Associate Director (OGCA)

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Grants & Contracts Administration (OGCA) is seeking an experienced research administration professional to serve as Associate Director. This is a key leadership position within UAF's central research administration organization and an opportunity to help strengthen the infrastructure that supports the university's growing and diverse portfolio of externally sponsored research.

Working closely with the Director, the Associate Director will provide operational and strategic leadership across OGCA's pre-award and post-award functions. The position will help coordinate workload, strengthen accountability and consistency across research administration processes, support staff development, and ensure that faculty and research units receive responsive and knowledgeable assistance throughout the sponsored project lifecycle.

The Associate Director will also help ensure that OGCA maintains effective accounting, records management, information management, reporting, and administrative systems necessary to meet institutional and sponsor requirements. This position will work across the university's academic and research community and will interact with university leadership, investigators, research administrators, external sponsors, and other partners.

UAF is continuing to strengthen and modernize its research administration infrastructure. The Associate Director will have a meaningful role in that work, including improving processes, developing staff capacity, reducing administrative barriers, strengthening service to the research community, and helping OGCA respond effectively to changes in federal requirements and the broader sponsored research environment.

You will thrive in this position if you understand that excellent research administration requires both strong compliance and strong service. We are looking for a leader who can interpret complex requirements while also helping faculty, staff, and research administrators identify practical paths forward.

The successful candidate should bring substantial experience in sponsored research administration and an understanding of the full sponsored project lifecycle, including proposal development and submission, award review and acceptance, financial and administrative management, sponsor requirements, reporting, compliance, and closeout.

Strong leadership and people-management skills are essential. You should be comfortable
establishing priorities, balancing workloads, developing staff, addressing complex problems, and creating expectations that support both accountability and professional growth. The ability to build trust across organizational boundaries will be particularly important.

This role requires excellent communication, sound judgment, analytical ability, and the capacity to translate complicated sponsor and institutional requirements into understandable guidance. You should also be comfortable using data and technology to improve research administration, identify process gaps, measure performance, and support decision-making.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who sees research administration as a profession and as a critical component of the research enterprise. The right candidate will bring curiosity, integrity, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to helping researchers and research administrators succeed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s degree in a relevant field and five progressively responsible experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience. 

Position Details:

This position is located on the UAF Troth Yeddha' campus in Fairbanks, Alaska, and flexible on-site/hybrid work arrangements may be considered in accordance with UA regulations.  This is a full-time, exempt staff position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. New hires will be placed on the UA Staff Salary Schedule, Grade 83, based on education and experience.

This recruitment is open internally to current UA employees or those otherwise eligible to apply to internal postings.

Application review will begin on September 18, 2026.  To ensure consideration, please submit your application by 11:55 PM Alaska Standard Time on September 17, 2026.

The University of Alaska (UA) requires employees to work on-site based on operational and business needs. Hybrid and remote work arrangements may be considered only for positions specifically designated and advertised as eligible for hybrid or remote work. Any approved arrangement will be based on the position’s duties, operational needs, and the employee’s ability to effectively perform the work remotely.

📃To view the full list of job responsibilities, please click HERE.

☎️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Lee Ann Amerson, OGCA HR Coordinator, at [email protected] or (907) 474-6664.

*To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.  Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at [email protected].

The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution.  The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.  The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or [email protected] / 907-786-1214 or [email protected]. 

UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or [email protected].

UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online: https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing [email protected].