Executive Director of Sponsored Projects Services

The University of Oregon invites nominations and applications for the position of Executive Director of Sponsored Projects Services.  The Executive Director will guide the Office of Sponsored Projects Services to maintain, facilitate, and support the expanding research activities at the University of Oregon.

 

The University of Oregon (UO), located on a beautiful, 295-acre campus featuring state-of-the art facilities in an arboretum-like setting, is a comprehensive public research university committed to exceptional teaching, discovery, and service, the UO works at a human scale to generate big ideas. UO strives for excellence in teaching, research, artistic expression, and the generation, dissemination, preservation, and application of knowledge. UO is devoted to educating the whole person, and to fostering the next generation of transformational leaders and informed participants in the global community. Through these pursuits, the University enhances the social, cultural, physical, and economic wellbeing of the students, Oregon, the nation, and the world.

 

UO holds the distinction of a “very high research activity” ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities (AAU).  Currently experiencing a rapid phase of growth in its sponsored research portfolio, UO has more than 1000 active grants and has doubled its research funding over the last twenty years to a total of nearly $125 million in sponsored projects.  In 2017, the UO received a very generous $500M gift to launch the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, which will further increase the scope and magnitude of research and innovation activities across campus. 

 

The Executive Director of Sponsored Projects Services (SPS) reports to the Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation and leads a unit of 25 employees who provide all pre-award and post-award administration of grants and contracts for all sponsored projects at UO. They are responsible for building and leading a high functioning, service-oriented unit that supports Principal Investigator (PI) engagement in sponsored projects while ensuring institutional compliance with federal, state, and university policies. The ED of SPS and has signature authority for most grants and contracts and budget authority for SPS and also represents the interests of the UO on national research administration policy advisory groups and participate in national professional organizations that deal with the administration of research. 

 

Candidates must have ten years of experience in the field of research administration with demonstrated experience in working with a broad range of federal and non-federal sponsors, a BA/BS degree from a fully accredited institution of higher education and progressive experience in leading and managing professional and administrative staffs including at least three years of supervisory work in a grants or financial administrative setting in an institution of higher education or relevant research-related entity.

 

 

Significant experience working in a research-intensive institution of higher education; an advanced degree in law, business or public administration, finance, or accounting; experience in a team-based setting and Experience with BANNER or other similar administration system are preferred.

 

The University of Oregon has engaged Opus Partners (www.opuspartners.net) to support the recruitment of this position. Katie Dean, Associate Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search.  Inquiries, applications, and nominations should be sent by email to Katie katie.dean@opuspartners.net.

 

The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.