Senior Director of Pre-Award

Overview

Senior Director of Pre-Award – Incoming Awards & Account Setup at Howard University. Leads pre-award operations for all incoming sponsored awards and institutional account establishment, ensuring awards, contracts, and modifications are negotiated, accepted, and entered into institutional systems with accuracy, timeliness, and compliance to federal, sponsor, and university policies.

Job Purpose

The Senior Director of Pre-Award – Incoming Awards & Account Setup provides strategic and hands-on leadership to a team responsible for contract negotiation, award intake, amendments, prior approvals, and account establishment. The role emphasizes building structure, enforcing SOPs, training staff, and ensuring sponsor expectations are met while minimizing audit risks and delivering timely support to faculty.

Supervisory Authority

• Directly supervises Pre-Award Research Administrators and administrative support staff.
• Oversees negotiation and execution of incoming sponsored awards, award setup, and award modifications within the Sponsored Programs Office.
• Provides training, mentorship, and professional development to pre-award staff.
• Oversees faculty engagement and training on proposal development and compliance.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Pre-Award (Outgoing Proposals & Subawards) to establish best practices.

Nature And Scope

• Reports to the Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Sponsored Programs and serves as one of two senior leaders of the Pre-Award Office.
• Provides oversight for all incoming sponsored awards and institutional account establishment, including negotiation, acceptance, amendments, and prior approvals.
• Ensures all new awards and modifications are accurately established in Cayuse and Workday with complete documentation, budget alignment, and compliance approvals.
• Acts as a primary point of contact for institutional negotiations with external sponsors and subrecipient institutions related to incoming awards.
• Partners with the Senior Director of Outgoing Proposals & Subawards to align workflows and SOPs.
• Escalates complex negotiations, compliance risks, or sponsor-related issues requiring institutional resolution.
• Cross-trains with the Senior Director of Outgoing Proposals & Subawards to ensure continuity across the full pre-award lifecycle.

Principal Accountabilities

• Incoming Awards & Negotiation: Lead negotiation, review, and acceptance of all incoming sponsored agreements (federal, industry, foundation, and subawards).
• Award Setup & Account Establishment: Oversee creation and validation of award records in Cayuse and Workday; ensure timely activation of accounts for project spending.
• Compliance & Risk: Identify high-risk terms and coordinate with Legal and university leadership.
• Modifications: Process sponsor-driven amendments, PI/budget/scope changes, JITs, and no-cost extensions.
• Systems & Process: Track award setup timelines and handoffs; refine SOPs; optimize use of Cayuse SP, Workday Grants, and related systems.
• Faculty & Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate timelines and requirements clearly to faculty and department administrators; represent the university professionally in sponsor communications.
• Strategic & Institutional Leadership: Provide data-driven insights on award volume and timelines; contribute to policy development and compliance initiatives.

Core Competencies

• Leadership & Mentorship
• Agreement & Contract Expertise
• Award Setup Proficiency
• Compliance Knowledge (2 CFR 200, FAR/DFARS)
• Organization & Communication
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Process Orientation & Systems Proficiency
• Change Management & Resilience

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred; extensive grant and contract administration experience.
• 10+ years in research administration; 5+ years in leadership roles.
• Proven ability to manage full pre-award lifecycle (negotiation, intake, amendments, setup) in research administration systems.
• Strong understanding of federal regulations (2 CFR 200; FAR/DFARS) and sponsor-specific guidelines.
• Experience with electronic research administration platforms (e.g., Cayuse SP, Workday Grants, Kuali Research).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with accuracy and compliance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage faculty, sponsors, and internal partners.
• Experience mentoring staff and implementing structured training and SOPs.

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Expected Pay Range: $163,636 - $180,000

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