Reporting to the Vice Provost for Research Partnerships and Planning/Chief Research Officer (CRO), within Academic Affairs (AA) office, this position provides strategic and operational leadership to support the growth of research initiatives and external partnerships under the Academic Affairs umbrella. This role ensures alignment between organizational strategy, research priorities, and operational execution by overseeing business operations, staff management, and cross-functional coordination across the university.

This position may be filled at either the Associate Director or Director level, depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications, experience, and demonstrated competencies.

This role leads the analysis and optimization of business operations to ensure strategic initiatives are aligned with institutional objectives. The role drives agility in decision-making, identifies inefficiencies, eliminates duplicative work, and fosters integration across academic, research, and administrative units. This position supports a dynamic and evolving portfolio of research centers, institutes, and initiatives within Academic Affairs.

Serving as both an internal and external-facing leader, this role acts as a central liaison across units including the President’s Office, colleges across campuses, Economic Development, UCareer Corporate Engagement, Academic Affairs, the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR), Advancement, Health Sciences, Facilities, Central Communications, HR, and other key partners.

This position will partner closely with executive leadership to define organizational goals, shape strategic plans, and ensure effective execution. This role applies advanced business analysis methodologies (e.g., process mapping, organizational design, and strategy alignment tools) to evaluate and improve institutional effectiveness, ensuring practices align with the University’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities.