Associate Director, Research Security & Export Control

Associate Director, Research Security & Export Control

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Research Security and Export Control will assume a pivotal role at the University of Utah. This position will assist in the direction of export control compliance and advance the University's facilitation of secured research and may serve as the Empowered Official for the University's Export Compliance Program. The Associate Director, Research Security and Export Control will provide visionary leadership, experience, strategic direction, and execution guidance to shape the future of research security and export control compliance across the University of Utah. They will provide planning, faculty support, and expertise in the areas of research security and export control compliance. The Associate Director, Research Security and Export Control will be a strategic thinker with an open and collaborative style who fosters teamwork, sustains a learning environment for growing number of staff and develops an open, engaged culture that engenders trust from the broader university-wide research community.

About the VPR
The Vice President for Research (VPR) Office at the University of Utah is a dynamic hub for innovation and discovery. As an R1 institution recognized for very high research activity, the University of Utah leads groundbreaking research that impacts both local and global communities. The VPR Office collaborates with researchers, drives interdisciplinary initiatives, and fosters a culture of discovery. Key responsibilities include strategic leadership, shared IT services, and research enablement.

About the University of Utah
Located in Salt Lake City, the U is the flagship institution of the State of Utah's system of higher education, home to arts and museum venues and a member of the Big 12 Conference. Skiing and snowboarding opportunities are a short distance from campus, and opportunities to pursue activities from biking to hiking to fishing abound. Salt Lake City is home to the Utah Symphony and Opera, Ballet West, professional sports teams, and a wide range of other cultural and recreational activities.

Qualifications:
To qualify for the Associate Director, Research Security and Export Control the candidate must have a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 10 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 8 years of directly related work experience. Assumes work equivalency (1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience).

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Disclaimer
This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Essential Functions

• Proficient with all the duties and responsibilities of a Associate Director, Research Security and Export Control
• Assigned complex work processes
• Participates and makes substantive contributions in research administration community-wide activities
• Serves as a mentor to the broader community on campus.
• Problems faced are both strategic and operational, and often complex without clear precedent.
• Is recognized as an expert in own area within the organization

Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance Oversight
  • Interpret and apply U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.
  • Monitor changes in relevant regulations and advise university stakeholders accordingly.
  • May serve as the 22 CFR 120.67 Empowered Official for export control
• Technology and Research Review
  • Review sponsored research proposals, awards, contracts, and technology transfer activities to identify potential export control issues.
  • Determine licensing requirements and advise on permissible activities involving controlled technologies, equipment, software, and technical data.
• Restricted Party Screening
  • Conduct and document restricted party screenings (RPS) of collaborators, visitors, and foreign entities using screening tools.
  • Investigate and escalate potential matches, coordinating with legal counsel as necessary.
• International Travel and Shipping Oversight
  • Review international travel and field research activities for compliance with export regulations.
  • Provide guidance on export classification, license determination, and hand-carry or shipment of controlled items abroad.
• Licensing and Agreements
  • Prepare or assist with the preparation of export license applications, commodity jurisdiction (CJ) and commodity classification (CCATS) requests, and Technology Control Plans (TCPs).
  • Support negotiation and compliance with terms in research contracts and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) with export control implications.
• Education and Outreach
  • Develop and deliver tailored training programs and awareness initiatives for faculty, staff, and students on export control compliance.
  • Create and maintain educational materials, procedures, and guidance documents.
• Foreign Influence and Research Security
  • Support institutional efforts related to federal research security requirements, including documentation and review of foreign collaborations, funding, and appointments.
  • Partner with research integrity and compliance offices to address risks related to undue foreign influence.
• Recordkeeping and Audits
  • Maintain documentation of export control reviews, decisions, licenses, and communications in accordance with federal requirements and university policy.
  • Assist in internal audits, federal investigations, and responses to compliance inquiries.
• Collaboration and Policy Development
  • Collaborate with offices such as Sponsored Projects, General Counsel, Technology Transfer, Environmental Health & Safety, and International Affairs.
  • Contribute to the development and revision of export compliance policies and standard operating procedures.
• Legal and Ethical Risk Assessment
  • Leverage legal training to assess legal risk exposure and ensure institutional compliance within a complex regulatory environment.
  • Provide legal analysis to support decisions and enhance defensibility of compliance actions and documentation.
• Additional tasks as needed

Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

Minimum Qualifications
EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

Associate Director, Compliance Management: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 10 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 8 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences

• 3 years of direct experience with the implementation of an NSPM-33 compliant research security program
• 7-10 years export control compliance experience at an academic institution or research organization
• Experience with Fundamental Research Exclusion (FRE)
• Demonstrated history of continuing education in research security / export control along with engagement in the research security / export control communities through participation in organizations like AUECO and ASCE

Special Instructions

• Requisition Number: PRN44809B
• Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
• Work Schedule Summary: M-F 8-5
• Department: 00639 - VP for Research
• Location: Campus
• Pay Rate Range: $125,000 - $150,000
• Close Date: 7/22/2026
• Open Until Filled: