Engineering a world of possibilities

The Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing talent, knowledge and solutions to service industry and benefit society. Mines has a strong reputation and celebrates high rankings due to its STEM-focused education and research results. The Office of Finance, Administration and Operations (FA&O) provides critical support to the mission and forward-thinking strategic initiatives while managing $325 million in operating activity, stewarding $1 billion in assets, and supporting 1400 faculty and staff. Mines facilitates over $100 million annually in sponsored project awards and over $500 million in proposals. The Office of Research Administration (ORA) reports up through FA&O and is responsible for ensuring federal, state and university compliance and streamlined business processes for the campus research community. The Associate Director for Proposal and Contracting services (Assoc Director), reports directly to the Senior Director of Business Services & Research Administration and provides oversight for the proposal and contracting functions within ORA.

The Associate Director is a key member of the research team and serves as a resource to faculty and administrators in the administration of sponsored research. This position is responsible for ensuring that business processes and practices are effectively and efficiently deployed to provide the highest level of service to the research community. The Associate Director will collaborate and interact with many internal and external constituencies including campus administration and academic departments, other higher education institutions, governmental agencies, and the public. The Associate Director will implement and maintain processes and systems and subsequent enhancements, along with maintaining data integrity of the University’s research information. They will provide training and outreach services, develop and maintain policies and procedures, and ensue elite customer service and communications for the research community.

Colorado School of Mines provides dedicated professional development and training. Onboarding for this position includes training on policies and procedures, and technical training opportunities for systems and technology required for this role.

This position may be hybrid in Colorado and requires a majority of the time (3 day per week minimum) with on-campus presence.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Mentorship

• Management of the Pre-Award team; currently this includes the Proposal Analyst and Sponsored Project Contracts teams. This includes all supervisory functions such as hiring, conducting performance reviews; resolving personnel concerns.
• Determine work prioritization by evaluating deadlines, complexity of the work load, and available resources. To facilitate these functions, this position will build standard and ad hoc reports to provide performance metric data.
• Resolve complex questions or issues that arise independently of or in conjunction with the ORA Director.
• Develop and maintain a highly skilled and engaged ORA Pre-Award team, fostering a service-oriented team environment with measurable results.
• Hire and develop an agile team who can face new challenges, respond to ad hoc requests, meet deadlines, and produce high quality work.
• Ensure performance plans include role-based professional development goals for progression within the team and campus.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all Pre-Award functions.

Policy, Compliance, and Training

• Provide expertise and consultation related to regulatory and policy issues of research projects to ORA staff, department administrators and faculty.
• Remain knowledgeable about current federal regulations, pending changes, Federal Acquisition Regulations and basic Cost Accounting Standards.
• Develop policy and processes that comply with federal regulations, Mines policy and other sponsor requirements.
• Assist in the maintenance of ORA’s Research Management software and the School’s financial system.
• Design and implement training with campus offices and faculty on process changes. Ensure quality control over data entered in the School’s systems.
• Develop Pre-Award training material for ORA staff and campus. Training will be targeted to the audience and include one on one trainings, larger training sessions and web material.
• Maintain all Pre-Award information on the ORA website.

Proposal Review and Submission

• Carry delegated signature authority for all proposals, certifying the School is in compliance with a wide range of laws regulations and policies.
• Lead the Pre-Award team to review complex proposals to large organizations with multiple budgets, detailed compliance requirements.
• Ensure team members perform cost negotiations with project sponsors; including a justification of costs and explanation of School polices and business practices.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Research to develop and implement technology to streamline the proposal process. These technologies may include system integrations, AI, automated processes etc. The Associate Director will be directly involved in the planning, development and project management for these projects.

Sponsored Project and Intellectual Property Agreements

• Provide oversight for the ORA Contracting unit which supports campus in the review and acceptance of sponsored project agreements (i.e. research grants, contracts, masters, etc.) and intellectual property agreements associated with Mines’ technology transfer (i.e. technology licensing agreements, intellectual property management plans, material transfer agreements, etc.)
• Collaborate with Office of General Counsel, the IP commercialization team, and the Office of Vice President of Research to ensure our contracting framework and approach meet the needs and expectations of the School.
• Ensure the creation of and maintenance of efficient policies and procedures for the Contracting unit. This will require continuous evaluation of processes, researching best practices, analyzing contracting data and statics and performing regular risk assessments.
• Ensure management of contract negotiations and timelines by sponsor type, implement new technologies to streamline and modernize current processes and balance compliance with institutional risk appetite.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Baccalaureate degree in business or related field
• Significant (10-year minimum) experience in sponsored project administration
• Significant and progressive experience in sponsored project proposal and contract management; working knowledge of federal knowledge and other pertinent external regulations
• Familiarity with Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property contract negotiations
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
• Problem solving and analysis skills to optimize independent decisions.
• Demonstrated customer service skills, the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies.
• Significant experience (5-year minimum) in supervising, managing and training professional staff.
• Experience with sponsored project information and submission systems, both at the institutional level and federal/sponsor level.
• Skill in establishing and fostering a cooperative work environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in business or related field
• Working Knowledge of public higher education systems
• Experience with Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property negotiations

Salary and Benefits

$110,000 - $140,000 anticipated annual salary

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

How to Apply

• Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status)
• Upload a resume or CV
• Upload a cover letter

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position now nor in the future.

This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy based on business needs.

References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.

Application review will begin November 2, This posting will remain open until filled and may close without notice. For best consideration, apply by November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. as applications received after that date may not be reviewed.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for this position.

About Mines & Golden, CO

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines’ scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society.

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that’s manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more. Mines was recently classified as a R1 “Very High Activity” research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don’t get us started on our hometown. We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --with its charming historic downtown and nearby hiking trails – and in close proximity to all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. That includes the sunny, high-altitude climate and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities that make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers? Are you an individual who values a community where our individual perspectives and experiences enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.