Director of Research, YWCC

New World Medical, Inc.; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company seeks a Director of Research for the Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) to manage sponsored research activities across departments. The ideal candidate will ensure compliance with funding requirements while fostering collaboration and supporting faculty in proposal development, tracking metrics, and optimizing research administration practices.

Qualifications

• Six to eight years of experience in sponsored research administration.
• Mastery of essential office software.
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage operations related to proposals and sponsored research activities.
• Support faculty in navigating administrative and financial components.
• Monitor proposal submissions for compliance with policies.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Graduate degree in a science or related area

Job description

Title:
Director of Research, YWCC

Department:
Office of Research & Development

Reports To:
Senior Director of Pre-Award Services

Position Type:
Staff

Position Summary:
The Director of Research for the Ying Wu College ofComputing (YWCC) will manage the administrative aspects of sponsored researchactivities across multiple departments within the YWCC, with a strong emphasison collaboration and a flexible mindset. Working closely with the Senior andAssistant Directors of Pre-award Services in the Office of Research and theAssociate Dean for Research for YWCC, this role will support faculty innavigating the administrative and financial components of sponsored researchprocesses, including project budget creation and compliance.

Essential Functions:
Pre-Award Support:
-Manages day-to-day operations related to proposals andadministratively sponsored research activities, ensuring compliance withuniversity policies and funding agency requirements.
-Provides the YWCC faculty, staff, and students withpre-award support in assembling proposal packages that may include a projectbudget that aligns with policies under NJIT, YWCC, and state and federalregulations, with special attention to compliance in collaboration withsponsors.
-Initiates and oversees the preparation and submission ofproposals for external funding, assists faculty in developing budgets,narratives, supporting documents, and all duties related to the pre-awardprocess, utilizing NJIT’s Streamlyne platform for proposal development andapproval routing system.
-Monitors and tracks proposal submissions to ensure theyprogress efficiently through NJIT’s approval process. Supports and documentsthe submissions with compliance in mind using various platforms designated bythe sponsor. Maintains the status of submissions through available means forkey tracking metrics.
-Assists transitioning from pre-award in collaboration withNJIT’s post-award management team when the external sponsor awards proposals.This can include reviewing award documentation for reporting requirements,rebalancing the budget if it’s different from the initially proposed budget,collaborating with NJIT’s General Counsel Office for their consent on legallybinding terms, and collating the documentation needed for administrativecompliance.

CollaborativeEngagement:
-Fosters a culture of collaboration to simplify researchprocesses and increase the visibility of research initiatives.
-Serves as administrative liaison between the Office ofResearch, YWCC Dean's Office, and various university departments, includingfinance, compliance, and legal teams, to facilitate effective communication andoptimize research administration practices.
-Provides ongoing support to faculty in understandingregulations and policies governing sponsored research, including grantcompliance, reporting requirements, and financial management.
-Builds productive relationships with external fundingagencies and partners, representing NJIT’s research interests in collaborationsand consortia.
-Coordinates regular meetings with faculty to identifyresearch needs, guide funding opportunities, and share best practices forsuccessful proposals.
-Utilizes various platforms, such as Pivot-RP, to locateunique funding opportunities across an extensive portfolio of topics.
-Develops methods to collaborate with prospective principalinvestigators directly or map out a communication plan for funding opportunitynotices.
-Assists relevant YWCC personnel in preparing and presentingsummaries, analyses, and documents identifying research trends andopportunities to promote faculty engagement and funding maximization.
-Participates in YWCC, NJIT, external committees, and taskforces focused on research administration as needed.

Flexibility andAdaptability:
-Collaborates with faculty and administrative units toidentify innovative solutions and streamline processes in researchadministration.
-Continuously updates skill sets and certifications, such asregular certification compliance with platforms like the CollaborativeInstitutional Training Initiative Program.

Monitoring andReporting:
-Tracks and analyzes research activities, funding trends, andperformance metrics to identify areas for improvement and support strategicplanning.
-Prepares reports and updates for the Associate Dean forResearch, highlighting accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities toenhance sponsored research efforts.

Prerequisite Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
-Six to eight years of experience in sponsored researchadministration, research finance, or related services within a relevantindustry.
-Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines whilemaintaining strong attention to detail.
-Exceptional collaborative skills, demonstrating a capacityto work well with diverse teams and stakeholders.
-Mastery of essential office software, including wordprocessing, spreadsheets, presentations, and communication applications.
-Excellent written and verbal communication skills, asevidenced by application materials.
-Ability to be flexible and adaptive to changing prioritiesand complex challenges in a fast-paced research environment.
-At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Preferred Qualifications:
-A graduate degree, preferably in a science related toareas of research, business administration, or Project Management.
-Knowledge of the processes, online systems, and operationsof the leading federal funding agencies, such as NSF, NIH, DARPA, DoE, and DoD.
-Experience developing and delivering training sessions andworkshops to enhance faculty knowledge and expertise in research administrationand proposal development.
-Certification in Research Administration (CRA, CPRA, CFRA,or similar).

Bargaining Unit:
PSA

Range/Band:
26

FLSA:
Exempt
Full-Time