Job Details
Department: Office of Sponsored Programs-621100
Career Area: Research Professionals
Posting Open Date: 06/25/2026
Application Deadline: 08/17/2026
Open Until Filled: No
Position Type: Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)
Working Title: Director of Research Administration
Appointment Type: EHRA Non-Faculty
Position Number: 20017255, 00060848
Vacancy ID: NF0009846
Full Time/Part Time: Full-Time Permanent
FTE: 1
Hours per week: 40
Position Location: North Carolina, US
Hiring Range: Dependent on Qualifications
Proposed Start Date: 08/24/2026
Be a Tar Heel!
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities . Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and…
professional opportunities that span the campus and community.University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) partners with the research community to support and advance the University’s research mission by providing leadership and expertise in research administration. OSP facilitates and manages all aspects of sponsored research administration for over $1B in sponsored awards each year while developing and maintaining strong relationships with campus partners and external sponsors. OSP is responsible for the following primary functions: (1) proposal review and submission, (2) award negotiation, (3) award management, (4) financial reporting and cash management, (5) F&A rate development, negotiation, and review, (6) cost analysis and research service center (recharge) rate development, (7) monitoring and oversight of time and effort reporting, (8) oversight of regulatory compliance, (9) training and development for research administration personnel, and (10) Project closeout and final reporting requirements. OSP provides complete sponsored project life cycle support (sometimes known as pre-award and post-award services) to faculty and staff. There are four functional areas of responsibility within the Office of Sponsored Programs, which have the following types of positions: (1) program administration; (2) accounting, financial reporting, and cash management; (3) data management reporting and analysis; and (4) financial compliance, effort reporting, cost studies, and cost accounting standards (CAS). OSP serves as the official institutional signatory for the Chancellor and is responsible for reviewing and authorizing proposal submissions, as well as negotiating and administering awards on behalf of the University. These activities include monitoring institutional compliance for research and training activities, pre-award services, billing and financial reporting, cash management, cost analysis and compliance of research-related activities, verification of technical report and patent & invention report submissions by principal investigators (PIs), award closeout, and the implementation of information technology into research administration activities. OSP’s centralized administrative functions facilitate the development and implementation of standardized policies & procedures across the University. They also provide training opportunities to improve University-wide efficiencies and communication to increase the quality of research administration.
Position Summary:
THIS POSTING IS FOR TWO IDENTICAL POSITIONS (POSITION NUMBERS 20017255 AND 00060848). BY APPLYING TO THIS POSTING, YOUR WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR BOTH AVAILABLE POSITIONS.
The primary purpose of the Director of Research Administration position is to provide executive leadership of sponsored research activities campus-wide supporting sponsored research across the university. This includes the oversight, management, and submission of proposals to ensure compliance with the institution’s academic and research policy, providing substantive professional advice on the development of proposals, and extensive negotiation with sponsoring agencies with regard to the terms and conditions that govern the conduct of sponsored research.
Reporting to the Senior Director of Research Administration, this position will oversee the daily operations related to pre-award and post-award compliance and program requirements. The position will ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and university policies regarding sponsored research award management. The position will foster a culture of collaboration both within the Office of Sponsored Programs as well as with the campus community and external sponsors.
The Director of Research Administration must work collaboratively with other members of the leadership team to set office-wide goals and objectives, define team member roles and responsibilities across the award life cycle, and assess and track workload volume and complexity. They will be integral to building a positive team culture and keeping the team engaged with a focus on both strong campus support and compliance. The Director will represent the university to sponsors and to university administrators. They will provide advice and leadership on complex risk management issues.
The Director will provide supervision, mentoring, and leadership to a team of 3 to 4 Research Administration Managers who each manage a team of 4 to 6 Sponsored Projects Specialists.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:
Masters with 2+ yrs supervisory experience and 7+ years of relevant experience; or Bachelors with 4+ yrs supervisory experience and 7+ years of relevant experience
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:
Selected candidate must demonstrate the following:
- Ability to provide effective leadership to a team of professional staff in a multi-functional, dynamic, fast-paced and ever-changing environment, including: training; evaluating and managing the performance of employees; establishing individual and team goals; providing constructive and timely feedback regarding job performance; and developing and monitoring professional development plans.
- Ability to handle significant stress and a large workload.
- Advanced ability to identify highly complex problems and implement appropriate solutions.
- Advanced ability to rapidly review and accurately analyze policies, procedures, regulations, statutes, and complex documents and ability to interpret and explain policies, procedures, regulations, statutes and their underlying principles to a variety of audiences, including faculty, department chairs and deans, managers, staff, and external sponsors.
- Advanced knowledge of research administration policies, procedures, and practices of federal and non-federal sponsors pre-award and/or post-award environment. Candidates with experience in only one of these areas must be committee to developing expertise in both pre- and post- award in a timely basis once in the position.
- Demonstrated knowledge of generally accepted contracting and subcontracting principles and practices, and applicable Codes of Federal Regulations (including 2 CFR Part 200).
- Experience in the use, development and implementation of management information systems.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment across organizational units and at all levels, including faculty, deans, central administration and senior institutional officials.
- Highest level of professional and personal integrity.
- Strong communication and customer service skills.
- Demonstrated strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
- Demonstrated ability to perform work with a high degree of accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:
- Sponsored projects contracting experience.
- Experience in a university sponsored research office or equivalent setting.
