The Senior Director for Research Integrity, Assurance, and Security (RIAS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) plays a strategic role in assuring the integrity and security of the institution’s diverse research and innovation portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration within the Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development (ORIED), the Senior Director oversees the RIAS team and RIAS programs developed to support the implementation of efficient, effective risk-based policies, procedures, and decision-making processes that assure the integrity and security of UT’s research and innovation programs, including meeting the research security requirements described in NSPM-33 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

The incumbent and the RIAS team he/she leads are responsible for supporting the development of a strong responsible conduct of research (RCR) culture at UT, advancing research integrity and security objectives and values across all UT organizations. The Senior Director supports an integrative set of programs that include: export control, foreign influence, conflicts of interest and commitment, facility security, sensitive and controlled research, insider threats associated with domestic and international research projects, research misconduct, and the protection of human participants in research. The Senior Director for RIAS collaborates with other related units at UT to ensure the university is providing UT faculty, staff, and students with access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure, services, and training essential to a strong RCR culture.

The Senior Director works in partnership with other university stakeholders to implement a risk-based approach to support RCR and to ensure RIAS programs meet or exceed UT’s and state and federal regulatory expectations. The incumbent works closely with the university’s empowered officials to develop and implement programs that ensure compliance with required protocols, regulations, and laws. The Senior Director also serves as one of UT’s primary points of contact with federal agencies, federal law enforcement and security organizations on research matters related to national security and export control.

This position has supervisory responsibilities for the staff of four ORIED teams: The Human Research Protection Program; Quality Assurance & Improvement; Research Integrity & Conflicts of Interest; and Research Security & Export Control. The position will primarily be in person in Knoxville, Tennessee, with some remote work flexibility.

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The Senior Director for Research Integrity, Assurance, and Security (RIAS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) plays a strategic role in assuring the integrity and security of the institution’s diverse research and innovation portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration within the Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development (ORIED), the Senior Director oversees the RIAS team and RIAS programs developed to support the implementation of efficient, effective risk-based policies, procedures, and decision-making processes that assure the integrity and security of UT’s research and innovation programs, including meeting the research security requirements described in NSPM-33 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

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Required Qualifications

• Education and Experience:
  • Education: Master’s degree and five (5) years of experience related to the responsible conduct of research within a university, government agency or similarly complex entity; OR bachelor’s degree and seven (7) years of related experience.
• Experience:

  • Due to the nature of the work and the required security clearances, US citizenship is required.

  • A minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership responsibility and supervisory experience.

  • Experience investigating and analyzing risk information and developing comprehensive research integrity and security plans.

  • Experience managing change and process improvements.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Ability to pass a robust background check;
  • Ability to secure Secret and/or Top Secret security clearance within the first 6 months in the position;
  • Knowledge of government and contract research integrity and security policies, procedures, regulations and legislation;
  • Demonstrated knowledge of the risk and reputational considerations of a large research enterprise;
  • Demonstrated ability to investigate and analyzing risk information and developing comprehensive research integrity and security plans.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage change and process improvements.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships and foster trust with a diverse range of stakeholders, including university leadership, faculty, staff, and students;

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently or in a team setting, with individuals from varied backgrounds.

    Preferred Qualifications

• Education:

  • Doctoral degree

  • A terminal degree in scientific, engineering, regulatory or legal field (Ph.D., J.D., or similar) with policy experience. A non-tenured faculty appointment in an appropriate college will be considered for this position.

  • Active Secret and/or Top Secret security clearance

• Experience:

  • Prior experience supporting classified programs and facilities.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Active Secret and/or Top Secret security clearance

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite, Hybrid

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 20
• Anticipated hiring range: 20
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

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Research Security Officer: The incumbent serves as UT’s Research Security Officer (RSO). Core responsibilities include:

• Leads UT’s efforts to meet the certification requirement for research security programs in the Implementation Guidance for NSPM-33 and CHIPS and Science Act of 2022;

• Ensures UT’s Research Security Plan meets the requirements of federal and state government;

• Works with UT’s Center for Global Engagement, Graduate School, and Offices of the Provost and the General Counsel to advance international research and scholarly collaborations and activities in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, policies and guidance;

• Provides senior leadership, administrators, faculty, staff and students with guidance and interpretation of regulations, policies and advisories concerning research security;

• Oversees the development and implementation of comprehensive security plans to ensure export controlled and controlled unclassified information is afforded proper protection in accordance with applicable government standards, including data protection, physical security and safeguards;

• Supports UT’s multi-unit Research Security Oversight Committee;

• Supports the expansion of UT’s classified research programs and facilities; and

• Receives and maintains necessary clearances and training as required.

Nurture a Strong RCR Culture: The incumbent supports the establishment of a strong responsible conduct of research (RCR) culture. Core responsibilities include:

• Supports the development and delivery of proactive RCR training program(s) appropriate for various audiences, including faculty, staff, students, and their collaborators, and customized for a range of research and innovation foci, technologies, and environments;

• Works closely with ORIED’s pre-award, post-award, and research accounting teams to support compliant proposal submission and post-award administration;

• Works closely with colleagues in the Division of Research Administration and other UT units to assure the responsible conduct of research, including but not limited to environmental health and safety, animal care and use, biosafety, and others.

• Ensures campus committees associated with RCR, including but not limited to the Campus Compliance Committee, the Campus Safety Committee, the EHS Advisory Committee, the Export Control Advisory Committee, the rCOI Committee, and the Campus COI Committee, are staffed by RIAS personnel;

• Supports the development and implementation of policies and procedures that provide for strategic, risk-based review and analysis of research partnerships and programs;

• Maintains high standards of personal and professional ethics as well as effective working relationships with university leadership;

• Provides subject matter expertise, training and recommendations to UT personnel to reduce research integrity and assurance risks that can negatively affect new or existing initiatives;

• Assists in the design of new or existing facilities to ensure the proper security equipment and protocols are included to support UT’s compliance with state and federal requirements;

• Provides support to detect, deter and reduce research integrity and assurance risks in a variety of projects and initiatives.

Operational Oversight of RIAS Teams: The incumbent oversees the four RIAS teams that support the implementation of efficient, effective risk-based policies, procedures, and decision-making processes that assure the integrity and security of UT’s research and innovation programs.

• Oversees the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) that reviews and manages requests related to human participants in research and the response to allegations of research misconduct, as well as the corollary Quality Assurance & Improvement team that provides continuous improvement review of HRPP processes and functions;

• Oversees the Research Security & Export control team and programs focused on export control, foreign influence, facility security to support faculty and administrators holding active clearances, sensitive and controlled research, and insider threats associated with domestic and international research projects;

• Oversees the Research Integrity & Conflicts of Interest team that helps researchers and administrators identify, disclose, and manage conflicts of interest and commitment that arise during research activities

Other duties as assigned:

• As required