Lead, Outgoing Subawards & Pre‑Award

Howard University; Washington; On-site; USD 135,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Career advancement

Wellness programs

Commuter benefits

Vibrant culture

Job summary

Howard University is seeking an Assistant Director, Pre-Award to lead the outgoing subaward function within the Sponsored Programs Office, Pre-Award. The role supervises staff, ensures risk assessments, and oversees drafting, negotiation, and handoffs for subawards to Post-Award and Compliance.

The incumbent will manage the lifecycle of subawards, enforce policy compliance, and coordinate with General Counsel, Finance, and departments to ensure audit-ready records and timely processing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible sponsored research administration experience.
• Direct responsibility for outgoing subaward administration including classification and documentation.
• Experience supervising staff and coordinating across offices.

Responsibilities

• Lead review and classification of proposed downstream relationships for subawards.
• Oversee subaward documentation, negotiation, execution, and amendments.
• Manage outgoing awards portfolio and team workload with clear ownership.
• Conduct pre-issuance risk assessments and ensure federal reporting when applicable.
• Maintain audit-ready records with thorough handoffs to downstream owners.
• Develop SOPs, deliver role-specific training, and monitor quality.

Skills

Subaward administration

Contract negotiation

Staff supervision

Sponsored programs knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Cayuse

Job description

Howard University is seeking an Assistant Director, Pre-Award to lead the outgoing subaward function within the Sponsored Programs Office, Pre-Award. The role supervises staff, ensures risk assessments, and oversees drafting, negotiation, and handoffs for subawards to Post-Award and Compliance.

The incumbent will manage the lifecycle of subawards, enforce policy compliance, and coordinate with General Counsel, Finance, and departments to ensure audit-ready records and timely processing.