Director - Research Services

Job Title

Director - Research Services

Department

Research and Sponsored Programs

Salary

$134,214 - $173,360; commensurate with experience

Job Summary/Basic Function

Reporting to the Vice Provost for Research, the Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) provides strategic and operational leadership for the University's sponsored research enterprise. The Director is responsible for leading, managing, and continuously improving ORSP; providing high-quality service to faculty and other investigators; ensuring effective stewardship and compliance throughout the sponsored-project lifecycle; and developing the organizational capacity, systems, processes, relationships, and strategies necessary to grow and diversify the University's externally funded portfolio.

Working closely with the Vice Provost for Research, academic leadership, faculty, research centers and institutes, and ORSP staff, the Director develops and executes a multiyear strategy for increasing competitive external funding from federal, state, foundation, industry, and other sources. The Director builds and manages a qualified funding-opportunity and proposal pipeline, strengthens institutional capacity for large and complex proposals, expands faculty participation in sponsored activities, cultivates relationships with sponsors and external partners, and uses data and performance metrics to guide strategy and resource allocation.

The Director provides leadership across research development, pre-award administration, award negotiation and acceptance, contract and subaward administration, post-award coordination, electronic research administration, training, research compliance coordination, and related sponsored-program functions. The Director is expected to create a faculty- and customer-focused culture characterized by service, accountability, responsiveness, innovation, collaboration, sound judgment, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Required Education

Master's degree from an accredited institution. Doctoral degree desired.

Required Related Experience

Eight years of progressively responsible experience in sponsored programs administration, research administration, research development, or a closely related field, including a minimum of four years of progressively responsible leadership or management experience supervising professional staff or leading complex organizational operations.

Desirable Related Experience

Preferred qualifications include:

• Ten or more years of progressively responsible sponsored-programs, research-administration, or research-development experience.
• Significant leadership experience in a central research or sponsored-programs office at a research university or similarly complex research organization.
• Demonstrated success increasing external funding, proposal activity, investigator participation, organizational capacity, service quality, or funding diversification.
• Experience supporting or managing a significant externally funded research portfolio.
• Demonstrated experience with large, interdisciplinary, multi-investigator, multi-institutional, center-scale, or strategically important proposals.
• Experience developing organizational structures, managing professional teams, improving business processes, and implementing performance metrics.
• Experience developing productive relationships with federal and state agencies, foundations, industry sponsors, and other external partners.
• Experience with Cayuse or comparable electronic research administration systems and enterprise reporting or business-intelligence tools.
• Demonstrated experience improving the effectiveness, capacity, service, or performance of a sponsored program or research organization is required. Experience should demonstrate progressively increasing responsibility for personnel, sponsored-program operations, organizational strategy, major or complex proposals, faculty or investigator support, and institutional relationships.

Desirable License/Registration/Certification

Active Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), Project Management Professional (PMP), or comparable professional credential.

Documents Needed to Apply

Cover Letter & Resume Required

MTSU offers a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to the following:

• Sick Leave
• Vacation Leave for Administrative/Classified Staff/12-month Faculty
• 13 paid University holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Retirement plans
• Optional 401K and 403B Deferred Compensation Plans
• Educational benefits for the employee and their spouse and dependents

Click here for additional information.

MTSU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility for U.S. employment is required before employment (Immigration Control Act of 1986). Clery Act crime statistics for MTSU are available at https://police.mtsu.edu/annual-security-report/ or by contacting MTSU Public Safety at (615) 898-2424.

MTSU is a Tobacco & Drug-Free campus.

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you will be required to provide information about your criminal history to be considered.

For individuals requiring reasonable accommodation to apply: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with MTSU, please call 615-898-2929 or email hrs@mtsu.edu.

Application Review Date: For best consideration, please apply by November 13, 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position may be filled before the listed application review date of November 20, 2026.