Associate Director of Sponsored Projects

About the Role The Associate Director of Sponsored Projects is a mid-level leadership position in LIU's Office of Sponsored Projects. The role oversees pre-award activities, non-financial post-award functions, and research proposal development, ensuring regulatory compliance and alignment with LIU’s strategic goals across the grant lifecycle.

What You'll Do

• Provide daily operational leadership for proposal submissions and sponsored research support.
• Supervise pre-award specialists and administrative staff to ensure timelines, quality, and compliance.
• Assist with complex proposal review, budget development, and interpretation of agency guidelines.
• Collaborate with faculty to identify funding opportunities and guide proposal development and submission.
• Maintain and update internal systems, templates, tools, and tracking databases for sponsored programs.
• Provide quality assurance reviews of submissions for compliance with sponsor and university policies.
• Support contract and subaward preparation, including risk assessments, budget review, and routing for internal approvals.
• Lead internal training for faculty and staff on proposal development, budget preparation, and sponsor requirements.
• Liaise with Post-Award staff to ensure smooth transitions from pre-award to post-award processes.
• Coordinate with university offices including Legal Affairs, Compliance, Human Resources, and Finance as needed.
• Stay informed on updates to federal regulations (Uniform Guidance/2 CFR 200), sponsor policies, and internal procedures.
• Represent the OSP at faculty meetings, workshops, and research development activities.
• Contribute to institutional reporting, performance tracking, and annual audit preparation.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in sponsored research administration, with direct pre-award responsibilities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and private funding agency policies and procedures (NIH, NSF, DOD, etc.).
• Experience reviewing complex proposals, preparing budgets, and submitting through systems such as Grants.gov, Research.gov, and eRA Commons.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) preferred or willingness to obtain certification within one year.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in grants management systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Nice to Have

• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) certification preferred or willingness to obtain within one year.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $85,000 - $90,000 per year (USD), FLSA Exempt.
• LIU is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and excellence in its academic community.