Associate Director, Research Planning & Development

The Associate Director, Research Planning & Development position is the senior financial administrative representative and sponsored program authority for the Health Services Research Department (HSR) and The Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences.
This position is responsible for department financial and research administrative operations, directs and implements strategic planning, policies and procedures, quality assurance, compliance and personnel management. Conceptualizes, plans, designs, implements and evaluates financial and research infrastructure for overall department, in collaboration with department leadership. Provide comprehensive administrative and operational management to ensure operational effectiveness, efficiency and quality outcomes. As subject matter expert on financial and research concerns, serves as advisor, collaborator and mentor to investigators, trainees and staff. Serves as liaison with internal and external stakeholders, including centralized departments, contractors, collaborators, vendors and funding agencies. Authorizes and approves financial transactions, including expenditures, invoices, transfers and reports. Liaison with Division finance personnel on budget, financial and research activities.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:

Financial & Operations Management (40%)
Financial & Operations Management for HSR

Operations Management
* Develops and directs the daily operations of the departmental and division administrative and financial functions, including budget management, expense reimbursement, purchasing, leave and timekeeping, asset management, facilities planning and management, physical resource utilization, it support, meeting and travel coordination, and policy/process development.
* Educate faculty and trainees on institutional policies and processes that govern administrative functions such as travel and expense reimbursement, institutional and billing compliance, etc.
* Develop, implement, and manage departmental policies/processes/procedures.
* Educates faculty and staff on finance and operations and provides them reports and guidance as necessary.

Financial Management:
* Develops and directs departmental financial operations, policies and procedures, personnel, compliance criteria, internal controls and quality assurance impacting the overall fund management with the Department Administrator.
* Directs, manages and authorizes/approves financial activities, transactions and reporting, ie: administration of funds and projects, internal and external awards, procurement of assets, services and resources, receipt and allocation of revenue, personnel expenditures and transfers, verification and reconciliation of expenditures.
* Evaluates and advises on contractual agreements.
* Performs financial analyses and proforma.
* Develops internal and external financial reports, budget projections and forecasts.
* Directs budget and financial activities in collaboration with Department Administrator and Division.
* Serves as departmental representative to respond and facilitate audits, administrative and financial.
* Directs and ensures compliance of institutional Supply Chain Management requirements for all purchases.
* Plans and directs the implementation of reconciliation; directs all reconciliation activities, the certification of statistical samples of expenditures, as well as monthly personnel trending reports and documentation.
* Forecasting and monitoring all financial and budgetary matters to ensure prospective funds assignments are appropriate and expenses are within grant budget.
* Manages physical resources dedicated to grant funded activity, including space planning, inventory control, and property maintenance.
* Directs and monitors the department's finances and the budget process within the department to include post award grant and contract management.
* Directs administrative support staff's and other staff's responsibilities that involve finances, such as reimbursements, purchasing and expense reviews. * Develops and directs implementation of systems and procedures affecting financial operations and research activities. Designs and directs training for all research staff, financial staff, administrative support, trainees, faculty, lab staff, and service center staff on financial and research
policies/processes/procedures/systems.
* Supervises assigned staff to include hiring, counseling, evaluating and disciplining.
* Monitors personnel funding assignments, taking into consideration work performed, grant ending dates, non- competing renewals, and unfunded extensions.
* Acts as senior consultant to the department chair, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows to maximize appropriate planning for grant submission, timely personnel assignment upon grant award, monitoring of grant expenses during work performance, and matching of effort to budgeted and actual salary expense for department personnel as well as personnel.
* Interacts with various institutional departments and external agencies.
* Serves as the effort coordinator for the department.

Research Operations and Grant Administration Management (40%)

Research Administration Management for departments within the Division of Cancer Prevention & HSR

* Designs and directs all sponsored program research management activities.
* Directs staff training in pre and post award management and all related concerns.
* Monitors and evaluates operations.
* Evaluates and advises on contractual/legal agreements, research and programmatic proposals, operational plans and budgets in accordance with sponsor and institutional guidelines.
* Collaborates with Principal Investigators and Stewards or delegates to prepare and justify proposals and to execute and administer awards and to implement allocation of personnel (effort and expense) on various projects/funding.

* Collaborates with investigators, department administration and institutional offices (e.g., Office of Sponsored Programs, Grants and Contracts Accounting and Office of Research Administration) to ensure compliance with federal, state, regulatory and private agency policies, procedures and guidelines related to research administration.

* Reviews, revises and directs the submission of departmental research funding applications, subcontracts, progress reports, and related communications including large programmatic grants, ensuring compliance with application guidelines as well as all institutional, state and federal regulatory requirements.

* Develops, implements and manages effective administrative policies and procedures to ensure operational andquality outcomes for grant funded activities. Participates in the development of long-term research and operational plans. Recommends improvement in grants management to department chair and faculty.
* Coordinates the implementation of systems, policies, and procedures affecting the submission, review, approval, contract negotiation, activation, regulation, tracking, and reporting of and submission of grant applications and annual reports, according to institutional and external requirements.
* Conducts local audits to ensure quality and regulatory compliance.
* Develops and implements systems to manage grant-related records, e.g., grants, publications, protocol prioritization.
* Plans, develops, directs and assesses systems, policies, procedures, internal controls and personnel associated with departmental research administration and procurement.
* Serves as the effort coordinator for the Division of Cancer Prevention.

Strategic Planning and Development (20%)

* Strategizes and directs the submission of research grant applications, progress reports, and related communications, ensuring compliance with application guidelines as well as all institutional, state and federal regulatory requirements.

* Identifies and communicates funding opportunities. Addresses questions from investigators and engages them in discussions topics and issues impacting the department.

* Develop long-term strategic plans to meet the goals and objectives of the department or program.

* As necessary, serves as liaison with institutional research compliance review boards and committees to address and resolve programmatic concerns.

* Meets monthly with Principal Investigators to proactively review grant funding status, research personnel support and deadlines and to ensure compliance with requirements of each funding agency.

COMPETENCIES
Analytical Thinking - Gather relevant information systematically; break down problems into simple components; make sound decisions.

Influence Others - Present a compelling case for proposals and ideas; advocate for support and commitment from others; mobilize others to take action for benefit of the institution.

Oral Communication - Express ideas clearly and concisely in groups and one-to-one conversations; create an environment with open channels of communication.

EDUCATION:
Required: Bachelor's degree in science or medically related field, business or healthcare administration.

EXPERIENCE:
Required: Five years experience in an academic research setting facilitating research program development and management of research resources. With preferred degree, three years of required experience. Successful completion of the LEADing Self Accelerate program may substitute for one year of required supervisory or management experience.

OTHER: Required: Must pass pre-employment skills test as required and administered by Human Resources.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html