Senior Director, Research Administration

Senior Director, Research Administration

The Senior Director, Research Administration serves as the senior administrative leader and final departmental authority for all research administration functions supporting the Department of Surgery (DOS) across the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Penn Presbyterian (PMC), Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH), and the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). Reporting to the CFO and working in close strategic partnership with the Chair, Vice Chairs of Research, and COO, this role holds enterprise-level accountability for advancing the strategic growth and national competitiveness of the DOS research enterprise.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and enterprise-level oversight of pre- and post-award administration across the DOS sponsored research portfolio, ensuring operational excellence and fiscal stewardship in support of the Chair, Vice Chairs, Division Chiefs, and departmental leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight of financial and administrative operations supporting the department's research, academic, and teaching missions.
• Exercise overall responsibility for pre- and post-award administration of the department's $26M+ sponsored programs portfolio, spanning basic, translational, and clinical research, including IDE/IND clinical trials and corporate sponsored studies.
• Provide senior leadership and direct supervision of a multidisciplinary research administration team of 10 staff.
• Perform additional duties as required to support departmental operations, strategic initiatives, process improvements, and institutional priorities.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree (MBA/MPA or related field preferred).
• Bachelor's and 710 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in academic medical center research administration or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Expert knowledge of federal and sponsor regulations (e.g., NIH, NSF, FDA/IDE/IND), clinical research compliance (IRB/IACUC), and University/PSOM sponsored programs policies.
• Demonstrated success leading pre- and post-award administration, financial planning and analysis, and research operations at scale.
• Proven experience integrating research administration with clinical research finance (coverage analysis, budgeting, billing compliance) and improving processes through KPIs and continuous improvement.
• Experience supervising managers and multidisciplinary teams, building training, mentoring, and career pathways for research administration staff.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and change leadership across faculty, divisional administrators, and central offices.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$110,500.00 - $164,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition
• Retirement
• Time Away from Work
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Wellness and Work-life Resources
• Professional and Personal Development
• University Resources
• Discounts and Special Services
• Flexible Work Hours
• Penn Home Ownership Services
• Adoption Assistance