Director Research Administration - College of Engineering and Computing

Florida International University is a Top 50, preeminent public research university with 55,000 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries, as well as an alumni network of more than 340,000. Located in the global city of Miami, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels, including medicine and law. FIU faculty are leaders in their fields and include National Academy members, Fulbright Scholars and MacArthur Genius Fellows. A Carnegie R1 institution, FIU drives impactful research in environmental resilience, health and technology and innovation. Home to the Wall of Wind and Institute of Environment, FIU stands at the forefront of discovery and innovation. With a focus on student success, economic mobility and community engagement, FIU is redefining what it means to be a public research university.

The Director of Research Administration for the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) provides leadership in the full spectrum of research administration activities, with responsibility for both pre-award and post-award oversight. Reporting to the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, the Director ensures effective and compliant management of sponsored research across the College. This role advances the College's research mission by providing strategic direction, operational oversight, and high-level support to faculty and research staff, while fostering partnerships that strengthen the College's competitiveness in securing external funding. Supervises the Associate Director of Pre-Award and corresponding employees, as well as the Associate Director of Post-Award and corresponding employees, ensuring alignment and collaboration across the research administration enterprise.

• Provides leadership, direction, and oversight for all pre-award and post-award research administration activities across the College, ensuring consistency, transparency, and continuous improvement of service delivery.
• Oversees and directs the full life cycle of pre-award proposal preparation and submission processes, guiding faculty in developing competitive applications, budgets, and narratives that comply with sponsor guidelines, federal and state regulations, and University policies.
• Oversees and directs the full lifecycle of post-award administration, including award setup, financial management, invoicing, reporting, subaward administration, effort certification, compliance monitoring, and award closeout, ensuring proper stewardship of sponsored program funds.
• Supervises the Associate Director of Pre-Award and their corresponding team, and the Associate Director of Post-Award and their corresponding team, providing mentorship, guidance, and performance management to ensure effective coordination and delivery of services.
• Establishes, implements, and maintains internal policies, procedures, and best practices that enhance operational efficiency, accuracy, and compliance, benchmarking against peer institutions to ensure competitiveness.
• Leads project management for large-scale, multidisciplinary, and multi-site proposals by coordinating faculty teams, staff, and external collaborators, establishing timelines, monitoring deliverables, and ensuring competitive submissions.
• Provides expert guidance to faculty and research staff on all aspects of research administration, including funding strategies, budget development, compliance requirements, and effective award management.
• Partners with the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), CEC Finance, CEC Human Resources, FIU Compliance, and other central and internal units to align College research administration with institutional priorities and sponsor requirements.
• Serves as a resource for interpreting sponsor guidelines and federal/state regulations, providing faculty and staff with clear and practical applications to ensure compliance across all projects.
• Monitors and evaluates internal controls to safeguard sponsored program funds, conducting audits and reconciliations, and implementing corrective actions where needed to ensure fiscal integrity.
• Manages the development and delivery of workshops, training sessions, and resources designed to strengthen faculty and staff understanding of research administration processes and compliance responsibilities.
• Reviews upcoming grant opportunities, proactively disseminates information to faculty, and encourages strategic engagement in order to expand proposal activity and increase funding success rates.
• Cultivates strong collaborative relationships with faculty, departments, centers, and external partners to support the growth of interdisciplinary and high-impact research initiatives.
• Supervises, trains, and evaluates research administration staff within the College, ensuring professional development, accountability, and delivery of high-quality pre- and post-award services.
• Oversees compliance reviews for conflict of interest, human subjects, export control, and other regulatory areas, coordinating with central compliance offices and providing faculty with training and support.
• Provides regular reporting and analysis to the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies on research activity, proposal trends, award metrics, and emerging opportunities, offering data-driven recommendations to strengthen the College's research portfolio.

Bachelor's degree and eight (8) years of relevant experience or a Master's degree and six (6) years of relevant experience.

• Advanced degree in Computer or Information Sciences or Engineering related discipline.
• Experience coordinating and management large-scale funded research projects.
• Extensive experience collaborating with major funding agencies.
• Demonstrated successful grant and application writer.
• Demonstrated grant financial analysis skills.

Administrative

Begin time: 8:30 AM

End time: 5:00 PM

Criminal Background Check

• Ability to work flexible hours as needed.
• Travel to FIU Campus'

Prospective Employee

If you have not created a registered account, you will be asked to create a username and password for use of the system. It is recommended that you provide an active/valid e-mail account as that will be the main source of communication regarding your status within the process. In this account, you are able to track your applicant status in "My Applications".

To be considered eligible for the position as an internal candidate, departmental staff must meet minimum requirements of the position and be in good performance standing.

Before you begin the process, we recommend that you are prepared to attach electronic copies of your resume, cover letter or any other documents within the application process. It is recommended that you combine your cover letter and resume/curriculum vitae into one attachment. Attached documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format. All applicants are required to complete the online application including work history and educational details (if applicable), even when attaching a resume.

*This posting will close at 12:00 am of the close date.

Current Employee

As a current employee, you must log into Employee Self Service (ESS) to apply for this and any other internal career opportunity of interest. In this account, you are able to track your applicant status in "My Applications".

To be considered eligible for the position as an internal candidate, departmental staff must meet minimum requirements of the position and be in good performance standing.

Before you begin the process, we recommend that you are prepared to attach electronic copies of your resume/ curriculum vitae, cover letter or any other documents within the application process. It is recommended that you combine your cover letter and resume into one attachment. Attached documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

*This posting will close at 12:00 am of the close date.

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