Executive Director Grants and Contracts

The Executive Director, Grants and Contracts will hold primary responsibility to assure sponsored activities performed at Children's National with non-profit and for-profit sponsor's meet all institutional, local, federal and sponsor guidelines, rules, policies and laws. Will include interpreting regulations and rules of Children's National and sponsors to provide guidance to faculty and research personnel and resolve problems in the preparation and submission of sponsored grants and contracts. The Director will oversee the day-to-day operations of the office of Grants and Contracts and the Research Business Office and report to the Vice President, Research Finance and Academic Administration. The Director will serve as one of the institutional officials and is responsible to deliver pre-award and post-award services and manage the day-to-day operations of the Grants and Contracts and Business Office staff. The incumbent will assist to plan, coordinate, and supervise the activities of the Pre-Award, Post Award and Business Office, to develop and administer procedures designed to comply with appropriate regulations for the administration of government, non-profit, corporate and cooperative grants and contracts, and for the interpretation and application of such procedures and regulations. The Director must ensure that each team member exhibits (1) a thorough knowledge and high level of functional and technical competency of electronic research administration tools such as "Grants.gov" (federal government's proposal submission system), NSF Fast lane, ONR Payweb, and the DHHS Payment Management System; (2) professional competence in interpreting (Federal) Uniform Guidance; (3) the ability to negotiate subcontracts and awards while balancing the needs of the researchers, Children's National and the external sponsor; (4) confidence and competency in guiding and training departmental administrators; (5) functional and technical competency in the organization's financial and administrative management tools including all the various modules of PeopleSoft Financials, HR PeopleSoft, and grants administration (6) a host of other functional and technical competencies that frame the professional duties of a research administrator. The Executive Director will assume signature authority to accept/execute research grants and contracts, sales and service agreements, unfunded research/collaboration agreements, and nondisclosure agreements for the organization. The individual will assume final accountability for ensuring that all contractual agreements and financial terms/budgets not only meet the needs of the Principal Investigators, but also protect the interests of the organization, are legal and consistent with institutional policy , Federal regulations, etc. The Executive Director will represent the department on Institutional committees as assigned including, but not limited to Research Compliance, Conflict of Interest, and Policy and Education committees. In the absence of the Vice President, Research Finance and Academic Administration, the Executive Director would assume administrative responsibility for the Grants and Contracts Finance (GCAF) as delegated. The Executive Director must be capable to managing multiple tasks and work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment.

Qualifications:
Minimum Education
B.A. Business Administration, Hospital Administration, Public Administration or other related field. (Required)
Master's Degree Business Administration, JD or other related field (Preferred)

Minimum Work Experience
10 years Ten (10) of experience in research administration, including pre and post award management experience with NIH and/or federal grants and contracts, private foundation grants and awards, and industry sponsored research and clinical trial agreements. (Required)
5 years Minimum of five (5) years increasingly responsible supervisory experience in a complex academic research/healthcare setting, including directly managing a team. Academic medical center experience preferred. (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge
Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends and institute operational changes.
Ability to develop new systems or procedures to resolve problems and facilitate workflow.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills and proven experience working both independently and as an effective team member .
Extensive experience interacting effectively with all levels of employees, including executive staff, junior and senior scientists, as well as officials from external organizations.
Demonstrated experience making independent decisions, researching, analyzing, and solving problems.
Working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Register, Office of Management and Uniform Guidance, IACUC, and IRB guidelines.
Advanced working knowledge of contracting principles. Efficiency , diplomacy and composure in multi-tasking under pressure of multiple deadlines.
Demonstrate ethics and professional practices, as well as stimulate social accountability and community stewardship.
Demonstrate the ability to produce creative and innovative solutions and approaches to common issues.
Advanced technical competence in wide range of research compliance issues; advanced legal knowledge in contract negotiations as it applies to sponsored research; superior ability to manage relationships with researchers, staff, sponsors and regulatory agencies; experienced and proficient in balancing regulatory compliance requirements against practical needs and limitations; highly experienced program development and problem solving techniques.

Required Licenses and Certifications
Certified Research Administrator (CRA) CRA 1 Year (Required)
Certified in Healthcare Research Compliance (Preferred)

Functional Accountabilities
Responsible Conduct of Research

• Consistently demonstrate adherence with the standards for the responsible conduct of research.

• Comply with RCR training requirement.

• Ensure the appropriate use of research funds.

• Develop and Deliver training and education for faculty and all levels of research staff including Research Coordinators, Laboratory staff, trainees and research administrators

Vision and Strategy

• Plan, implement, direct and evaluate pre-award office operation based on a strategic and operational level to ensure the organization's move to T op Tier and Employer of Choice.

• Monitor department processes and seek opportunities to improve operations.

• Participate with CNRI leadership to develop annual strategic priorities, goals and metrics for GCAF.

Organizational Leadership

• Assess and monitor organizational staffing requirements and align resources to effectively and efficiently meet organizational needs.

• Define, set, and utilize appropriate performance and quality measures for the department and for individual staff members.

• Be seen as a leader of others, from forming a top team that will possess balanced capabilities to setting the mission, values and norms, as well as to hold the team members accountable individually, and as a group for results.

• Establish, build, and sustain professional contacts for the purpose of building networks of people with similar goals that support similar interests.

Program and Service Administration

• Implement strategic plan through management of day-to-day operations of the department.

• Ensure compliance with organizational and departmental policies and procedures, and regulatory standards.

• See the potential in and understand the use of administrative and fiscal information resources and decision-support tools in process and performance improvement.

• Compile and analyze data to support upper management decision-making.

Proposal Management

• Lead team to assist and advise faculty and staff with the preparation of budgets and interpretation of sponsors' terms and conditions; review sponsored project proposals for the organization for completeness of all required documents, full Facilities and Administration rates; ensure required administrative approvals and timely transmission of proposals to sponsors.

• Provide leadership to ensure budgets are prepared consistent with acceptable accounting principles, awarding agency guidelines, Uniform Guidance, and the Cost Accounting Standards.

• Provide leadership to ensure the proposed scope of work is consistent with financial requirements submitted.

• Provide leadership to conduct formal negotiations with sponsors and execute contracts with sponsors; write and negotiate subcontracts as required.

• Work collaboratively with Research IT team to ensure that the grants management system is updated and monitor the integrity of data.

• Work effectively with CRI Leadership, the legal counsel, the Office of Innovation Technology Development, the Clinical Trials Office and Regulatory Affairs to meet institutional goals and metrics.

• Obtain necessary internal clearances with regard to legal interpretation of proposals and contracts.

• Improve processes for efficiency and redefine procedures for timely response to proposals, awards and subcontracts while maintaining a high level of regulatory compliance.

• Disseminate and communicate the regulatory directives in the form of policy to Pre-Award staff and to research and departmental administrators as well as principal investigators; provide timely updates through effective communication.

Organizational Accountabilities
Organizational Accountabilities (Staff)
Organizational Commitment/Identification
Teamwork/Communication
Performance Improvement/Problem-solving
Cost Management/Financial Responsibility
Safety