Vice President for Research

The American University of Armenia seeks qualified candidates for the full-time position of a Vice President for Research (VPR). The VPR is a newly created executive position within the University’s senior leadership team for advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity. The VPR will provide strategic vision for the University’s research programs, fostering excellence and impact associated with its mission to build a robust, sustainable research enterprise that complements the University’s strong tradition of teaching excellence. Reporting to the President, the VPR will lead research development, administration, innovation, and partnerships and will work closely across the University with the Provost, other members of the Executive Team, academic leadership, and the student body. The VPR will set and confirm commitment to policies and regulations regarding research, and take appropriate actions to ensure the University’s commitment to compliance with research standards. In particular, the VPR will work in close cooperation with the Provost and Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services (VPESS), ensuring a smooth and seamless coordination of their shared academic responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Research Strategy and Growth

• Develop and implement a comprehensive research strategy to increase scholarly output, external funding, and institutional impact.
• Identify and cultivate priority research areas aligned with institutional strengths, strategic priorities, and regional opportunities.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of research centers and institutes.
• Foster new research initiatives.

Faculty Research Development

• Support faculty in building active research agendas while maintaining excellence in teaching.
• Establish mentoring, seed funding, and professional development programs to enhance research productivity.
• Partner with academic leadership on hiring strategies that strengthen research capacity.

Research Infrastructure and Support

• Build and oversee effective research support systems, including grant development, compliance, and post-award administration.
• Strengthen infrastructure such as laboratories, libraries, and digital resources necessary for high-quality research.
• Develop policies and processes that enable efficient and ethical research activity.
• Communicate the need for, and importance of, training and education to the research community.
• Communicate state of the research enterprise.
• Oversee technology transfer, including the development of new policies and the training of the University community on the development and preservation of their and the University’s intellectual property, including but not limited to the promotion of entrepreneurship among the faculty and students.

External Funding and Partnerships

• Expand opportunities for external funding from governmental agencies, foundations, industry, and international organizations.
• Build strategic partnerships with local, regional, and global institutions to support collaborative research.
• Represent the University to external stakeholders and elevate its research profile.
• Act as the University representative on national committees.

Integration with Teaching Mission

• Ensure that research growth enhances the University’s commitment to high-quality teaching.
• Promote the integration of research into the student experience, including undergraduate research opportunities.
• Support a balanced academic culture that values both teaching and scholarship.

Compliance and Ethics

• Oversee research administration by ensuring the maintenance of policies and procedures and fiscal responsibilities of pre- and post- award activities.
• Foster and enable a compliant University human research participants protection program (IRBs).
• Oversee research compliance, including human subjects, animal care (if applicable), and research integrity.
• Ensure adherence to U.S. accreditation expectations and local regulatory frameworks.
• Promote a culture of ethical conduct and responsible research practices.
• Ensure secure and ethical data use, data confidentiality, and compliant data management, sharing, ownership, and retention practices.
• Foster an environment that disseminates research knowledge consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

Leadership and Administration

• Oversee University research operations.
• Oversee University research centers, including those in colleges, institutes and interdisciplinary facilities.
• Promote and support a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer, including oversight of the operations of the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center.
• Supervise research offices and staff, including sponsored programs, compliance, and technology transfer.
• Collaborate closely with the Provost, deans, and other senior leaders to align research goals with institutional strategy.
• Develop and manage budgets related to research development and infrastructure.
• Delegate regulatory responsibility to appropriate University units.

Role Characteristics

• Leadership Style: The position is viewed as a collaborative and people-centered leadership role characterized by approachability, fairness, and diplomacy, that encourages open dialogue and builds trust through respectful communication, values diverse perspectives, and fosters a positive, inclusive environment.  The selected candidate will effectively motivate and guide teams toward shared goals while maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability.
• Collaboration: A core component of the role is facilitating communication and collaboration between research centers, academic leaders, faculty, and administration to achieve institutional objectives, creating a supportive team culture where individuals feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute.
• Reporting: The VPR works under the direction of the President and is a high-ranking official within the university’s executive leadership structure.

Qualifications:

• Strong academic and leadership credentials
• An earned doctorate degree
• Distinguished record of scholarship and external funding appropriate for appointment at the rank of full professor
• Evidence of successful teaching, administrative and managerial abilities
• A strong track record of research as evidenced by scholarly publications
• Demonstrated leadership experience in research administration;
• Senior faculty and academic management experience in U.S. or Western educational institutions
• Financial management skills
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and change-management skills
• Knowledge of grant application and administration
• Previous experience in conducting academic duties in an international setting, and knowledge of Armenia is desirable but not required

Additional Information

Requirements: This position requires the successful candidate to reside in Armenia. It will require interaction with the Armenian government, the U.S. Embassy, and various funding agencies; it will also require coordination for joint programs with other local and international universities.

Compensation: AUA offers competitive compensation and benefits packages.

Submission: Review of applications will begin on May 30, and will continue thereafter until the position is filled. To apply for this position, please send a letter of interest, a CV, a statement of academic and managerial philosophy, and a list of five references (PDF format is preferred) to VPresearchsearch@aua.am.

AUA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active non-discrimination program within the institution.