Associate Dean for Research Jobs
Associate Dean for Research jobs are open across higher education, academic medical centers, and research universities, from department-level to institution-wide leadership, with specializations in grant administration, sponsored programs, and research compliance. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job Description
Smith College has engaged Opus Partners to support this search. Craig Smith, Managing Partner, Kenna Boyd, Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search, which will remain confidential to the extent possible. For additional information, to nominate qualified candidates, or to apply, please contact Marisea Rivera via marisea.rivera@opuspartners.net.
The Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of the College (“the VP”) is a critical leadership role at Smith College holding primary responsibility for the totality of the student experience. Leading with strategic clarity, rigor, and empathy, the VP will sustain, design, and build structures, services, and systems that promote a healthy, dynamic, inclusive, and safe campus environment in which students thrive. College leadership will support the VP in developing a compelling vision for student life at Smith and in realizing that vision through an integrated array of effective and efficient programs managed by talented professional staff dedicated to student success. Deploying the significant resources that the college can continue to invest in the student experience, the VP will collaborate with other college leaders to oversee the development of a campus life program designed to deliver on Smith’s mission to educate women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose.
Smith College provides a comprehensive and integrated array of services that span student life from the point of admission through the arc of an alumna’s career, services that are designed for the next decade and beyond. In its current structure, the division of Campus Life and Dean of the College consists of five units comprising approximately 100 FTEs and supported by a $20M budget.
As a direct report to the President and a member of the President’s Team, the VP will be a crucial partner in the implementation of Compass 2035, Smith’s strategic plan, and will be engaged in all aspects of institutional planning and policy development. They will draw on a comprehensive understanding of best practices and national standards in campus life and student affairs, and will focus on enhancing and supporting students' growth, learning, and well-being.
Given Smith’s remarkably talented, highly engaged, and increasingly diverse student body, the VP will be intimately familiar with the challenges of building more equitable and inclusive communities. The VP will possess the cultural agility and the experiences, skills, and willingness to champion a vision for Smith’s community that appreciates and accepts differences, as well as the recognition that diversity, in all its forms, plays an integral role as part of a liberal arts education, particularly as this education sustains democratic ideals and prepares students for civic life.
Qualifications
The VP will bring energy and interpersonal skills to foster new cultural norms and programmatic innovations while respecting the value of tradition. The VP will be an advocate, role model, and mentor for Smith students, and will work directly with student leaders, faculty members, residential life staff, the Provost, the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, President Willie-LeBreton, and other campus leaders to build an increasingly diverse and inclusive community that provides opportunities for social, emotional, and intellectual engagement and growth so that every Smithie graduates as an adaptable thinker, an engaged citizen, a good neighbor, and a collaborative leader.
Finally, the VP will be energized by the opportunity to work with and on behalf of Smith students and will find joy and satisfaction in helping them navigate this time in their lives and in shaping a community where all can thrive and contribute.
Required qualifications include:
- A leadership style characterized by collaboration, transparency, and accountability
- Strong organizational management and leadership skills developed in an academically rigorous residential college or university
- Passion for innovating and overseeing providing support and opportunities for students and an authentic appreciation for Smith’s mission, values, and history
- Domain expertise in campus life and student affairs to include familiarity with national standards and trends in the student-affairs function; a record of using data and metrics to inform the design, delivery, and assessment of student-support services; a record of bringing value to a campus from participation in national associations; a record of translating thought-leadership into strategies, systems, and programs
- Talent for working across institutional and organizational boundaries to develop an exceptional living and learning student experience
- Deep understanding of the challenges that institutions of higher education experience as they work towards building more diverse, just, and equitable communities
- A proven track record maintaining complex budgets and developing optimal institutional organization structures and systems
- Readiness and ability to partner in support of major institutional fundraising goals
- A deep understanding of the value of a liberal-arts education
- Understanding of the legal, regulatory, political, and cultural context around Smith and the higher-education sector more broadly, along with experience developing policy in the student affairs space
- An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution (required); a graduate degree and/or non-degree credentials that attest to a sustained desire to develop professionally (strongly preferred)
A comprehensive position description including the full account of qualifications can be viewed here.
To Apply
Smith College has engaged Opus Partners to support this search. Craig Smith, Managing Partner, Kenna Boyd, Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search, which will remain confidential to the extent possible. For additional information, to nominate qualified candidates, or to apply, please contact Marisea Rivera via marisea.rivera@opuspartners.net.
