Job Details

Associate Director, PreAward (HR Title: Associate Director Sponsored Projects)

Position Number: 7145832
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Sponsored Programs, Grants, and Contracts

Associate Director, PreAward (HR Title: Associate Director Sponsored Projects)

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Associate Director, Pre-Award Services provides leadership, expertise, and operational oversight for pre-award research administration. This position supports faculty, principal investigators (PIs), department administrators, and academic leadership by ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant proposal development and submission. The Associate Director plays a key role in advancing the university's research mission and supporting strategic growth in externally funded research.

Essential Functions:

Provide leadership and daily operational oversight of the Pre-Award Services team.Supervise, train, mentor, and evaluate pre-award staff, promoting consistency and best practices.Assist in setting goals, performance standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Oversee end-to-end pre-award activities, including proposal preparation, budget development, internal approvals, and submission.Review complex, high-risk, and high-dollar proposals for accuracy, compliance, and completeness.Provide expert guidance on proposal strategy, timelines, and sponsor expectations.Ensure proposals meet federal, state, industry, foundation, and institutional requirements.
Interpret and apply sponsor regulations and institutional policies (e.g., Uniform Guidance, sponsor-specific terms).Ensure compliance with cost principles, eligibility requirements, budget justifications, and documentation standards.Identify and mitigate proposal-stage compliance risks.Support audits, internal reviews, and compliance monitoring activities related to pre-award functions.
Serve as a trusted advisor to faculty, principal investigators, and departmental leadership.Collaborate with Post-Award, Contracts, Compliance, Finance, Legal, and Research Development offices.Communicate policy updates, sponsor changes, and best practices to stakeholders.
Analyze pre-award workflows to improve efficiency, accuracy, and customer service.Support implementation and optimization of research administration systems and tools.Contribute to the development of standard operating procedures, training materials, and reference guides.
Assist with reporting on proposal volume, success rates, workload metrics, and trends.Support institutional research growth initiatives and strategic funding opportunities.Recommend improvements to policies, procedures, and staffing models.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, science, or a related field is required. Master's degree in a related field is preferred.

A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in research administration or sponsored programs, with significant pre-award experience is required. Demonstrated knowledge of federal and non-federal sponsor regulations is required. Experience reviewing complex proposals and budgets is required. Strong leadership, coaching, and team management skills, is required. Experience supervising staff in a centralized or shared services environment is required. Ability to manage competing deadlines is required.

Experience with electronic research administration systems (e.g., Cayuse, InfoEd, Workday, Grants.gov, ASSIST) is preferred. Experience with CRA, CPRA or equivalent certification is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

The ideal candidate is highly service-oriented, team-oriented, and goal oriented, with great flexibility to identify priorities, manage and respond to competing deadlines and priorities. Candidate must be able to adapt to different working styles and give and receive constructive criticism. Candidate must demonstrate professional composure, and maintain a collegial/friendly work environment.

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies, including research faculty, staff, and students. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills. A strong customer service orientation is essential.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills with the ability to manage and respond to competing deadlines and priorities.

Candidate must have the ability to interpret/understand federal and non-federal regulations and operations of sponsored research. Must also have knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance. Candidate must posses experience supervising staff in a centralized or shared services environment.

Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and ability to use a variety of information systems.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

The position is open until filled.

EEO Statement:

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas

Job: Administrative Managers & Professionals

Organization: Provost - Other

Schedule: Regular

Shift: Staff

Employee Status: Individual Contributor

Job Type: Full-time

Job Level: Day Job

Travel: No

Job Posting: May 8, 2026, 8:58:38 PM

To apply, visit https://smu.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=PRO00000368&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=UTC