Assistant Director, Research Security, Office of Research Support and Compliance

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Director, Research Security, Office of Research Support and Compliance

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Hiring Department:

Office of Research Support and Compliance

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Office of Research Support and Compliance (ORSC) at The University of Texas at Austin functions to ensure that all research conducted at the University is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies. The ORSC educates and supports the University research community with regulatory guidance concerning human subjects research (Institutional Review Board), animal research (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), use of biohazardous agents and use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids (Institutional Biosafety Committee), financial conflict of interest in research (FCOI), and research integrity education.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:  

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage  

• Retirement contributions

• Paid vacation and sick time

• Paid holidays

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

The Assistant Director, Research Security is responsible for daily operational oversight of risk-based monitoring and risk analysis activities in the Research Security Office (RSO) within the Office of Research Support & Compliance (ORSC). The Assistant Director, Research Security plays a key role in facilitating safe and productive international engagements, ensuring research security related activities and processes operate efficiently, enhance institutional compliance with federal and state requirements, and provide optimal support to university researchers. Key responsibilities for the position include continually monitoring the research security environment, collaborating with the Senior Director to ensure the university remains responsive to the evolving research security landscape, providing outreach to the research community related to the benefits and risks of international collaborations, facilitating collaboration across institutional units to ensure compliance, and leading risk based monitoring and risk analysis processes related to international activities. The Assistant Director, Research Security supervises research security analysts. This position is a member of the Research Support and Compliance leadership team, with shared responsibility for accomplishing research security related goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

Manage Research Security Program Operations

• Manage policies and processes for monitoring foreign activities of university personnel.

• Manage policies and processes for reviewing and monitoring foreign visitors to the university.

• Implement risk-based processes for ongoing monitoring of foreign activities, including situations that may trigger an audit. Routinely monitor internal disclosure systems for financial interests, outside activities, foreign travel, foreign gifts, and any other relevant information to assess international activity. Conduct risk-based reviews of international activities including research collaborations, foreign travel, and professional appointments. 

• Assist individuals with assessing risks associated with international activities.  Provide risk analysis guidance to faculty, staff, and trainees.  

• Continually assess processes for quality and efficiency, seeking areas for improvement as needed to ensure compliance while facilitating international collaborations.  Develop and implement updates to programs and processes as needed.  

• Assist with external or internal inquiries related to foreign influence compliance issues. Draft institutional responses to external inquiries.

• Manage the International Collaboration and Review Committee (ICRC) activities including membership, scheduling, submission intake and assessment processes, and communicate review outcomes to researchers.

Support the Research Security Office

• Continually monitor the evolving research security environment. Work with RSO leadership to pursue strategic initiatives to ensure ongoing compliance with federal and state research security related requirements and support international activities.

• Collaborate with relevant university offices and departments to assess and strengthen physical, technical, and administrative controls to protect intellectual property, individuals, and the institution.

• Serve as a liaison between research administration offices and university personnel on issues related to foreign activities. Provide outreach, education, and guidance to the university community related to research security and international collaborations. Advise faculty regarding internal and federal sponsor disclosure requirements.

• Maintain informative and effective website information.

• Participate in the development, maintenance, and continuous quality improvement of electronic systems used to facilitate the work of the research security program.

Support Open-Source Intelligence Operations

• Assist with OSINT reviews conducted by the Information Security Office by clarifying requests received from UT System institutions, ensuring all pertinent information is provided for the OSINT review, and provide results to the requesting institution with appropriate guidance on interpretation of the information.

Supervise Staff

• Manage and provide mentoring and supervision to research security program personnel.  Conduct regular evaluations and provide consistent opportunities for feedback.

• Facilitate professional growth and development of direct reports.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience related to national security and foreign counterintelligence activities.

• In-depth knowledge of federal and state research security requirements, such as NSPM-33, CHIPS and Science Act, Texas EO GA-48 and HB127.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation plans for international collaborations, sensitive research, and high-risk activities.

• Experience with open-source intelligence (OSINT) and data mining tools.

• Strong leadership and team management skills including supervising and mentoring staff.

• Ability to analyze complex information/issues and formulate solutions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft institutional responses, develop outreach materials, and present to diverse audiences.

• Ability to collaborate across institutional units, engage stakeholders, and build cross-functional partnerships.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

• Ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects without frequent direction.

• A commitment to continuous quality improvement to ensure ongoing programmatic efficiency and effectiveness.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree

• Experience in research compliance, export controls, or research administration within a university or research setting.

• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training programs on research security, compliance, or export controls.

Salary Range

$120,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

• Occasional weekend, overtime and evening work to meet deadlines

• Occasional interstate, intrastate and international travel

Required Materials

Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates being considered for the position.

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor.

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.

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