Candidates will provide a letter of interest, and a current CV. Letters may highlight leadership experience and professional motivations, anticipate questions that might be prompted by these materials, or note an accomplishment that may not be evident on a CV. The college values equity and inclusion and will seek a leader who is committed to promoting these values throughout the organization. The college encourages candidates to address how they might promote these values and highlight initiatives designed to remove barriers and to increase participation by groups historically under-represented in post-secondary education.
In addition to a competitive benefits package, the target salary range for this role is $244,400 - $298,500. Smith College is committed to paying competitively and equitably, taking into account the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications.
Position Type
Review of applications will begin
About Smith College
Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at recruiting-u@smith.edu.
As set forth in our mission and values, Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.
Job Description
Smith College has engaged Opus Partners to support this search. Craig Smith, Managing Partner, Kenna Boyd, Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search, which will remain confidential to the extent possible. For additional information, to nominate qualified candidates, or to apply, please contact Marisea Rivera via marisea.rivera@opuspartners.net.
The Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of the College (“the VP”) is a critical leadership role at Smith College holding primary responsibility for the totality of the student experience. Leading with strategic clarity, rigor, and empathy, the VP will sustain, design, and build structures, services, and systems that promote a healthy, dynamic, inclusive, and safe campus environment in which students thrive. College leadership will support the VP in developing a compelling vision for student life at Smith and in realizing that vision through an integrated array of effective and efficient programs managed by talented professional staff dedicated to student success. Deploying the significant resources that the college can continue to invest in the student experience, the VP will collaborate with other college leaders to oversee the development of a campus life program designed to deliver on Smith’s mission to educate women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose.
Smith College provides a comprehensive and integrated array of services that span student life from the point of admission through the arc of an alumna’s career, services that are designed for the next decade and beyond. In its current structure, the division of Campus Life and Dean of the College consists of five units comprising approximately 100 FTEs and supported by a $20M budget.
As a direct report to the President and a member of the President’s Team, the VP will be a crucial partner in the implementation of Compass 2035, Smith’s strategic plan, and will be engaged in all aspects of institutional planning and policy development. They will draw on a comprehensive understanding of best practices and national standards in campus life and student affairs, and will focus on enhancing and supporting students' growth, learning, and well-being.
Given Smith’s remarkably talented, highly engaged, and increasingly diverse student body, the VP will be intimately familiar with the challenges of building more equitable and inclusive communities. The VP will possess the cultural agility and the experiences, skills, and willingness to champion a vision for Smith’s community that appreciates and accepts differences, as well as the recognition that diversity, in all its forms, plays an integral role as part of a liberal arts education, particularly as this education sustains democratic ideals and prepares students for civic life.
Qualifications
The VP will bring energy and interpersonal skills to foster new cultural norms and programmatic innovations while respecting the value of tradition. The VP will be an advocate, role model, and mentor for Smith students, and will work directly with student leaders, faculty members, residential life staff, the Provost, the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, President Willie-LeBreton, and other campus leaders to build an increasingly diverse and inclusive community that provides opportunities for social, emotional, and intellectual engagement and growth so that every Smithie graduates as an adaptable thinker, an engaged citizen, a good neighbor, and a collaborative leader.
Finally, the VP will be energized by the opportunity to work with and on behalf of Smith students and will find joy and satisfaction in helping them navigate this time in their lives and in shaping a community where all can thrive and contribute.
Required qualifications include:
- A leadership style characterized by collaboration, transparency, and accountability
- Strong organizational management and leadership skills developed in an academically rigorous residential college or university
- Passion for innovating and overseeing providing support and opportunities for students and an authentic appreciation for Smith’s mission, values, and history
- Domain expertise in campus life and student affairs to include familiarity with national standards and trends in the student-affairs function; a record of using data and metrics to inform the design, delivery, and assessment of student-support services; a record of bringing value to a campus from participation in national associations; a record of translating thought-leadership into strategies, systems, and programs
- Talent for working across institutional and organizational boundaries to develop an exceptional living and learning student experience
- Deep understanding of the challenges that institutions of higher education experience as they work towards building more diverse, just, and equitable communities
- A proven track record maintaining complex budgets and developing optimal institutional organization structures and systems
- Readiness and ability to partner in support of major institutional fundraising goals
- A deep understanding of the value of a liberal-arts education
- Understanding of the legal, regulatory, political, and cultural context around Smith and the higher-education sector more broadly, along with experience developing policy in the student affairs space
- An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution (required); a graduate degree and/or non-degree credentials that attest to a sustained desire to develop professionally (strongly preferred)
A comprehensive position description including the full account of qualifications can be viewed here.
