Head of Research Administration Hub Strategy

SRA International; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SRA International is seeking a Director of Research Administration for the College of Engineering’s Office of Research Administration to lead the new Research Administration Hub operating model. The role directs a distributed network of ~50 professionals, aligning governance, capacity planning, and compliance with college priorities and sponsor requirements.

You will work with senior College leadership to scale the administrative framework, ensure consistent service delivery, and improve

Qualifications

• Post-baccalaureate credentials (Master's degree) or a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Higher Education, or a related field plus 8–10 years of progressively responsible research administration experience.
• At least 5 years of senior management experience within a large research university or complex enterprise.
• Enterprise leadership: demonstrated success managing large, matrixed, or distributed teams and driving organizational change within a Tier-1 (R1) research university or complex enterprise.
• Regulatory expertise: knowledge of federal circulars (Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200), FAR, CAS, public fund accounting, and major funding agency frameworks (NSF, DoD, DOE, NIH, State, Industry).

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, evolution, and governance of the College's Research Administration Hub model and ensure alignment with college research priorities.
• Advise the Dean and senior leaders on research administration strategy, capacity needs, and risk.
• Shape administrative infrastructure for large-scale, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional initiatives including center proposals and subrecipient relationships.
• Establish enterprise-wide standards, service expectations, and leadership pathways to strengthen consistency and capacity.
• Oversee workload and capacity planning across hubs, centers, and affiliated units to inform resource allocation.
• Direct deployment of resources during high-volume sponsor deadlines and transitions to maintain support and continuity.
• Transform research administration data into actionable insights to guide strategy and decisions.
• Provide executive-level reporting on research activity and establish meaningful performance measures.

Education

Master's degree or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Higher Education, or related field

8–10 years of progressively responsible research administration experience

Job description

SRA International is seeking a Director of Research Administration for the College of Engineering’s Office of Research Administration to lead the new Research Administration Hub operating model. The role directs a distributed network of ~50 professionals, aligning governance, capacity planning, and compliance with college priorities and sponsor requirements.

You will work with senior College leadership to scale the administrative framework, ensure consistent service delivery, and improve