Director, Sylvester Sponsored Programs - Onsite

University of Miami; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Tuition remission

More benefits

Job summary

The University of Miami/UHealth Department of SCCC invites applications for a Full Time Director of Sponsored Programs to lead externally funded programs on the UHealth campus in Miami, FL. The role focuses on post-award administration, funds management, and strategic policy implementation.

Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree (or higher) and 8+ years in research administration; CRA certification is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, public administration, or related field is required.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in research administration or sponsored programs.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee post-award administration of all sponsored programs.
• Develop and maintain post-award database for sponsored programs.
• Interpret and apply government and external sponsor rules and regulations.
• Hire, mentor, and train staff; conduct performance evaluations.

Skills

Strategic planning

Financial management

Resource management

Adaptability

Team leadership

Data analytics

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Huron Research Suite

Workday

eRA Commons

Job description

The University of Miami/UHealth Department of SCCC has an exciting opportunity for a Full Time Director of Sponsored Programs to work at the UHealth campus in Miami, Fl.

CORE JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Sponsored Programs guides and oversees externally funded programs for the University, such as research programs and scholarship programs. Additionally, the Director, Sponsored Programs supervises the administrative activities of the relevant programs, including identifying funding sources, acquiring funding, setting program policies and objectives, and allocating resources. This is an on-site opportunity.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS

• Oversees the post-award administration of all sponsored programs for the University.
• Develops and maintains the post-award database for sponsored programs.
• Monitors, keeps current with, interprets, and directs proper application of government and other external funding organizations' rules and regulations.
• Interacts with various university departments for system implementation design, and planning.
• Participates in the University's fiscal year-end tasks and other mandated year-end requirements.
• Hires, mentors, and trains staff, and conducts performance evaluations and corrective actions.
• Provides advice to leadership and staff regarding sensitive, critical, and highly complex issues, and interprets a broad range of sponsor policies and government regulations.
• Supervises staff review of grant and contract award terms and negotiation of sensitive and complex sponsored programs issues and awards.
• Establishes and continuously assesses the effectiveness of the internal controls within the unit and compliance with university policies and procedures.
• Ensures employees are trained on controls within the function and on university policy and procedures.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required

Experience: Minimum 8 years of relevant experience required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strategic Alignment: Skilled in aligning departmental goals with enterprise-wide strategy and develops comprehensive strategic plans.
• Financial Management: Ensures fiscal responsibility, and optimization of financial performance.
• Resource Management: Ability to allocate resources and drive innovation and growth.
• Adaptability: Proven ability to adjust to changes and leads/inspires transformational change.
• Team Leadership: Ability to build and lead high-performing teams, manage complex projects, and ensure successful project delivery.
• Technology & Analytics: Understanding of technology, data analytics, and performance measurement to drive strategic decisions and identify opportunities.
• Communication: Ability to influence others, articulate strategic vision, and ensure clear and persuasive communication.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFICS

Leadership and Organizational Oversight

The Director of Sponsored Programs provides leadership and operational oversight for sponsored research activities within Sylvester Cancer Center. Reporting to the Executive Director of Research Operations, this role is responsible for executing strategic priorities, integrating pre-award and post-award functions, and ensuring compliant, efficient, and high-quality support across the full lifecycle of sponsored funding.

Provide day-to-day leadership of the Sponsored Programs Office, ensuring alignment with strategic direction established by the Executive Director of Research Operations. Lead and integrate Pre-Award and Post-Award functions to deliver coordinated and consistent operational support across the research lifecycle. Supervise and mentor functional leaders, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards. Identify and expedite operational risks, resource constraints, and compliance concerns, with recommendations for resolution. Coordinate operational alignment with institutional partners (e.g., Office of Research Administration, Finance, HR).

Operational Strategy and Performance Management

Implement strategic and operational priorities established by Cancer Center leadership across sponsored programs. Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for pre-award activities, including submission timeliness, proposal volume, award success rates, and proposal issues and corrections.

Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for post-award activities, including timeliness of award setup, expenditure management relative to project timelines, financial reporting accuracy, subrecipient monitoring, volume of cost transfers and payroll allocation adjustments, and closeout performance.

Translate performance data into actionable process improvements and operational enhancements, ensure appropriate staffing models, workload distribution, and resource planning to support a high-volume, complex research portfolio. Oversee the implementation and optimization of systems, tools, and workflows supporting sponsored research administration.

Pre-Award and Post-Award Oversight

Establish and maintain operational frameworks to support the effective development, review, and submission of grant and contract proposals. Ensure consistent execution of sponsor and institutional requirements through standardized processes, quality controls, and team-level accountability. Provide oversight of complex, multi-component proposals, including program project, training, and center-level submissions. Support identification and dissemination of funding opportunities aligned with Cancer Center priorities.

Provide oversight and accountability for post-award financial management processes, including budget implementation, expenditure monitoring relative to project timelines, financial reporting accuracy, subrecipient oversight, and project closeout. Ensure consistent execution of sponsor and institutional requirements through standardized processes, internal controls, and team-level accountability. Ensure effective coordination and handoffs between Pre-Award and Post-Award functions across the project lifecycle.

Policy, Risk Management, and Institutional Alignment

Develop and implement policies, procedures, and internal controls to strengthen compliance and operational consistency. Lead internal reviews and support institutional readiness for audits, site visits, and sponsor evaluations. Serve as an operational liaison with institutional stakeholders and external sponsors, as appropriate. Provide input to leadership on emerging risks, compliance trends, and operational impacts related to sponsored research.

Training and Communication

Ensure the development and delivery of training, guidance, and communications related to sponsored programs processes and requirements. Promote a service-oriented approach to faculty and research teams, ensuring consistent and high-quality administrative support across the Cancer Center.

Education: Bachelor’s or master's degree in business administration, Public Administration, or related field.

Certification and Licensing: Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification preferred.

Experience: 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, including supervisory experience. Deep knowledge of federal regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, DOD), Uniform Guidance, and institutional compliance frameworks. Demonstrated success in managing complex teams and sponsored research portfolios.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Experience in an academic medical center or NCI-designated cancer center preferred. Familiarity with enterprise systems such as Huron Research Suite, Workday, and eRA Commons.

#LI-YC1

The University of Miami offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package

• medical
• dental
• tuition remission
• more

UHealth-University of Miami Health System, South Florida's only university-based health system, provides leading-edge patient care powered by the ground breaking research and medical education at the Miller School of Medicine.

As an academic medical center, we are proud to serve South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. Our physicians represent more than 100 specialties and sub-specialties, and have more than one million patient encounters each year. Our tradition of excellence has earned worldwide recognition for outstanding teaching, research and patient care. We're the challenge you've been looking for.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Job Status: Full time Employee Type: Staff

The mission of the University of Miami is to transform lives through education, research, innovation, and service. A vibrant and diverse academic and healthcare community, the University of Miami and the University of Miami Health System ("UHealth") have rapidly progressed to become one of the nation’s top research universities and academic medical centers in the nation. The University comprises 12 schools and colleges serving undergraduate and graduate students in more than 350 majors and programs. Visit welcome.miami.edu/about-um to learn more about our points of pride.

The University ranks No. 55 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges list and ranked No. 49 in the 2022 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the #1 eye hospital in the USA and offers some of the nation's premiere eye doctors to treat every eye condition for adults. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer, part of the Miller School of Medicine, received the prestigious National Cancer Institute designation in 2019. The University of Miami and UHealth have also ranked among the Forbes Best Employers and Best Employers for Women on several occasions, most recently in 2022. With more than 17,000 faculty and staff, the University strives for excellence, and is driven by a powerful mission to transform and impact the lives of its students, patients, members of the community, and people across the globe.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.