Senior Program Administrator, Social Sciences Research Center, Research Centers, and Team Science

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Chicago seeks a Sr. Program Administrator for the Social Sciences Research Center (SSRC) to oversee academic, research, clinical or administrative programs across the Division of the Social Sciences.

You will coordinate strategic planning, development of research support, and cross-center collaboration with faculty leadership to strengthen capacity and funding outcomes. The role leads workshops, training, proposal development resources, data-use support, and connections to

Responsibilities

• Coordinates operations and supports planning for the SSRC and assigned interdisciplinary and research centers; works with faculty and center leadership to set, refine, and implement strategic direction and program priorities.
• Develops and maintains detailed knowledge of University of Chicago social science faculty research interests and strengths and uses that knowledge to shape innovative research support programs and cross-center opportunities.
• Establishes organizational structures, business processes, workflows, guidelines, and performance standards that strengthen administrative effectiveness and support center and divisional goals.
• Manages the SSRC Faculty Advisory Board and works with faculty leadership on vision, implementation, assessment, and strategic growth.
• Carries out special initiatives on behalf of the Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives and represents the Division in collaborative projects as assigned.
• Supports research development activities for assigned centers and collaborative initiatives, working with faculty and the Division's research development team to translate ideas into competitive proposals for external funding.
• Provides guidance to investigators on broader impacts, data management, project management, sponsor requirements, and other elements of proposal strategy and development.
• Coordinates large sponsored-award projects and collaborative, interdisciplinary, and institutional programs in partnership with faculty and staff across campus.
• Organizes proposal preparation and submission services to meet sponsor expectations, use faculty and staff time efficiently, anticipate investigator needs across the award life cycle, and ensure compliance with University policies.
• Contributes to grant writing, fundraising, stewardship materials, and reports for assigned units and develops programmatic indicators and outcomes that demonstrate impact and effectiveness to funders and stakeholders.
• Develops and leads research development training programs, methodological workshops, and targeted training opportunities; creates tools and templates that strengthen the Division's proposal development infrastructure.
• Builds and maintains relationships with University partners such as the Research Computing Center, IRB, Library, and other central units to connect faculty and centers to research resources and expertise.
• Oversees the Division's proposal library and funding-opportunity resources and supports data-use and data-acquisition needs in coordination with relevant University partners.
• Manages the Division's research facility at 1155 E. 60th Street, coordinating administrative needs for faculty research projects, visitors, events, and access.
• Manages a suite of competitive internal funding opportunities for faculty and student researchers, including developing and issuing RFPs, coordinating proposal review, announcing awards, and

Job description

Department

SSD Social Sciences Research Center (SSRC) - Staff and Temporary Employees

About the Department

The Social Sciences Research Center (SSRC) and Research Centers & Team Science portfolio supports interdisciplinary research, faculty collaboration, and research infrastructure across the Division of the Social Sciences. The unit works closely with faculty and center leadership on research development, strategic planning, program growth, training, and organizational effectiveness, while also providing administrative support to centers that do not have dedicated staff. It also connects faculty to University resources including research computing, the IRB, the Library, and other central research-support units.

Job Summary

The job manages academic, research, clinical or administrative programs of the University.

The Sr. Program Administrator of the Social Sciences Research Center (SSRC), Research Centers & Team Science, supports the effective operation and development of the SSRC and a portfolio of interdisciplinary research centers and team-science initiatives across the Division of the Social Sciences. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, the Sr. Program Administrator works closely with faculty and center leadership and coordinates initiatives designed to strengthen research capacity, collaboration, organizational effectiveness, and external funding.

The Sr. Program Administrator works directly with faculty and center leadership on strategic planning, research development, communications, program growth, and organizational effectiveness. The role also leads faculty-facing research support activities, including methodological workshops and training, proposal development resources, data-use and data-acquisition support, and connections to University research infrastructure. For centers without full-time administrative staff, the Sr. Program Administrator provides administrative oversight for core functions, including budgets, facilities, procurement, contracts, events, records, and related operations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates operations and supports planning for the SSRC and assigned interdisciplinary and research centers; works with faculty and center leadership to set, refine, and implement strategic direction and program priorities.
• Develops and maintains detailed knowledge of University of Chicago social science faculty research interests and strengths and uses that knowledge to shape innovative research support programs and cross-center opportunities.
• Establishes organizational structures, business processes, workflows, guidelines, and performance standards that strengthen administrative effectiveness and support center and divisional goals.
• Manages the SSRC Faculty Advisory Board and works with faculty leadership on vision, implementation, assessment, and strategic growth.
• Carries out special initiatives on behalf of the Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives and represents the Division in collaborative projects as assigned.
• Supports research development activities for assigned centers and collaborative initiatives, working with faculty and the Division's research development team to translate ideas into competitive proposals for external funding.
• Provides guidance to investigators on broader impacts, data management, project management, sponsor requirements, and other elements of proposal strategy and development.
• Coordinates large sponsored-award projects and collaborative, interdisciplinary, and institutional programs in partnership with faculty and staff across campus.
• Organizes proposal preparation and submission services to meet sponsor expectations, use faculty and staff time efficiently, anticipate investigator needs across the award life cycle, and ensure compliance with University policies.
• Contributes to grant writing, fundraising, stewardship materials, and reports for assigned units and develops programmatic indicators and outcomes that demonstrate impact and effectiveness to funders and stakeholders.
• Develops and leads research development training programs, methodological workshops, and targeted training opportunities; creates tools and templates that strengthen the Division's proposal development infrastructure.
• Builds and maintains relationships with University partners such as the Research Computing Center, IRB, Library, and other central units to connect faculty and centers to research resources and expertise.
• Oversees the Division's proposal library and funding-opportunity resources and supports data-use and data-acquisition needs in coordination with relevant University partners.
• Manages the Division's research facility at 1155 E. 60th Street, coordinating administrative needs for faculty research projects, visitors, events, and access.
• Manages a suite of competitive internal funding opportunities for faculty and student researchers, including developing and issuing RFPs, coordinating proposal review, announcing awards, and