Manager, Research Programs, Surgical Sciences

UTSW; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Paid time off

Parental leave

Retirement program

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center seeks a Manager, Research Programs to lead strategic oversight for the Department of Surgery and SPAR partnering departments. You will direct a team of seven grants professionals handling pre- and post-award tasks, compliance, and sponsor reporting, while advising investigators and leadership on funding opportunities and financial stewardship.

The role requires extensive NIH grant experience, strong process improvements, and collaboration with faculty, finance, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in science, finance or related field
• 8 years of related experience in research, research administration or non-profit administration
• Must be familiar with NIH research grant preparation and management
• Requires advanced PC expertise including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database software
• Prior experience in the UTSW clinical research mentoring program is highly desirable, and participation may count as additional experience.
• Heart Saver may be required based on research study protocols or affiliate location requirements Upon Hire

Responsibilities

• Supports research within multiple departments by developing and enhancing shared facilities; tracks, evaluates, and reports progress.
• Promotes collaboration among investigators; organizes meetings, seminars, and conferences; oversees internal communications.
• Supports new research funding opportunities; assists with multi-investigator grant proposals including planning, budget preparation, and submission.
• Works with foundations and development staff to identify philanthropic opportunities; liaises with university and funding partners.
• Designs surveys on space utilization; analyzes data on productivity and space requirements.
• Oversees strategic development of new research programs and initiatives; supervises trials operations and research compliance.
• Develops processes for terminating research faculty and performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

NIH grant management

Grant administration

Advanced PC skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in science, finance or related field

Master’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Database software

Job description

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager, Research Programs provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and subject matter expertise for the Department of Surgery and all Surgical Partners in Research (SPAR) partnering departments. This position directs and develops a high-performing team of grants professionals responsible for the full lifecycle of research administration, including pre-award proposal development and submission, post-award management, sponsor compliance, financial stewardship, reporting, award negotiations, closeout activities, and advise partnering departments on financial management relevant to research funding. The Manager, Research Programs serves as the primary resource for investigators, departmental leadership, institutional offices, and external sponsors, providing expert guidance on federal, state, industry, foundation, philanthropic, and institutional funding mechanisms.

This role is responsible for managing a complex and diverse grant portfolio spanning across multiple departments with varied administrative structures to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant submissions of research proposals to agencies including, but not limited to, federal grants, private foundations, and donor-funded research initiatives. The Manager, Research
Programs monitors regulatory and sponsor policy
changes, interprets funding requirements, develops and implements best practices, and ensures adherence to federal regulations, institutional policies, and sponsor guidelines. The position provides direct supervision, mentorship, performance management, workload allocation, and professional development for a team of seven grants professionals while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Manager, Research Programs partners closely with all partnering departments’ faculty, division administrators, finance teams, and research leadership to identify funding opportunities, support strategic research growth initiatives, optimize resource utilization,
mitigate compliance and financial risk and enhance operational effectiveness across the SPAR research enterprise. Additionally, this position works closely with the SPAR Assistant Director, Clinical Research Unit to lead process improvement efforts, develops standardized procedures and training programs, evaluates operational metrics and performance indicators, and identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and service delivery. As a senior research administration leader, the Manager, Research Programs plays a critical role in supporting the institution’s research mission by strengthening funding competitiveness, maximizing sponsored research revenue, ensuring regulatory compliance, and sustaining long-term growth of the research portfolio. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a high-impact research enterprise within a nationally recognized academic medical center, supporting innovative investigators and working alongside a skilled research administrative team.

BENEFITS

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education

Bachelor’s Degree in science, finance or related field

• Experience

8 years of related experience in research, research administration or non-profit administration and

Must be familiar with NIH research grant preparation and management and

Requires advanced PC expertise including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database software

Prior experience in the UTSW clinical research mentoring program is highly desirable, and participation in the UTSW clinical research mentoring program may count as additional experience.

Heart Saver may be required based on research study protocols or affiliate location requirements Upon Hire

Preferred

• Education

Master’s Degree

• Experience

Prior experience related to research administration is strongly preferred.

JOB DUTIES

• Supports research within multiple departments or business units by developing and enhancing shared facilities and programs; develops and implements procedures to optimize operations and resource utilization; tracks, evaluates, and reports progress of shared resources.
• Promotes collaboration among investigators and across disciplines, departments and institutions; organizes meetings, seminars and conferences; manages internal and external communications of the department; oversees information services group in developing web-based research collaboration tools and databases.
• Supports new research funding opportunities; works with faculty and departmental grants managers to assist with multi-investigator grant proposals including planning, budget preparation, administrative coordination and submission. Works closely with UTSW Foundation and development staff to identify opportunities for philanthropic support; assists Chair by serving as liaison to key university, community and funding partners.
• Designs and conducts surveys on research space utilization. Analyzes and compiles data on departmental productivity, space requirements and utilization by researchers.
• Assists with strategic development of new research programs and initiatives; oversees clinical trials operations, and research compliance.
• Develops processes regarding terminating research faculty.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.