Director, Administration and Faculty Programs

Department

Provost Research Computing Center

About the Department

Research Computing Center (RCC) transforms and enables research and scholarship by providing access to a comprehensive suite of high-end research computing programs and services across disciplines, including new faculty onboarding; high-performance compute and secure data storage on the Midway cluster; machine learning and artificial intelligence tools and methods; image analysis and data visualization; code development and optimization; data management; cloud support; grant support; workshops and training; access to national compute resources; and more.

Job Summary

The Research Computing Center (RCC) is seeking to hire an Associate Director to manage faculty programs, finance, human resources, and administrative functions for the center. The Associate Director, reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research Computing and Director of the RCC, will develop strategic plans and initiatives that will advance and/or enhance RCC's programs, services, and/or operations. This role also manages a growing and diverse number of faculty service programs. The Associate Director will partner with RCC leadership to request corporate sponsorships for faculty and outreach programs and events. The person in this role will collaborate with faculty across the University to hire highly specialized computational staff to support their research. The Associate Director plays a key role in the development and execution of the organization's operational plan.

Responsibilities

• Develops strategic plans and initiatives to advance RCC's programs, services, and operations in collaboration with RCC leadership and faculty.

• Identifies, creates, and manages strategic partnerships including corporate engagements, contracts, and sponsorships for faculty and outreach programs.

• Represents RCC externally by attending meetings and conferences to network, share best practices, and enhance operations.

• Serves as an active member of the academic research computing community, fostering key relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Meets with new faculty to introduce RCC's programs and services; prepares materials and staffs faculty committee meetings.

• Partners with faculty across the University to recruit and hire specialized computational staff to support research initiatives.

• Coordinates grant pre-award activities including ideation, feasibility assessment, and budget development in partnership with faculty and RCC leadership.

• Oversees and manages RCC's Administrative Team including direct and indirect reports, setting goals and priorities for communications, outreach, business operations, and grant activities.

• Provides escalation point for RCC staff regarding faculty inquiries, requests, and situations requiring leadership input and decisions.

• Administers program and services analysis; drafts and implements improvements based on faculty feedback to meet evolving needs.

• Manages RCC budgets by creating forecasts, monitoring expenses, and providing regular financial reports; partners with Office of Research for budget creation and allocation.

• Oversees HR functions—including staff recruitment, HR transactions, performance improvement plans, and salary recommendations—to address RCC's short and long-term needs.

• Manages employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.

• Manages program operations and administrative functions which may include planning and scheduling, program evaluation, policy implementation, personnel administration, budget, marketing, fundraising and proposal development.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience: 

• Experience in a higher education environment strongly preferred.

• Experience working in a High-Performance Computing environment strongly preferred.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills. 

• Demonstrated commitment to providing a high level of customer service. 

• High degree of professionalism.

• Ability to handle confidential information with utmost discretion. 

• Familiarity with general business practices. 

• Attention to detail and strong analytical and organizational skills. 

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.

• Working knowledge of human resources policies, procedures, and employment regulations.

• Knowledge of computers, including spreadsheet, database, and word-processing applications. 

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$110, $130,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:  Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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