Associate Director, Pre-Award

Associate Director, Pre-Award

Job ID: 296635
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

About Us

Are you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower over 50,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Come Take Flight at KSU!

Location

(Primary Location for Job Responsibilities) Our Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.

Job Summary

Oversees the proposal review and submission process, electronic submission systems, and grant award intake and review. Serves as the delegated signing authority for proposals and key point of contact. Ensures compliance with University, federal, state, and Sponsor regulations, policies, and procedures. Builds and maintains partnering relationships with internal and stakeholders and other operational departments. Supervises assigned staff and is responsible for providing leadership, comprehensive management, and oversight of the pre-award process. Advises the Executive Director on state, federal, and sponsor regulations and policies impacting sponsored programs and application submissions.

Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Manages and supervises pre-award functions in the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration
2. Fosters a cohesive team that works collaboratively to achieve the unit's goals within the broader goals of the Office of Research
3. Provides proactive outreach and communication to stakeholders on opportunities, new policies and procedures, and updated guidelines.
4. Oversees the recruitment, performance, mentoring, and training of team members
5. Directs and develops work process improvements to meet critical timelines, sponsor expectations, and submission requirements
6. Leads Sponsored Programs initiatives at the campus level in collaboration with the Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Administration, Office of Research leadership, and university stakeholders
7. Develops and implements campus-level and business processes related to research administration, in collaboration with the Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Administration, Office of Research leadership, and university stakeholders
8. Demonstrates leadership by providing oversight, guidance, and technical expertise on complex pre-award sponsored project compliance matters
9. Serves on appropriate University committees as required
10. Advise, resolve problems and answer questions from faculty, staff, granting agencies, and auditors regarding proposal and compliance issues
11. Provides a high level of customer service to faculty, staff, and granting agencies via advisement and problem resolution.
12. Distributes information on process and policy changes impacting sponsored programs to university stakeholders.
13. Acts as signatory for sponsored programs applications
14. Responsible for overseeing institutional award acceptance and intake
15. Maintains institutional and sponsor system data and registrations
16. Captures, analyzes and reports on sponsored program data monthly, annually or as requested

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education

Required Experience
Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in a sponsored programs office aiding in proposal review, submission, and management of externally sponsored activity within a university, a non-profit institutions, or academic medical center setting
Minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience
Experience with applying and interpreting Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200, federal agency specific regulations, and non-federal sponsor guidelines

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Preferred Qualifications
Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA) strongly preferred

Preferred Educational Qualifications
Advanced degree from degree from an accredited institution of higher education

Preferred Experience
Three (3) years of supervisory experience strongly preferred
Experience with Cayuse a plus
Experience using electronic grants management systems
Experience using project management software to organize workflow a plus

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES
Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time meeting assigned deadlines

KNOWLEDGE
Strong knowledge of federal grant regulations (2 CRF 200) required

SKILLS
Excellent interpersonal, initiative, teamwork, problem solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, project management and presentation skills
Proficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (i.e., Microsoft Office suite, Access and PowerPoint)
Strong attention to detail and follow up skills
Strong customer service skills and phone and e-mail etiquette

Other Information

This is a supervisory position.
This position has financial responsibilities.
This position will not be required to drive.
This role is considered a position of trust.
This position requires a purchasing card (P-Card).
This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time

Background Check

• Credit Report
• Standard Enhanced
• Education

Per the University System of Georgia background check policy, all final candidates will be required to consent to a criminal background investigation. Final candidates may be asked to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment. Applicants for positions of trust with screening results which confirm a disqualifying criminal history will be immediately disqualified from employment eligibility.

All applicants are required to include professional references as part of their application process. Some positions may require additional job-based screenings such as motor vehicle report, credit check, pre-employment drug screening and/or verification of academic credentials.