"Associate Dean for Research"

Job Details

Associate Dean for Research

We are now accepting applications for a qualified Associate Dean for Research at Belmont University.

Employment Type

Faculty

Internal Job Category

Tenure Track (Faculty)
Full-Time

Department

College of Medicine

Hours

N/A

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Associate Dean for Research is a visionary, collaborative leader with enterprise-wide responsibility for shaping FCoM’s research infrastructure, culture, and strategy for students, faculty, and staff. This newly created position will establish, lead, and steward an integrated research ecosystem encompassing pre- and post-award services, compliance and human subjects protection, laboratory and clinical research capacity, mentorship and training, and external partnerships—advancing FCoM’s mission, vision, and values while expanding the school’s scholarly impact.

Key responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy: Lead, develop, own, and execute the research strategic plan aligned with mission, vision, and values; set priorities and success metrics; assess and optimize research infrastructure, policies/SOPs, and performance; diversify, expand, and stabilize revenue sources; and act as the institutional authority and central point of contact for research-related inquiries and compliance.
• Laboratory & Facilities: Design and implement laboratory-based and clinical, translational, population health, and community-engaged research components in research and education, including facility planning, operations, safety, training, and recruitment.
• Compliance, Ethics & Risk: Assure the highest ethical standards and regulatory compliance through proactive risk assessment, audit readiness, and continuous monitoring (IRB/Human Subjects, HIPAA/data privacy, research integrity/misconduct, COI, biosafety, export controls as applicable); establish, maintain, and regularly update policies/SOPs.
• Partnerships & Community: Formalize collaborations and create networks across public health, health care, industry, foundations, philanthropy, and government agencies; support school-wide research events and scholarly activities; advance sponsored research and strategic investment opportunities.
• Centers, Institutes & Programs: Provide oversight/support to centers and institutes for strategic plans, governance, performance metrics, and resource alignment; support development/growth of graduate and combined degree programs.
• Mentorship, Faculty Development & Training: Build a culture of mentoring; lead research mentorship program for faculty and doctoral students (including external funding streams for doctoral trainees); develop and oversee training on grantsmanship, design, compliance, data stewardship, statistics, publishing, and communication via workshops/seminars and course offerings.
• Operations & Performance: Manage Research operations and budgets; implement performance dashboards/KPIs; drive continuous improvement.
• The above statements describe the job’s essential responsibilities and requirements. They are not an exhaustive list of the duties that may be assigned to job incumbents.

Reporting & Appointment Reports to the Dean; collaborates with senior leadership, department chairs, center/institute directors, compliance officers, and core managers. Holds faculty appointment with rank commensurate with credentials and experience. First-Year Priorities (Illustrative) Develop research structure, staffing, and SOPs; complete infrastructure assessment and deliver a prioritized, costed implementation plan; launch research strategic plan with defined milestones and KPIs; initiate lab-based component (design, safety, staffing); formalize collaboration agreements with key partners; start faculty/doctoral mentorship and grantsmanship programs with participation targets; deploy research dashboards and quarterly performance reporting to senior leadership.

Required Qualifications:

Belmont University seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff who will support our mission and vision. As a Christ-centered and student-focused community, we aim to:

• Form diverse leaders of character;
• Equip people to solve the world’s complex problems through teaching, research and service;
• And be radical champions for helping people and communities flourish.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Strategic planning and change management; deep knowledge of research regulations (IRB, HIPAA, COI, effort, biosafety, export controls); grantsmanship across the lifecycle; laboratory operations and shared instrumentation; partnership development; communication, diplomacy, negotiation; commitment to equity, inclusion, research integrity, and community-engaged scholarship; proficiency with research administration systems/analytics.

Leadership Competencies
Vision & Strategy; Collaboration & Influence; Talent Development & Mentorship; Operational Excellence; Ethical Stewardship & Compliance; Innovation & Growth; Financial Acumen; Stakeholder Engagement; Results Orientation.

Required Education Bachelor's degree required. Terminal degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) preferred.

Required Experience Required: Eight (8) years of related experience in research administration, strategy, or leadership. Preferred: Demonstrated success leading institution-level or multi-program research enterprises; sustained record of peer-reviewed scholarship; proven, diversified grant success as PI and/or institutional leader; experience supervising research administrators and core personnel; experience aligning research with accreditation and strategic planning.

The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.

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