Associate Director - Sponsored Projects

Title: Associate Director of Sponsored Projects

Department: Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP)

Campus: University Center – Brookville, New York and/or Brooklyn Campus

FLSA: Exempt

Reports To: Senior Associate Director of Sponsored Projects

Supervises: Assistant Director(s), Grants Coordinators, and/or Research Support Staff

Position Summary:

The Associate Director of Sponsored Projects is a mid-level leadership role in the Office of Sponsored Projects at Long Island University. The Associate Director is responsible for managing pre-award and non-financial post-award functions, enhancing research proposal development services, and supporting faculty and administrators throughout the grant lifecycle. This individual helps implement institutional policies and procedures, ensures regulatory compliance, and advances research administration in alignment with LIU’s strategic goals.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Serve as a key resource and daily operational lead for proposal submissions and sponsored research support.

• Supervise pre-award specialists and administrative staff; ensure timelines, quality, and compliance in proposal preparation.

• Assist with complex proposal review, budget development, and interpretation of agency guidelines.

• Collaborate with faculty to identify funding opportunities and guide them through proposal development and submission processes.

• 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.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Maintain access to sensitive personnel and budgetary data with the highest level of confidentiality.

• Serve as acting Senior Associate Director when necessary and represent OSP in their absence.

• Participate in working groups or strategic initiatives focused on enhancing the university’s research infrastructure.

• Assist with external communications, outreach, and visibility efforts for sponsored projects.

Qualifications:

• 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 (e.g., PeopleSoft) and Microsoft Office Suite.