oversee an integrated program of research security, export control, conflict of interest, and conflict of commitment. This role protects scientific work, resources, IP, and sensitive data while supporting open academic engagement.

The Director serves as UTA’s Research Security Officer and partners with campus leaders to implement risk-based approaches across the research and innovation enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security, Global Security or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in a research security role in academia, federal contractor, or related industry.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience.
• Experience with government agencies (DoD, NIH, NSF, DOE) or regulated research (EAR, ITAR, OFAC) is required.

Responsibilities

• Develops governance frameworks, policies, and processes for an integrated program.
• Leads efforts to meet certification and statutory requirements.
• Monitor regulatory updates to ensure compliance with laws and regs.
• Serve as primary institutional contact for research security with sponsors and partners; supervise staff.
• Engages with research community to address issues and mitigate risk.
• Create and maintain tools to assess and mitigate risk across programs.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments and coordinate with campus leaders on security matters.
• Ensure compliance with disclosure rules and federal/state requirements; manage investigations.
• Lead risk mitigation for foreign affiliations, international collaborations, and insider threats.

Skills

Leadership

OSINT research

Written communication

Analytical thinking

Discretion & integrity

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security or related field

Job description

The Director oversees an integrated research security, export control, conflict of interest, and conflict of commitment program designed to protect the institution’s scientific and scholarly work, financial resources, intellectual property, as well as regulated and sensitive data while supporting open academic engagement. The Director serves as UTA’s Research Security Officer. The role is a strategic partner to campus leaders and the research community and is responsible for implementing risk-based approaches that assure the integrity and security of the university’s diverse research and innovation enterprise. The Director actively leads efforts to mitigate risks related to foreign adversaries and influence as well as insider threats associated with domestic and international research efforts as required by federal and state law.

Essential Functions

• Develops and supports institutional governance frameworks, policies, and processes for an integrated program.
• Leads university’s efforts to meet certification and statutory requirements.
• Monitor regulatory updates and industry best practices to ensure the university's programs and employees remain compliant with applicable laws and regulations.
• Serve as a primary institutional point of contact for research security matters with federal sponsors and external partners. Responsible for the direct supervision of staff.
• Engages with research community to explore, understand, and address issues.
• Create and maintain suite of electronic and informational resources/tools to independently and collaboratively assess and mitigate risk.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments to identify potential conflicts and institutional areas for improvement.
• Leads coordination efforts with campus leaders and research stakeholders to examine and advance research security matters in research projects, international partnerships, and commercialization.
• Ensure institutional compliance with sponsor disclosure rules as well as federal and state requirements.
• Implement foreign travel training to countries of concern, heightened intel collection and ITAR.
• Partners with information security and campus compliance to develop and implement campus-wide certifications that promote awareness of disclosure and research security obligations.
• Lead investigations into program violations ensuring documentation and reporting of findings.
• Resolve non-compliance issues and refer serious cases as appropriate.
• Prepare reports for senior leadership, sponsors and regulatory agencies as required.
• Develop, implement and monitor management plans for compliance and/or identified cases of violations.
• Evaluate and mitigate risks related to foreign affiliations, talent recruitment programs, international collaborations, partnerships, foreign shipments and visiting scholars.
• Develop processes and mitigation program for insider threat risks in partnership with information security and information technology.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security, Global Security and Intelligence, Risk Management or a related field.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in a research security role with a federal contractor or within higher education, research, health, or a related industry in a role responsible for counterintelligence, investigations, insider threat, conflict of interest, intelligence analysis or related experience.
• Experience must include a minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience.
• Must have experience working with government agencies (DoD, NIH, NSF, DOE, etc.), or in a regulated research environment subject to EAR, ITAR, OFAC, or similar compliance requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 or more years of experience in security or responsible conduct of research role.
• 5 or more years of progressive leadership responsibility and supervisory experience.
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in research security and/or national security field.
• Holds a federal security clearance of Secret or above.
• Certified Insider Threat Analyst (CITA) and/or GIAC Open-Source Intelligence Certification (GOSI)
• Certification or experience examining data logs in User Entity Behavior Analytical (UEBA) tools and/or other data aggregate tools.
• Certification in trade compliance or export control.
• Experience in developing risk matrices and intelligence report writing.Experience as a Contract Program Security Officer (CPSO) familiar with safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Classified information.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of current suite of available Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) / Publicly Available Information (PAI) tools, databases, and repositories,
• Strong proficiency in OSINT research and methodology.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated customer service and policy development skills.
• Strong analytical with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise discretion, judgement and integrity when making discission.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Skilled in making sound decisions when minimal information is available.Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and multitask on a variety of projects.

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday; 8:00am through 5:00pm

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Benefits Information

Position is benefit eligible: Yes

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our employees at the University.