Senior Director, Research and Grants Administration

Overview

The Senior Director of Research Grants Administration (RGA) will provide executive-level leadership and strategic direction to AACR’s expansive grants portfolio. Reporting to the Vice President of RGA, the Senior Director will oversee all grants administration related strategic growth, operational excellence, and partnerships, including Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). The Senior Director supervises several PhD scientists and administrative staff to foster a cohesive and high-performing team aligned with AACR’s mission to cure all cancers through research, education, communication, collaboration, science policy and advocacy, and funding for cancer research.

Responsibilities

• Grants Administration 
• Oversees all aspects of the grants administration that include also SU2C grants program.
• Develops and ensures implementation of best practices and initiatives.
• Conducts comprehensive landscape analyses of the cancer research funding ecosystem to identify emerging scientific priorities, gaps in support, new funding mechanisms, and opportunities for AACR to expand its leadership in research grantmaking.
• Oversees grant program impact analyses, including the design and execution of data‑driven evaluations to assess scientific output, programmatic outcomes, investigator success metrics, and return‑on‑investment for funders.
• Leads communication of grant program achievements and impact by developing compelling internal and external reports, presentations, dashboards, and narratives for AACR leadership, funders, scientific committees, and public audiences.
• Represents AACR and the RGA department externally, sharing insights from funding landscape analyses, promoting new grant programs, and strengthening AACR’s visibility and influence within the scientific research funding community.
• Interacts with AACR Foundation to develop strategies for funding opportunities.
• Establishes con-funding process.
• Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Strategic Leadership
• Leads long-term strategic planning for grants administration with the leadership of the Vice President, ensuring continued innovation and growth in research funding initiatives.
• Spearheads cross-functional collaborations to develop new grant mechanisms and partnerships aligned with AACR’s scientific priorities.
• Team Management
• Fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
• Mentors and develops team members, promoting professional growth and leadership development.
• Financial Oversight
• Assists the Vice President in developing budgets, financial planning, and resource allocation.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Represents AACR in external meetings and strategic discussions with other nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and industry partners.
• Maintains professional relationships with other granting agencies and professional organizations to stay current with trends and best practices.
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Oversees the organization and maintenance of grants program databases and spreadsheets.
• Analyzes collected data to identify trends, patterns, and insights that can inform decision-making and strategic planning.
• Generates regular and ad-hoc reports and presentations as needed by the department or senior management.
• Improves data collection processes, report formats, or analytical techniques to enhance the value of the information provided.
• Department and Organizational Initiatives
• Provides leadership for RGA’s grants program and supports various RGA initiatives as needed.
• Collaborates with internal groups to align departmental goals with broader organizational priorities.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a scientific field related to cancer research or biomedical sciences.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in research administration, grantmaking.
• Proven experience managing complex teams and cross-institutional partnerships.
• Strong knowledge of biomedical research landscape, funding mechanisms, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent strategic planning, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience in drug discovery and development within a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company desirable.

EOE