To Apply
Smith College has engaged Opus Partners to support this search. Craig Smith, Managing Partner, Kenna Boyd, Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search, which will remain confidential to the extent possible. For additional information, to nominate qualified candidates, or to apply, please contact Marisea Rivera via marisea.rivera@opuspartners.net.
Candidates will provide a letter of interest, and a current CV. Letters may highlight leadership experience and professional motivations, anticipate questions that might be prompted by these materials, or note an accomplishment that may not be evident on a CV. The college values equity and inclusion and will seek a leader who is committed to promoting these values throughout the organization. The college encourages candidates to address how they might promote these values and highlight initiatives designed to remove barriers and to increase participation by groups historically under-represented in post-secondary education.
In addition to a competitive benefits package, the target salary range for this role is $244,400 - $298,500. Smith College is committed to paying competitively and equitably, taking into account the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications.
Position Type
Review of applications will begin
About Smith College
Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at recruiting-u@smith.edu.
As set forth in our mission and values, Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.
Associate Dean for Research Jobs by Experience Level
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Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in associate dean for research jobs.
- Earned doctoral degree in a research-intensive academic discipline
- Demonstrated record of securing federal, foundation, or industry grants as principal investigator
- Experience managing sponsored programs, pre-award, and post-award compliance functions
- Familiarity with IRB, IACUC, export controls, and research integrity regulations
- Minimum five to ten years of progressive academic leadership or research administration experience
- Proficiency with sponsored research management systems such as Kuali, Cayuse, or Coeus
Tips for Your Associate Dean for Research Job Search
Align your CV to research portfolio metrics
Committees weight your record of external funding heavily. Lead your CV with cumulative grant dollars secured, federal agency relationships, and percentage growth in sponsored research under your oversight, not just titles and dates.
Target postings by Carnegie Classification tier
R1 doctoral universities, regional comprehensives, and liberal arts colleges each define the role differently. Filter your search by institution type so you're applying where your research infrastructure experience actually matches what they're building.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists associate dean for research openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Demonstrate cross-disciplinary compliance fluency
Job postings consistently ask for experience across IRB, IACUC, export controls, and conflict-of-interest management. Cite specific policy frameworks you've implemented or revised, not just the offices you've collaborated with.
Prepare a research development narrative for your interview
Search committees ask how you'd grow sponsored activity from the current baseline. Walk in with a concrete, three-part answer: identifying new funding opportunities, faculty engagement strategy, and infrastructure investments you'd prioritize.
Negotiate startup resources, not just compensation
When you receive an offer, the more durable asks are staff FTEs, pre-award support capacity, and technology systems budget. These shape what you can actually accomplish and are easier to secure at the offer stage than after you've started.
Associate Dean for Research Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most associate dean for researchs?
University of Alabama, Birmingham, University of Alabama, and UC Davis are hiring the most associate dean for researchs right now, with openings concentrated in Florida, New York, and California, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Institutions expanding research infrastructure or launching new doctoral programs tend to post these roles most frequently.
How many associate dean for research jobs are remote?
About 41% of associate dean for research openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on leadership and campus presence the role typically demands. Research compliance oversight, faculty relations, and lab-facing responsibilities are the functions least likely to be performed remotely, while grant strategy and policy work offer the most flexibility.
How do you become a associate dean for research?
Most associate deans for research start by building a funded research agenda as a faculty member, then move into director-level roles in sponsored programs or a research center. From there, gaining oversight of compliance functions, pre-award operations, or institute-level research development positions you for a dean-level appointment. A terminal degree in your discipline and demonstrated leadership across administrative and faculty stakeholders are expected at every step.
How do you get hired as an associate dean for research with limited administrative experience?
Candidates transitioning from pure faculty roles can strengthen their candidacy by serving on institutional research committees, taking on interim or acting director roles in sponsored programs, or leading a center or institute. Search committees look for evidence you can manage compliance, budgets, and staff, so documenting any cross-functional project where you coordinated those elements helps close the experience gap.
What does the associate dean for research interview process look like?
The process typically begins with a phone or video screen by an HR representative or search committee chair, followed by a full-day campus visit that includes separate meetings with faculty, research administrators, compliance staff, and the provost or dean. Candidates are usually asked to deliver a presentation on their vision for growing sponsored research. Reference checks are conducted before or alongside the final offer stage.
Where can I find and apply to associate dean for research jobs?
You can find and apply to associate dean for research jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from institutions across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your background and apply directly to each one that fits.
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