Indiana University · 9 hours ago
Director, Research Administration
Indianapolis, IN
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$97K/yr - $107K/yr
3+ years expIndiana University is seeking a Director of Research Administration to provide leadership in the operational management of research activities. The role involves overseeing pre-award and post-award processes, ensuring compliance with regulations, and collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance research efficiency and quality.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Promotes department-wide operational leadership
Provides expert guidance across all divisions for feasibility evaluation, regulatory compliance, recruitment planning, eligibility confirmation, and data collection
Works with Principal Investigators (PIs) and division research staff to assess protocol design, subject population feasibility, staffing needs, and resource requirements to ensure smooth operationalization of new trials
Offers advanced troubleshooting and technical support for complex study operations
Facilitates and oversees in a proactive manner pre-award and post-award planning and administration of research funding
Keeps abreast of trends and developments regarding policies and procedures from sponsors and institutions, including those related to international activity
Acquires, interprets, and maintains knowledge of sponsoring agency and University policies regarding the receipt and administration of sponsored projects
Supervises or provides dotted-line oversight to medicine research staff and clinical research staff
Participates in hiring, training, mentorship, performance management, and team development
Prepares reports on accruals, demographics, diagnoses, and financial performance for investigators, divisional leaders, and senior leadership
Oversees clinical research software, databases, and systems used for tracking, invoicing, and reporting
Maintains current knowledge of clinical research regulations, operational innovations, and industry trends
Promotes collaboration across divisions and with external partners, including healthcare systems, academic institutions, and industry sponsors
Manages standardization, compliance, and workforce training
Develops, implements, and maintains standardized operating procedures (SOP), reference materials, and workflows to harmonize trial operations across 9 divisions
Trains faculty, clinical research staff, and finance personnel on Good Clinical Practices (GCP), institutional policies, workflow best practices, documentation standards, and trial management systems
Ensures departmental adherence to federal, state, institutional, and sponsor requirements
Manages the effort reporting and certification process to ensure compliance with federal requirements
Provides advice and assistance in managing the conflict-of-interest policy in the department to ensure that officers of research and instruction are compliant with federal and state laws, regulations and policies with respect to financial conflicts of interest
Fosters a community of collaboration and information sharing with research administrators within the department
Mentors and develops Department and Division grants staff
Promotes institutional collaboration and best practices development
Serves as the departments primary clinical research staff representative with external and internal partners
Partners with the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine Office of Clinical Research and the IU Health Enterprise Clinical Research Organization (ECRO) and other clinical partners research offices to streamline trial initiation, regulatory submissions, Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation, participant recruitment, data collection standards, and reporting
Serves as the primary point of contact for the Office of Research Administration (ORA) and IU School of Medicine (IUSM)
Contributes to institution-wide best practices and shared tools to improve operational efficiency and trial quality
Maintains 'expert' status for the department, specifically for complex contract and grant proposal requirements
Oversees strategic implementation and departmental research growth
Collaborates with the Vice Chair for Research to implement strategic goals related to the research mission, clinical trial growth, infrastructure strengthening, and capacity building
Provides operational metrics, performance analyses, and recommendations for long-term research development
Engineers strategic improvements in research administration, including the formulation of policy and development of new procedures
Supports initiatives to expand industry-sponsored research and improve recruitment capacity
Manages budgeting, financial oversight, and resource optimization
Supports PIs and research staff in developing accurate study budgets that reflect protocol requirements, staffing, and research-related costs
Facilitates Department SOP's for pre and post award management procedures for consistent practices
Provides training on budgeting, expense monitoring, charge reconciliation, and financial compliance
Offers operational insight during contract negotiations to ensure feasibility and sustainability
Oversees the implementation of the Department of Medicine (DoM) policies and procedures for the full grants lifecycle
Ensures regulatory and sponsor compliance, including adherence to federal regulations, institutional policies, audit requirements, and sponsor-specific terms and conditions
Provides financial and risk oversight by monitoring budgets, expenditures, effort reporting, subawards, and indirect cost recovery to prevent deficits or disallowed costs
Leads research administration strategy and operations, including supervising grants staff, standardizing processes, training investigators, and advising leadership on funding trends and institutional risk
Provides contingency coverage as Advanced Clinical Research Coordinator
Steps in as an Advanced Clinical Research Coordinator or Grants Administrator to maintain continuity of trial activities, ensure protocol adherence, support participant-facing tasks, and grants management, in cases of staff turnover or temporary coverage needs
Directs the pre- and post-awards function and operation of the organization
Assists with establishing the organization's mission and ensures that the actions and activities of the office staff support that mission
Advises the institution on matters relating to laws, rules, regulations, and policies pertaining to fiscal management of contracts and grants
Develops and maintains standardized processes for the completion and review of proposals
Manages the review of grant and contract awards terms and conditions
Participates in negotiations and approves terms for acceptance to protect the organization and academic freedom of its faculty
Negotiates with federal grant and contracting officers to substantiate budget requests and to secure terms and conditions
Monitors compliance with all provisions of contracts, grants, and agreements
Manages staff, makes hiring decisions, provides coaching, training, and mentoring, manages performance, and determines staffing needs
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in relevant field
3 years related functional experience
1 year of management experience
Proficient written and verbal communication skills
Maintains a high degree of professionalism
Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills
Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent collaboration and team building skills
Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback
Instills commitment to organizational goals
Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills
Effective conflict management skills
Builds and manages effective teams
Knowledge of applicable research regulations and guidelines
Preferred
Master's degree in relevant field
5 years of clinical research experience and operations research experience, including supervisory experience
Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) Certification
Benefits
Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
Health savings account with generous IU contributions
Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
Basic group life insurance paid by IU
Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
Generous paid time off plans
Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Company
Indiana University
Indiana University looked for ways to promote innovation while assisting students in building better futures.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Indiana University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (187)
2024 (146)
2023 (127)
2022 (119)
2021 (81)
2020 (79)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Nancy Paton
Vice President & Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Aaron Neal
Deputy CIO
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