Careers

The incumbent will be a a trusted leader within WCER, overseeing research administration and finance operations for the Center. They will lead a team of accountants, financial specialists, procurement specialists, and research administrators who support pre-award and post-award management for WCER research projects. The Research Program and Finance Director will interpret policy, implement best practices for all business practices, support the financial health of sponsored projects, and address challenges within an evolving education research landscape. As a strategic leader they will support the planning, implementation, and management of strategic initiatives for the Center's pre- and post-award functions, such as proposal and budget preparation, financial reporting, creating a mixed portfolio for projects with grants and fee-for-service activity, policy development, financial consulting, contract negotiation, and procurement support. This position will report to WCER's Chief Operating Officer.
The successful candidate will have a continuous improvement mindset; will be committed to fostering an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion in WCER, and must possess the ability to effectively interact and communicate strategically with employees, principal investigators, project staff, and administrative leadership. The position requires excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to work under pressure to meet multiple demands while maintaining high service standards. All work is done in a collaborative team environment in support of WCER's values and strategic goals.

• 15% Directs service-oriented training and outreach to communicate and implement policies and procedures pertaining to research administration operations within a unit
• 15% Authorizes activities related to proposal submission, contract negotiation, and/or award setup on behalf of the institution or unit
• 10% Approves processes or activities related to financial compliance, audit, or reporting on behalf of the institution or unit
• 10% Directs strategic planning initiatives and establishes project objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and/or staffing resources, and alignment with the strategic plan
• 10% Serves as the unit liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information and representing the interests of the unit
• 10% Develops and monitors the unit budget
• 15% Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• 15% Provide leadership, policy development and operational oversight for our Fee-for-Service projects.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

*Minimum of 5 years of experience in research administration leadership, preferably with experience working at a higher education institution.
*Demonstrated history of and/or commitment to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in procedures, processes and workplace culture.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
-Demonstrated commitment to inclusion of various view points and backgrounds, and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, collegial team environment.
-Robust understanding of sponsored funding, including grant submission processes, post-award accounting, financial systems software and analytics.
-Knowledge of fiscal policies and experience advising on development of processes in support of efficiency and compliance.
-Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
-Highly organized and motivated with excellent attention to detail and follow through.
-Ability to effectively manage several projects simultaneously.
-Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to contribute effectively to a workgroup.
-Positive, helpful, customer service-oriented approach to working with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders across the School, University, and outside of the UW System.
-Demonstrated success as a supervisor, with the ability to motivate, support, retain, a team to create a positive work environment focused on customer service and excellence.
-Proactive and proficient ability to diagnose problems and identify appropriate solutions in a team environment.
-Ability to provide guidance and maintain confidentiality in sensitive situations.
-Effectively share creative and innovative ideas to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of services to our employees and projects at WCER.

Full Time: 100%

Hybrid environment, partially onsite and partially remote. The balance of face-to-face and remote work schedule for this position will be discussed at the time of hire.

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $97,600 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
The starting salary for the position is $97,600 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits.

The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), established in 1964, is one of the first, most productive, and largest university-based education research and development centers in the world. WCER's researchers and staff work to make teaching and learning as effective as possible for all ages and all people.
WCER's mission is to improve educational outcomes for diverse student populations, impact education practice positively and foster collaborations among academic disciplines and practitioners. To this end, our center helps scholars and practitioners develop, submit, conduct, and share grant-funded education research.
At WCER, all employees share five fundamental organization values to guide the purpose and quality of our work and interactions within ourselves and our outside stakeholders. The values that the work and people of WCER strive to uphold are:
- Innovation and Excellence. Continuous improvement is a driver for excellence. We innovate and improve in our work to advance education through leading research and development.
- Equitable Education. Equitable education is essential to a healthy society. We aim to reverse imbalances and injustices in education through our work.
- Affirming and Increasing Diversity. Individual differences and group diversity inspire creative and equitable outcomes. We actively affirm and seek to increase such diversity in our center.
- Healthy Workplace. The well-being of our workplace enhances success for all. We commit to a workplace based on mutual respect and transparency.
- Partnering Across Differences. Diverse backgrounds and expertise improve the quality of our work. We collaborate across disciplines, methodologies, organizations, and communities to strengthen our research and development outcomes.

Please click on the "Apply Now" button to start the application process. As part of the application process, you will be required to submit:
- A cover letter addressed to WCER COO, Hanna Blazel describing how your experience and qualifications meet the requirements of this position
- A current resume
- A list with the contact information of at least three professional references

Our center is conscious of inequities in the field of education and how these disproportionately harm the most marginalized members of our society- including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) individuals, people from poor and working-class backgrounds, people with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ people. We firmly believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or members of other marginalized groups.

Tammy Wacek
twacek@wisc.edu
608-262-2604
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

SPGC Dir (Multi-functional)(SC012)

A17-SCHOOL OF EDUCATION/WCER

Academic Staff-Renewable

283272-AS

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.