Director, Office of Sponsored Programs and Academic Research

Colorado-Mesa-University; Grand Junction (CO); On-site; USD 82,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent health benefits

Retirement benefits package

Job summary

Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, CO, seeks a Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs to lead the full grant lifecycle—from pre‑award to post‑award—while ensuring compliance with sponsor rules and internal controls. You will oversee budgeting, reporting, and stakeholder relationships with investigators and funding partners.

The role requires a Master’s degree and at least several years of leadership in grant administration, with CRA preferred.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited university.
• 3–5 years of leadership experience including personnel management and budgeting.
• Experience with both pre-award and post-award grant administration (proposal, awards, reporting).
• CRA or similar certification is preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the OSP team through the full grant lifecycle including pre-award and post-award activities.
• Monitor compliance with sponsor regulations and internal policies.
• Manage departmental budget and contribute to annual strategy and goals.
• Cultivate relationships with Principal Investigators, Project Directors, and sponsors.
• Provide training and ongoing guidance on grant processes and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with Finance, Foundation, and Academic Affairs to align award administration.

Skills

Grant management

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Budget oversight

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring

Project management

Education

Master’s degree (MA/MS/MBA) from a fully accredited university

Tools

SAM.gov

Grant management software

Job description

ANNOUNCMENT OF POSITION VACANCYFLSA Status:United States of America (Exempt)Compensation:$82,000–$91,000Commensurate with education and experience. Excellent health and retirement benefits package:SECTION I - OUR VALUES CULTIVATE OUR VISION AND CULTUREAt CMU, we believe in acting from a foundation of goodwill. This belief gives us the courage to form meaningful relationships, embark on joint endeavors and take risks in the pursuit of new possibilities. It’s this courage that enables the Mavily to explore new ways of thinking and doing, knowing that there is no perfect solution, no perfect idea.From this place of humility and courage, we’ve built a culture of resilience. We invest in the future by continuously adapting to change, overcoming challenges, and seizing new opportunities. We recognize that change is constant, and our resilience allows us to embrace it with confidence. Endless curiosity drives us to approach the unexpected as if it were expected, seeing opportunities for discovery and renewal in every challenge. In this community rooted in love and dignity, curiosity thrives, leading to endless opportunities for growth and advancement.Inspired by the soul of the West—the spirit that our region embodies—we emerge as a force for positive change, harnessing our collective power to build a Human Scale University that reflects our values and brings to life our shared vision of the world we aspire to create.Colorado Mesa University Core ValuesLove - Extending oneself for nurturing the growth of self and othersDignity - Respecting the intrinsic value of each person and believing that others act from a foundation of goodwillCourage - Taking risks in the pursuit of new possibilitiesHumility - Suspending one’s ego and pride to recognize that no idea is perfect and being open to the input of othersResiliency - Investing in the future by adapting to changes, overcoming challenges and pursuing OpportunityCuriosity - Cultivating awe and exploring the unknownPower - The strength to act collaboratively with individual agency to achieve our goalsSECTION II – THE SEATAt CMU, we look at every position as a seat. Every seat is vital and the individual in the seat contributes significantly to our mission of providing an affordable and accessible education and forming meaningful and mutually enriching partnerships that support the well-being and vibrancy of our community. As a human centric organization, a priority is to ensure we have the “right seats” in our organization, and that the expectations, ownership and accountabilities are defined and communicated clearly for the success of the individuals holding the seats.The Director of Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and Academic Research leads the OSP team to identify, realize, and steward grants and funding opportunities aligned with CMU’s strategic plan, highest priority needs, and faculty scholarly research.OVERVIEW AND ROLE SCOPE OF TEAM AND/OR TASKSLead a team of employees encompassing the full grant lifecycle, including pre-award services, post-award financial management, and all applicable compliance and regulatory matters.Manage a coordinated, well-defined team that provides excellent support to faculty investigators and other grant leads, tracks pre and post compliance with federal and private sponsor regulations and develops relationships with ongoing and new targets of funding opportunities.Cultivate a portfolio of private, foundation and governmental funding agenciesManage department budget and participate in setting annual strategies and goalsMonitor and maintain procedures and processes necessary for compliance with all grantor requirements, including fiscal management, subaward monitoring, records retention, procurement regulations, time, and effort reporting, etc.Build and maintain professional and productive relationships with Principal Investigators and Project Directors, Holding regular meetings as required and requested.Remain current with changes in government regulations and higher education practices related to grant funding and policiesProvide initial training and ongoing communication to principal investigators and project directors to ensure understanding of grant-related responsibilities, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements, as well as clear points of contact for questions and support.Oversee timely and appropriate communication with sponsors, principal investigators, project directors, and other key stakeholders to support award acceptance, clarify requirements, address questions or issues, and promote ongoing compliance and successful administration of grant awards.Collaborate with the Office of Academic Affairs and the CMU Foundation to create strategic goals for funding that encompass the needs of all areasMaintain a thorough understanding of awards within the grant portfolio and routinely coordinate with OSP staff to monitor project progress, spending, reporting requirements, and other award deliverables. Oversee project timelines to support timely submission of required technical/progress and financial reports and completion of sponsor-required deliverables.Maintain and enhance policies, procedures, and operational practices to promote efficiency, consistency, and continuous improvement; monitor