WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY
This position has overall responsibility for providing sponsored programs administrative and financial services for pre-awards, post-awards, and clinical research.  The Associate Vice President for Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), on behalf of the department, facilitates research advancements, coordinates the development of high-impact disciplinary and multidisciplinary projects involving major external funding (as appropriate), and links faculty members, researchers, and administrators at UT Southwestern with agencies and research institutions.  This individual will have significant responsibilities in leading the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) to streamline the customer services, pre-award services, financial services, contracting services, clinical research services, reporting analytics, educational offerings, and sponsored programs compliance operations for Principal Investigators (PIs) at the University and to ensure our continued compliance with institutional and funders’ policies and procedures. Strong analytic and business intelligence experience and skills are necessary to track performance, analyze trends, and identify areas of opportunity.  This individual will be a well-respected leader in his/her field with broad and deep knowledge of macro forces affecting federal, state, and private funding sources for research as well as the compliance and regulatory landscape therein. The department of Sponsored Programs Administration’s services include:  customer care; pre-award services; financial services; contracting services; clinical research services; reporting analytics; educational development and delivery services; aspects of research and fiscal compliance; information systems supporting research accounting; fostering sponsor and regulatory relationships; leadership responsibilities for pre-awards, post-awards, and clinical research; identifying opportunities for new and expanded research funding; and supporting the activities of administrators located within the schools and units conducting research at UTSW.  The responsibilities extend across the Medical Center and are conducted in close collaboration with the UT System Office in Austin, Texas. With dotted-line accountability to the Chief Operating Officer of Academic Affairs and facilitation of matrix work product on behalf multiple Vice Provosts and Chairs, works under minimal supervision of the Vice President for Finance and Institutional CFO.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Required

• Education
  Master’s Degree In Business Administration, science, engineering or a relevant field or

• Experience
  7 years Progressively responsible experience in one or more of the following areas: Administration of pre-award, post-award, and/or clinical research programs, including clinical trial administration, coverage analysis, and billing; Research and fiscal compliance; and information technologies at a major research medical center or significant academic or research institution and
  Demonstrated experience leading a diverse professional department with a focus on consistent customer service, orientation to faculty or staff, and operational efficiency

Preferred

• Education
  Master’s Degree In a scientific field or in business, law, accounting, or financial management

JOB DUTIES

• Department Leadership

  • Provide leadership, operational management, coordination, and oversight of the day-to-day operations of SPA in a manner that is conducive to collaboration, compassion, and commitment to furthering UT Southwestern’s research mission.
  • On an ongoing basis, oversee educational and training programs for research administrators, faculty, and other staff relating to pre-awards, post-awards, and clinical trials. In addition to training SPA’s staff, training programs will include research administrators in academic departments and centers.
  • Develop mechanisms to identify and disseminate new and enhanced research programmatic and funding areas based on existing institutional strengths, external forces, and opportunities.

• Operations

  • Provide comprehensive support for the full "life-cycle" of sponsored awards and related compliance administration for pre-award services, financial services, contracting services, clinical research services, reporting analytics, and educational development and delivery services..
  • Lead continuous process and operational improvement initiatives to reduce cycle-times, improve overall compliance posture, and remove unnecessary administrative burdens. Ensures the office will provide knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and timely support to the research community.
  • Coordinate, develop, and guide proposal development teams in the preparation of highly competitive proposals to state and federal agencies, private foundations, and business entities for major fund applications. These teams will include Deans, faculty members, department heads, interdisciplinary program directors, researchers, and other members of SPA. The pursuit of these major funding opportunities will build on disciplinary and multidisciplinary academic strengths of UT Southwestern.
  • On an ongoing basis, evaluate and enhance SPA’s "team approach" with Principal Investigators, department administrators, and other Medical Center staff.

• Make Improvements / Manage Change

  • Represent the interests of the Deans, Chairs, faculty, staff, and senior leadership in defining, developing, and implementing institutional business operations to effectively encourage and support sponsored award and compliance activities. Responsible for examining, refining, and executing the mission of SPA.
  • On an ongoing basis, evaluate and improve operating metrics and service levels provided to Medical Center grant and contract recipients, departmental administrators, and central staff. Identify and recommend system enhancements to minimize obstacles, streamline processes, and increase efficiency of grant and contract related activities. On a regular basis, generate and publish performance measures of SPA operations as well as overall research productivity metrics for the institution.
  • Advocate research administration initiatives among UTSW leadership and the research community.

• Subject Matter Expertise

  • Serve as an expert in interpreting and explaining research policies and guidelines from granting agencies.
  • Liaise with extramural sponsors, federal, state, and local governments, and private sector agencies on matters relating to sponsored programs administration.

• Financial Services

  • Oversee the financial and accounting aspects of the Medical Center’s sponsored programs portfolio, inclusive sub-awardee monitoring activities, continual review of financial risks inherent in doing business with sponsors and sub-awardees. Establish process and system that readily enable cost-allowability across UTSW’s portfolio of sponsored awards and ensure compliance with federal regulations and award terms and conditions.
  • Direct the preparation of required financial and accounting reports to sponsors. Establish monthly close and real time surveillance for UTSW sponsored program accounts, and close out respective accounts according to institutional and sponsor agency policy and good accounting practices.
  • Oversee sponsored program accounts receivables, inclusive timely invoicing and collections, for UTSW’s entire sponsored programs portfolio, inclusive clinical research sponsor billing. Assure appropriate controls, systems, and reconciliation processes are in place.
  • For clinical research services, develop appropriate interfaces to timely execute sponsor agreements and allow for accelerated time to study accrual. Establish new process to ensure timely agreement term negotiations and execution, accurate and complete coverage analysis, standard rate application for clinical research, complete and accurate clinical research budgets, accrual accounting and timely access to spend authority, implementation of accounts receivable management, and implementation of new financial reporting and analytics..
  • Develop annual operating plans and budgets; strategically use resources to achieving objectives.

• Compliance

  • Support senior leadership in the development of institutional policies, procedures, and training that support the conduct of sponsored research, research compliance, and information technology specific to research administration.
  • Monitor Medical Center sponsored funds and activities according to federal and state regulations and guidelines, including those published by the Federal Office of Management and Budget, as well as sponsor requirements and guidelines. Interpret regulations and guidelines for the Medical Center and advice on policy and procedure development. Evaluate risks and initiate changes where appropriate. Maintain current expertise in all applicable rules, regulations, guidelines, and proposed changes to such.
  • Oversee and monitor audit activities by federal, state, and independent auditors. Assist departmental personnel with audit activities. Maintain records of audit activity and own communication with senior leadership about audit-related activity. Systematically track and monitor all external oversight and audit responsibilities and proactively identify and remediate all potential and/or previously identified audit issues and control weaknesses.
  • Oversee the development and preparation of the indirect cost recovery (F&A) proposal; coordinate negotiations with the Medical Center’s cognizant agency.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO Statement
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.