Job Details

Director of Research Operations & Infrastructure

Position Number: 6726456
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

Director of Research Operations & Infrastructure

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

The Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) advances the goals of SMU's 2nd Century Strategic Plan enhancing the academic quality and stature of the University by supporting and safeguarding the growth of research. ORI aims to provide leadership, quality communication, responsiveness, and transparency to the research community,

ORI provides leadership in the development of new research initiatives, guidance and assistance through intellectual property development, grant management, and adherence to regulations and policies, and facilitates graduate recruitment, retention and graduation.

ORI's Technology Transfer's mission is to facilitate commercialization into the SMU community, thus optimizing the flow of innovation to the marketplace and generating revenue that supports future research activities, while having a positive impact on society.

We accomplish this by serving as an efficient and effective conduit for the transfer of promising intellectual property to industry; contributing to regional economic development by licensing locally; supporting new venture creation; and encouraging transnational research collaboration.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The position is part of the Office of Research and Innovation that reports to the Vice Provost for Research. The Office of Research provides support services for faculty and graduate students to advance the University's research agenda.

The Director of Research Operations and Infrastructure manages a team of professionals responsible for managing ORI finances, procurement and processes, and data analytics. The Director will perform project management of all major projects pertinent to ORI operations. The Director will also organize and manage various ORI events.

The individual in this role will work to create a culture of collaboration across all the divisions in the ORI.

Essential Functions:

Manage ORI finances and procurement. Will manage all invoices, purchases and procurements. Will be responsible for tracking all the incomes (payment for Incubator rents, payments for royalties etc.) and expenses outside the permanent staff salaries.
Ensure that strategy, structure, and research processes are supportive of and conducive to ongoing ORI objectives and key results (OKRs). Will work continually to upkeep SOPs across the units that are referenced in the University Research Policy.
In collaboration with other directors, will lead enterprise-wide research projects to facilitate the ability of SMU investigators in the colleges and schools to conduct research. Provide input to optimize enterprise-level systems supporting research administration.
Will be in charge of access control and management of all ORI facilities including the main office, Incubator, Pegasus Park, and other facilities directly under the ORI. Will also coordinate furnishing needs and other maintenance of all the spaces.
Will be responsible for collecting and analyzing ORI Data to create oral and written reports and dashboards to make recommendations, illustrate goals, milestones, and progress. Develop and monitor internal performance metrics to ensure high levels of service and accomplishment of objectives. Design and implement research administration training programs. Will be responsible for the research space survey and NSF report.
Coordinating responses to internal audits.
Through the use of innovation and strategic thinking, identify opportunities for novel use of technology in research operations which supports harmonized/optimized use of existing technology platform/stakeholder investments supporting research, as well as identification and business planning for new technologies that improve efficiency, lower operating costs.
In addition to the other ORI Directors, Director of Operations will closely with the Office of Legal Affairs, OIT, and GCA in establishing and periodically updating the SOPs for various operations in the OR.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree is required. Master's preferred.

A minimum of seven years work experience in research administration or higher education is required.

Experience in positions providing oversight on the ethical conduct of research and compliance with government regulations, and a combination of experience in research and administration of research is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills. Demonstrated leadership ability is essential.

Candidate must have strong organizational, planning and time-management skills. Must also be a self-starter, skilled in critical analysis with outstanding problem-solving skills. A high ethical standard and the ability to exercise judgment and discretion in interpreting and applying regulations and procedures are essential.

Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

The position is open until filled

EEO Statement:

SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas

Job: Student Services

Organization: Provost - Other

Schedule: Regular

Shift: Staff

Employee Status: Director

Job Type: Full-time

Job Level: Day Job

Travel: No

Job Posting: Nov 14, 2025, 10:06:56 PM

To apply, visit https://smu.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=PRO00000351&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=UTC