- Experience with RAMSeS, electronic grants administration systems such as Grants.gov, Research.gov, eRA commons, Fastlane and similar Research Administration systems.
- Strongly prefer experience in reviewing and submitting proposals utilizing electronic proposal submission processes and funding mechanisms employed by various extramural sponsors.
- Strongly prefer experience directing and managing the proposal review and submission process; negotiation and acceptance of award terms; and management of related post-award (non-financial) sponsored research activities.
Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:
Not Applicable.
Organization
The nation’s first public university is at the heart of what’s next, preparing a diverse student body to become creators, explorers, innovators and leaders in North Carolina and throughout the world. Carolina’s nationally recognized, innovative teaching, campus-wide spirit of inquiry and dedication to public service continue the legacy that began in 1795 when the University first opened its doors to students.
Here, in one of America's most beautiful college settings, we offer exceptional careers in richly diverse fields. Come explore what UNC-Chapel Hill has to offer you.
- Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,117
- Graduate/Professional Enrollment: 10,894
- Total Student Enrollment: 30,011
- Founded: 1789, as the first state university in the United States
- Type of Institution: Public, four-year
- Undergraduate Admission: 15,961
- Graduate/Professional Enrollment: 10,039
- Total Student Enrollment: 26,000
- Faculty: 3,000
- Percentage of faculty who hold Ph.D.s or the highest degrees in their field: 94 percent
- Faculty/student ratio: 1/14
Location: UNC is located in the heart of Chapel Hill, the best college town in America! It's a friendly town of about 40,000 in the geographical center of North Carolina. Chapel Hill is at the western point of the Research Triangle, an area of about one million people, comprised of Chapel Hill, the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and the Research Triangle Park, home of many corporate offices and scientific research centers. Carolina is about 30 miles from the state capital, Raleigh, and 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Chapel Hill's main street, Franklin Street, borders the campus and offers shops, coffee houses, cafés, movie theaters and houses of worship. The town has a historic district, museum, library, parks, malls, and many recreational facilities.
- Origins of Carolina's students: 82 percent of UNC's freshmen are from North Carolina and 18 percent are from out-of-state. Our students come from 42 different states and our international students represent 37 countries.
- Size of freshman class: Approximately 3,400
- Class size: Barely five percent of undergraduate classes contain more than 100 students; two-thirds of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. Forty-one percent have fewer than 20 students, including First Year Seminars, in which first-year students work closely with professors.
- Sports and athletic programs: UNC is an NCAA Division I school with 28 varsity teams. Carolina is the proud home of the Dean Smith Center, Kenan Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, Koury Natatorium, and many other fine athletic facilities. Students join more than 60 intramural and club sports, which include baseball, bowling, crew, golf, lacrosse, rock climbing, rugby, tae kwon do, and ultimate frisbee. The Student Recreation Center offers weight training, aerobics, stair machines, and all the equipment you would expect to find at a great health club! Carolina offers a newly renovated outdoor pool and indoor pools, a golf course, tennis courts, and the longest zipline in America!
- Number of residence halls: Incoming undergraduates will live in one of Carolina's 29 residence halls, which are wired for Internet access and cable television. housing.unc.edu
- Scholarships and financial aid: About 40 percent of UNC-Chapel Hill students receive scholarships and/or some form of financial aid. studentaid.unc.edu
- Special research institutes: Institute for Research in Social Science, Institute of Outdoor Drama, Morehead Planetarium, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Institute of Government, Institute of African American Research.
- Career services: On-campus counseling, job fairs, résumé writing service, internships, placement services. www.unc.edu/depts/career
- Technological facilities: Students find multiple uses for Carolina's state-of-the-art technological resources. They can access Carolina's computer services through Academic Technology and Networks, which manages academic computing, e-mail, microcomputing labs, interactive media presentation, video and classroom support, and a help desk. The MetaLab oversees the development of SunSITE, one of the world's busiest digital library and electronic publishing projects.
Students may open e-mail accounts, and many use campus computer resources to construct personal Web pages. Students in residence halls have hardwired network connections to the Internet and cable television in their rooms. At the ATN Training center, students may take classes on software packages and utilities. Computer labs are available for student use all over campus.
Carolina Computing Initiative: Beginning with the freshman class of 2000, undergraduates must purchase laptop computers. The University has arranged for IBM to offer computers at excellent prices. Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy cost savings, higher quality compatible equipment, and better technical support through CCI. www.unc.edu/cci
The Study Abroad program allows students to live and learn in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Africa, and the Americas. www.unc.edu/depts/abroad
The Honors Program offers special seminars, research programs, and the chance to design your own independent studies. www.unc.edu/depts/honors
Carolina students spend time in public service through student organizations, the Campus Y, the Carolina Center for Public Service, and courses that incorporate community service.
UNC's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a national collegiate honor society, is the oldest in North Carolina, dating from 1904. There are many other honorary societies at Carolina.
UNC offers ROTC programs in all branches of national military service.
Through the First Year Seminars program, first year students will understand what it means to study at a premier research university. They will learn from faculty members and share in their research in seminars of no more than 20 students.
Life outside the classroom: More than 370 clubs, teams, and student organizations offer something for everyone! You can choose from among musical and dramatic performing groups, publications, ethnic and religious clubs, the Campus Y and other service organizations, fraternities and sororities, and pre-professional organizations. Whatever your interests, you will find others at Carolina who share them! www.unc.edu/depts/union/student/listintr.htm
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