TERA Assistant Director

OSU Oregon State University; Corvallis (OR); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Paid leave

Tuition reduction

Flexible work arrangements

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Oregon State University (OSU) is seeking a TERA Assistant Director within the Division of Research and Innovation. This 12-month, full-time professional faculty role leads the TERA Solutions Hub and Launch program, building partnerships across colleges, research teams, and external partners to enable large, multi-institutional awards.

The role supervises Launch Managers, designs scalable service models, and drives continuous improvement in project launches and governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of progressively responsible professional experience in operational leadership or related fields.
• Five years of experience managing complex programs, projects, or organizational operations.
• Experience supervising staff or leading teams.
• Experience developing operational systems, workflows, or programs.
• Strong relationship building, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Experience coordinating activities involving multiple stakeholders and organizational units.
• Commitment to equitable engagement in teams and ability to work with diverse partners.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the TERA Solutions Hub and ensure efficient service delivery.
• Provide operational leadership for TERA Launch, including service model development and processes.
• Plan, monitor, and improve program performance and scaling initiatives.
• Supervise Launch Managers and foster a community of practice for project managers.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with colleges, centers, industry, government, and sponsors.
• Lead high-priority, multi-institutional launches with governance, timelines, and communications.

Skills

Operational leadership

Staff supervision

Stakeholder coordination

Relationship building

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree or PhD

Job description

Job Summary

This Division of Research and Innovation is seeking a TERA Assistant Director. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position. The TERA Solutions Hub (Transdisciplinary, Translational, and Engaged Research Advancement) Assistant Director works closely with the TERA Director to cultivate strategic relationships with colleges and research teams across Oregon State University and beyond and provides consistent operational leadership for the TERA Launch program within the TERA Solutions Hub. The position is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving a university-wide project launch service that supports newly funded large, complex, and multi institutional research awards. This position supervises Launch Managers and supports a limited portfolio of high-priority projects.

Key Responsibilities

• TERA Solutions Hub Operations and Administration – Oversee day-to-day operations of the TERA Solutions Hub, including programs, services, systems, communications, data management, operational processes, and service delivery to ensure effective and efficient operations aligned with TERA’s mission.
• TERA Launch Program Leadership and Development – Provide operational leadership for TERA Launch, including development and refinement of service models, intake and project-selection processes, launch methodologies, assessment frameworks, cost-recovery approaches, templates, and operating procedures.
• Program Planning, Performance, and Continuous Improvement – Establish and maintain systems for project assignment, resource allocation, reporting, evaluation, and quality assurance; monitor program performance and use results to guide improvements, annual planning, resource decisions, and program scaling.
• Launch Manager Supervision and Workforce Development – Supervise Launch Managers, including hiring, onboarding, training, workload distribution, mentoring, professional development, quality assurance, and performance management; foster a community of practice and provide peer support to project managers across campus.
• Strategic Research Partnerships and TERA Ecosystem Development – Work with TERA leadership to develop and strengthen partnerships with colleges, centers and institutes, industry, government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations; represent TERA Launch in university planning and broader TERA initiatives.
• High-Priority Research Project Launch and Implementation – Serve as the lead launch administrator for selected high-priority, large, complex, and multi-institutional research awards, either directly managing launches or coordinating Launch Managers. Develop startup and implementation plans, governance structures, timelines, communication plans, milestone systems, and transition strategies.
• Cross-Functional Coordination and Collaborative Team Development – Coordinate administrative and operational requirements—including hiring, procurement, contracting, compliance, reporting, infrastructure access, and project documentation—while facilitating collaboration among PIs, research teams, university units, sponsors, institutions, and external partners to remove barriers and support effective team performance.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree AND a minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible professional experience in operational leadership research administration, innovation centers, industry partnerships, complex program management, higher education operations, or a related environment.
• Five years of experience managing complex programs, projects, research initiatives, or organizational operations.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff or leading teams.
• Experience developing operational systems, workflows, or programs.
• Strong relationship building, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Experience coordinating activities involving multiple stakeholders and organizational units.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with internal and external partners from a variety of backgrounds, and a demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing equitable engagement in teams.
• This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq.
• Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD.
• Experience supporting sponsored research, research administration, or research development activities.
• Experience cultivating partnerships among academic, industry, government, nonprofit, and community partners.
• Experience leading interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, or community-engaged initiatives.
• Problem solving, adaptability, flexibility.
• Knowledge of federal research funding agencies and sponsored project requirements.
• Experience with organizational change management, program assessment, or service design.

Working Conditions / Schedule

This position typically requires in-person presence, though a hybrid or remote work agreement with occasional travel may be considered for the right candidate. This position may arrange a flexible work schedule (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/remote-work) as agreed upon by the employee and supervisor. The position manages a portfolio of multiple projects simultaneously, requiring flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to respond effectively to changing project needs and timelines. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support project launches, stakeholder meetings, or special events. Limited in-state or out-of-state travel may be required.

Salary Range

$100,000 - $112,200

Anticipated Start Date

2026-12-01

Benefits & Total Rewards Package

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life.
• OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
• Retirement savings paid by the university.
• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical care insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.
• Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.

Location

Locations: Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.

Equal Opportunity and Diversity Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

OSU is a fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring.

We encourage applications from candidates who bring a wide range of lived experience including involvement with the justice system.

Background Check / Security Sensitive

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months. If this position has "critical or security-sensitive" responsibilities and/or driving duties and you are selected as a finalist, your initial job offer will be contingent upon the results of a job-related pre-employment check (such as a background check, motor vehicle history check, sexual misconduct reference check, etc.). Background check results do not automatically disqualify a candidate.