Assistant Vice President for Research Partnerships and Strategy
San Antonio, Texas
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Executive Summary
UTSA has evolved significantly as a discovery enterprise in recent years, with total research expenditures growing from $68 million in 2018 to $146 million in 2023. The university is situated in an extraordinarily collaborative research ecosystem in San Antonio, with public and private strategic partners including UT Health San Antonio, Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Joint Base San Antonio, and Port San Antonio. This ecosystem has enabled the creation of several critical initiatives, including the San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics (SAPPT), the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Center (CyManII), among many others. UTSA has played a leading role both in the region and nationally—particularly on areas related to cybersecurity and biomedical and health sciences—and it is well positioned to further influence regional, national, and global conversations as these areas grow increasingly important on the world stage.
The Senior Associate Vice President for Research Administration will provide leadership for the Office for Research operations and business-related functions including finance, budget, personnel, research services, facilities planning, grant administration, and research policy development, interpretation, and dissemination.
History of UTSA
Founded in 1969, UTSA is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Carnegie R1 research university situated in a global city that has been at the crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries. UTSA is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region and the third largest of the nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. The university was founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, and it remains committed to that mission today.
The Opportunity
The AVP will provide leadership and oversight on programs that are in support of institutional strategic plans and major research initiatives. The scope of this role is to lead a team of staff focused on growing the funded research portfolio of UTSA. This position will serve as a liaison to external research partnerships at the local, regional and national level, to include maintaining close working
relationships with the City of San Antonio, UT System and key federal and industry partner institutions. They lead strategic planning for large initiatives and proposals, shepherd all centers and institutes at UTSA, and oversee Core Research labs and Specialized Research Facilities. They will ensure all programs are well planned, marketed, produced and evaluated for institutional and individual success. This position also oversees the Office of Innovation and Economic Development.
We are seeking a candidate with a minimum education of a Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of experience, or a Master’s Degree with 10 years of experience; a PhD is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate will have a knack for strategic planning and federal relations, experience in developing and effectively communicating value propositions, and a general understanding of research funding processes. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential, as is the ability to convey academic research to diverse audiences. The role requires managing multiple projects simultaneously with excellent organizational skills. Applicants should have at least ten years of relevant experience in research development, strategic program management, or management consulting, including ten years of management experience overseeing large research groups. Preferred candidates will have experience working directly with or for federal agencies.
Application Instructions
UTSA has partnered with Higher Talent to assist in this recruitment. Please contact President, Mindy Cohen to share your
resume and cover letter via email at ms@highertalentinc.com.