Director, Sponsored Programs
Montana State University - Office of Student Engagement, Bozeman, MT, United States
Position Title
Managing Director – Director, Sponsored Programs
Brief Position Overview The Director of Sponsored Programs is responsible for overseeing a staff of 20 full‑time employees who handle all aspects of grants management, including proposal services, fiscal and project management, subawards, and IT support services for approximately 731 researchers who submit about 1,000 proposals per year and generate roughly 1,500 active grants and contracts. Montana State University faculty are nationally competitive and have garnered more than $218 million for research and creative projects in fiscal year 2025.
Responsibilities
The position serves as a senior leader and primary point of contact for the fiscal management, compliance oversight, and administrative stewardship of all sponsored projects at Montana State University, including reviewing funding solicitations, supporting proposal development, negotiating awards, and managing contracts.
Monitor and implement federal policy changes (e.g., Uniform Guidance, indirect cost models), lead issue resolution and customer service improvements, and ensure continuity and effectiveness of the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Serve as audit liaison for federal, state, and private agency audits, coordinate information requests, and implement necessary policy and procedural enhancements.
Lead the university’s cash management strategy for sponsored programs, including mitigating financial risk, ensuring accurate and timely reimbursement, and upholding federal and sponsor compliance.
Coordinate proposal and post‑award activities across university divisions, implement process improvements, and report on proposal and award activity.
Direct all sponsored research administration and accounting functions to ensure accuracy, responsiveness, customer service, and timeliness, and provide ad hoc reporting to campus leadership.
Collaborate with compliance offices and committees (IACUC, IRB, IBC) to support policy development and risk mitigation.
Recruit, train, supervise, and develop staff, including performance evaluation, quarterly portfolio reviews, goal setting, and personnel management.
Lead the institution‑wide preparation and submission of the NSF HERD survey and oversee external research reporting and benchmarking efforts.
Serve as a key member of the research administration software implementation team, consulting with the IT team and overseeing electronic research administration portals.
Provide planning and implementation of the indirect cost rate study, coordinating with Finance, Facilities, and academic units.
Oversee the successful completion of annual time‑and‑effort reporting certifications in compliance with federal regulations.
Build relationships and communicate with key officers, stakeholders of federal and non‑federal sponsors, principal investigators, directors, chairs, and other contacts.
Develop and execute a multi‑year vision for sponsored projects administration and serve as an authorized organizational representative with signatory authority.
Work closely with central administration, colleges, and academic units to ensure full compliance with federal, state, and university requirements.
Represent MSU at state and national levels through participation in professional organizations such as COGR, NCURA, FDP, and state agencies.
Develop and deliver training presentations on sponsored programs policies and procedures, grant lifecycle management, compliance, and award management.
Required Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related field and ten years of research administration experience at a research‑intensive university, with progressively responsible management experience.
Demonstrated experience supervising a large team of professionals in a university setting.
Extensive knowledge of university research environments, infrastructure, and current federal and state research compliance regulations, policies, and practices.
Progressive experience working with federal and state auditors, including seeing an audit to its conclusion.
Research Administrator certification from the Research Administrators Certification Council.
Leadership experience and a desire for continuous professional development.
Preferred Qualifications
Knowledge of cash management principles, internal controls, and financial risk mitigation strategies applicable to sponsored research expenditures.
Direct experience with F&A rate agreements and negotiations.
Experience implementing large entity‑wide research administration software systems.
Experience compiling and submitting NSF HERD data.
Detailed experience using Ellucian Banner Financial System.
Position Special Requirements / Additional Information This job description is not an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements; it may be amended at any time.
Physical Demands To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations.
Equal Employment Opportunity Montana State University is an equal‑opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law. In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference to veterans, disabled veterans and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, applicants should complete the veteran’s preference information located in the demographics section of their profile.
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Brief Position Overview The Director of Sponsored Programs is responsible for overseeing a staff of 20 full‑time employees who handle all aspects of grants management, including proposal services, fiscal and project management, subawards, and IT support services for approximately 731 researchers who submit about 1,000 proposals per year and generate roughly 1,500 active grants and contracts. Montana State University faculty are nationally competitive and have garnered more than $218 million for research and creative projects in fiscal year 2025.
Responsibilities
The position serves as a senior leader and primary point of contact for the fiscal management, compliance oversight, and administrative stewardship of all sponsored projects at Montana State University, including reviewing funding solicitations, supporting proposal development, negotiating awards, and managing contracts.
Monitor and implement federal policy changes (e.g., Uniform Guidance, indirect cost models), lead issue resolution and customer service improvements, and ensure continuity and effectiveness of the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Serve as audit liaison for federal, state, and private agency audits, coordinate information requests, and implement necessary policy and procedural enhancements.
Lead the university’s cash management strategy for sponsored programs, including mitigating financial risk, ensuring accurate and timely reimbursement, and upholding federal and sponsor compliance.
Coordinate proposal and post‑award activities across university divisions, implement process improvements, and report on proposal and award activity.
Direct all sponsored research administration and accounting functions to ensure accuracy, responsiveness, customer service, and timeliness, and provide ad hoc reporting to campus leadership.
Collaborate with compliance offices and committees (IACUC, IRB, IBC) to support policy development and risk mitigation.
Recruit, train, supervise, and develop staff, including performance evaluation, quarterly portfolio reviews, goal setting, and personnel management.
Lead the institution‑wide preparation and submission of the NSF HERD survey and oversee external research reporting and benchmarking efforts.
Serve as a key member of the research administration software implementation team, consulting with the IT team and overseeing electronic research administration portals.
Provide planning and implementation of the indirect cost rate study, coordinating with Finance, Facilities, and academic units.
Oversee the successful completion of annual time‑and‑effort reporting certifications in compliance with federal regulations.
Build relationships and communicate with key officers, stakeholders of federal and non‑federal sponsors, principal investigators, directors, chairs, and other contacts.
Develop and execute a multi‑year vision for sponsored projects administration and serve as an authorized organizational representative with signatory authority.
Work closely with central administration, colleges, and academic units to ensure full compliance with federal, state, and university requirements.
Represent MSU at state and national levels through participation in professional organizations such as COGR, NCURA, FDP, and state agencies.
Develop and deliver training presentations on sponsored programs policies and procedures, grant lifecycle management, compliance, and award management.
Required Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related field and ten years of research administration experience at a research‑intensive university, with progressively responsible management experience.
Demonstrated experience supervising a large team of professionals in a university setting.
Extensive knowledge of university research environments, infrastructure, and current federal and state research compliance regulations, policies, and practices.
Progressive experience working with federal and state auditors, including seeing an audit to its conclusion.
Research Administrator certification from the Research Administrators Certification Council.
Leadership experience and a desire for continuous professional development.
Preferred Qualifications
Knowledge of cash management principles, internal controls, and financial risk mitigation strategies applicable to sponsored research expenditures.
Direct experience with F&A rate agreements and negotiations.
Experience implementing large entity‑wide research administration software systems.
Experience compiling and submitting NSF HERD data.
Detailed experience using Ellucian Banner Financial System.
Position Special Requirements / Additional Information This job description is not an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements; it may be amended at any time.
Physical Demands To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations.
Equal Employment Opportunity Montana State University is an equal‑opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law. In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference to veterans, disabled veterans and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, applicants should complete the veteran’s preference information located in the demographics section of their profile.
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