Job Details

General Summary

The Ohio State University is looking for an energetic and creative Director to lead our high-performing, campus-level Research Development team. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Development (AVP), the Director oversees the development and implementation of targeted federal agency, funding mechanism, and topical growth strategies aimed at growing and diversifying Ohio State’s federally funded research portfolio. Leveraging experience and understanding of the federal research funding environment, the Director builds processes and skills for effective support of large-scale, complex proposal development and works with the AVP to guide development of university-level, strategic initiatives based on research data, university infrastructure, competitive analysis.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

60% - Provides leadership to the Research Development team to craft and implement federally-focused research growth and development initiatives:

• Leads a team of Research Development professionals to craft and implement portfolio-based strategies to grow and diversify Ohio State’s federally supported research. These strategies include portfolio-specific strategies related to targeted federal agency, funding mechanism, and topical growth strategies as well as cross-portfolio, campus-wide strategies.
• Guides the Research Development team to implement networking, outreach, and sponsor relationship management activities to achieve strategic goals, including, but not limited to, such things as hosting or visiting with federal sponsors, delivering opportunity briefings, issuing calls for ideas, and conducting awareness-building activities on campus.
• Utilizes internal and external research data, knowledge of federal funding trends and priorities, and knowledge of university research assets to inform development and implementation of targeted university-wide research growth initiatives.
• Identifies best practice to guide the team members on utilizing processes and skills for effective support of large-scale, complex proposal development, working with faculty teams, and tracking and measuring RDO productivity. Recommends areas for process and practice improvement and works with AVP to implement change.
• Builds processes and skills for effective support of large-scale, complex proposal development, supports university-wide awareness and capacity-building programming, and manages the university’s limited competition system, in pursuit of university-wide growth and diversification goals.
• Works with the AVP and university-level research leaders, including Associate Deans for Research and Center/Institute Directors, to inform and implement cross-cutting strategic initiatives, currently focused on defense and space-related research. This includes portfolio-specific strategies related to specific funding mechanisms, research topics, and agency plans, as well as interactions with internal and external consultants and advisors.
• Works with AVP to ensure user-friendly access to internal and external data required to support portfolio growth strategies, and proposal teams working with Research Development on large-scale, complex, leadership-level proposals as well as access to contractors or consultants as needed.

30% - Supervises, mentors, and guides development of Research Development staff

• Provides direct supervision, mentors, and manages the day-to-day activities of Research Development team members, including handling decision-making regarding the distribution of assignments and the tracking/evaluation of their productivity.
• Ensures knowledge sharing and transfer across team members to enhance team understanding of areas of strength and emerging opportunity across campus as well as to broaden competencies with varied federal sponsors.
• Spearheads on-going professional development for individual contributors and broader team-building activities.
• Identifies opportunities for growth and development within the structure and participates in discussions that inform overall University strategic research vision.
• Leads recruiting and onboarding of new staff.
• Manages performance assessment activities for the team in partnership with ERIK leadership and HR.

10% - Represents Research Development on committees, advisory boards, and panels as requested and performs other duties as assigned by the Associate Vice President for Research Development.

Minimum Qualifications

Advanced degree. 10 years of relevant work experience. Experience working on proposal development with a range of federal research sponsor agencies and programs. Demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and/or convergence science teams on large-scale, national leadership level proposals.

Desired Qualifications

15 or more years of relevant work experience, including a minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience with evidence of progressive responsibility, and a minimum of 5 years of experience working in a university research setting or in a position that required significant interaction with university researchers. Familiarity with federal research data including NSF HERD Survey and USA Spending. Knowledge of defense and/or space-related federal research environment.

All applicants must submit a resume and cover letter.