departmental operations, grant portfolio volume, workload trends, and staff performance to support effective service delivery.Track, analyze, and report grant portfolio data, trends, and projections to support financial planning and institutional decision-making; provide annual grant projections for Finance and Board of Trustees reporting and timely portfolio information to senior leadership, the CFO, Budget Director, and other key stakeholders.Serve as the institutional administrator for federal, state, and other grant-related portals; maintain required registrations, including SAM.gov renewal; manage and monitor user access and permissions; and complete or submit institutional certifications, assurances, proposals, and other required materials as appropriate.Coordinate closely with Finance, Accounts Payable, the Bursar, Financial Aid, and the CMU Foundation to facilitate appropriate proposal and award routing, support efficient financial administration, resolve cross-departmental issues, and ensure OSP activities are aligned with institutional processes and responsibilities.Provide cross-functional backup for OSP positions to support continuity of operations, including proposal preparation and submission, funding opportunity searches, sponsor reporting, billing, and invoicing, award administration, and other grant-related functions as needed.Provide on-demand presentations, training, and informational sessions to faculty, departments, and other campus groups on grant administration topics to promote awareness of funding processes, compliance responsibilities, institutional procedures, and available OSP resources.Maintain general knowledge of Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care And Use Committee (IACUC) committee operations, online platforms, protocol submission processes, and applicable institutional and regulatory requirements to support effective coordination of research compliance activities; provide backup support to the IRB/IACUC Administrator as needed to ensure continuity of operations.Other duties as assigned.ROLESLead, Manage and AccountabilityGrant Portfolio ManagementCompliance and Regulatory OversightBudget ManagementACCOUNTABILITY TO RESULTS90 Day Rocks – 80% Completion RateGrant Portfolio Projection Rate to ActualGrant Proposal Management Accuracy – 100%Grant Volume ManagementEthical Financial StewardshipCORE PROCESSESOwnedGrant LifecycleFinancial Stewardship and Internal ControlsFinancial Offices Coordination and CommunicationCompliance and Regulatory OversightCampus Relations and Service to Internal CustomersContributorIRB and IACUC AdministrationReasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.DISCLAIMER - This position description is only a summary of the typical functions of this seat, and not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and areas of accountability.SECTION III – OUR DESIRES FOR RIGHT FITFor the success of our mission and our teams, we desire to have individuals who are a “Right Fit” in our seats. We define “Right Fit” as those who embrace our culture, demonstrate our values, understand the seat and what is required. We seek individuals who want this seat, desire to be a part of a bigger vision and have the capacity to be a successful member of our CMU team.CAPACITY REQUIREMENTSSeat may include long workdays.Requires ability to communicate with, advise Senior Leadership and enforce compliance.Reinforcing and enforcing policies at all levels, viewing policies through the eyes of an auditor to reduce institutional risk.Ability to respond to and manage potential desk reviews and auditsRequires curiosity and the capacity to learn quickly broad information and department prioritiesESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE FOR RIGHT FITMaster’s degree (MA/MS/MBA) from a fully accredited universityDemonstrated ability to coordinate multiple awards, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholders while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and continuity of operations.Demonstrated experience with both pre-award and post-award grant administration, including proposal submission, award acceptance and management, sponsor reporting, compliance monitoring, and closeout activities.3-5 years demonstrated leadership experience including personnel management, relationship building, budget oversight, and operational administration. Proven ability to analyze data and performance metrics, develop meaningful reports, and communicate financial and operational information effectively to senior leadership to support planning and decision-making.Demonstrated knowledge of and familiarity with grant funding policies and procedures, knowledge of federal forms and processing systems, and contract management. (preferred)Certified Research Administrator (CRA), or similar certification (preferred)Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.LANGUAGE SKILLSThe language skills include:Ability to read, analyze and interpret general written materials, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations.Ability to write reports and prepare and conduct verbal and visual presentation of materials.Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from top management, public groups, and board of directors.REASONING ABILITYStrategic and analytical reasoning skills are necessary. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.PHYSICAL DEMANDSThe physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job, the individual is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The individual must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.WORK ENVIRONMENTThe work environment characteristics described here are representative of those the individual in this position will encounter while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The individual typically performs the duties of the job in an open office setting. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud at times, with several disruptions throughout the day.HOW TO APPLY: Applicants will be asked to complete an online application by creating a profile and then providing personal and demographic information. In addition, please be prepared to upload a:Cover letterResumeCopy of transcripts for all degrees completed (if your transcripts include a social security number or birthdate, please redact that information before uploading the document. Official transcripts will be required upon hire)Colorado Mesa University is particularly interested in candidates who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and who have a demonstrated commitment to improving the levels of access and success for underrepresented students within higher education.Colorado Mesa University is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history. Applicant must be able to verify U.S. employment eligibility. Colorado Mesa University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a culturally diverse faculty, staff and student body. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact the CMU Human Resources Office by phone or email. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and the type of accommodation needed.