Executive Director, Program Management & Institutes Administration

Research, Innovation & Impact at the University of Arizona is seeking an Executive Director, Program Management & Institutes Administration. The Executive Director of Program Management & Institutes Administration serves as an administrative and programmatic leader for the Office of the Senior Vice President of Research & Innovation (SVPRI), particularly with regard to our Research Institutes, Centers, and Strategic Initiatives. Reporting directly to the Sr. Associate Vice President, this role ensures seamless strategic, proactive, and capacity building support for our centers, institutes, museums, while ensuring that institutional research priorities are accomplished through cross-functional coordination across the centers, institutes, museums, and initiatives. This position communicates direction from senior leadership to programmatic leadership, research program managers, individuals and teams on aligning with goals and objectives of the research initiatives. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, systems-oriented leader who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and is committed to supporting faculty success and research growth.

Research, Innovation & Impact - Working together on big ideas to strengthen our communities, drive innovation, grow our economy, prepare a competitive workforce, advance society, and tackle the complex challenges we face.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Leadership & Program Management

• Manages a team of research program managers who are assigned to support and facilitate strategic research initiatives. Assures planning and evaluation of performance, staff training, and development while making recommendations on staffing and hiring needs across the center, institute, and museum leadership.
• Facilitate professional development and matrixed collaboration with other units, such as Center Directors, their program managers/directors, and cross-functional research programs.
• Communicates direction from senior leadership, assesses impact to work loads, delegates work across the strategic initiatives team.
• Collaborates on strategic planning, implements and executes plans and strategies identifying challenges and developing solutions.
• Ensure strong internal coordination in alignment with institutional goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement between a wide range of professionals and groups.

Strategic Support & Program Management

• Manage internal priorities, project timelines for the SVP and senior research leadership team, and center, institute, and museum programmatic support to ensure research is central to each of the operating units.
• Lead or collaborate with internal working groups focused on faculty services to support strategic imperatives.
• Partner with the Executive Director for Finance & Administration and Center/Institute/Museum leadership to coordinate annual budget planning, resource allocation, and expenditure tracking aligned with strategic objectives.

Cross-Campus Engagement

• Serve as a central point of contact for center, institute, museum and strategic initiatives-related research matters, providing guidance on policies, procedures, and issue resolution.
• Coordinate engagement with Associate Deans for Research (ADRs) across colleges, fostering communication, resource sharing, and cohesive implementation of university-wide research initiatives.
• Coordinate engagement with center, institute, and museums, fostering communication, resource sharing, and cohesive implementation of university-wide research initiatives.

Communications & Reporting

• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to design and implement internal and external communication strategies that reflect key priorities and initiatives related to the centers, institutes, museums, and strategic initiatives.
• Prepare executive-level reports, briefings, and presentations to inform decision-making and track progress toward strategic goals.
• Oversee data collection and content coordination for RII’s annual report and related institutional reporting needs.

Additional duties may be assigned.

Knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for interaction with executives, stakeholders, and staff.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and mentor administrative teams, fostering collaboration and professional development.
• Problem-Solving: Skilled in assessing challenges and generating effective, actionable solutions.
• Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain positive relationships with various stakeholders.
• Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy in managing schedules, projects, and documentation.
• Adaptability: Ability to respond effectively to changing priorities and high-pressure situations.
• Discretion and Confidentiality: Demonstrates sound judgment and the ability to handle sensitive information with integrity.
• Critical Thinking: Capacity to analyze complex issues and make decisions that align with executive priorities.
• Autonomy: Capable of working independently while aligning with broader organizational goals.
• Collaboration: Strong ability to work effectively across teams and departments to achieve organizational objectives.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 9 years of related work experience, including 5 years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred.
• Experience leading a team, project, program, or function is preferred