Associate Director

The Associate Director is part of the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities within the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University. This position includes operational oversight, program development, grant writing and reporting, budget oversight, RPW stakeholder relations (faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students), and building institutional and organizational partnerships. The position requires a thorough understanding of University policies and procedures.
About the Work Unit:

The Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities is an interdisciplinary research center supporting Vanderbilt faculty and graduate students primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The Warren Center is a hub of activity involving large numbers of campus and off-campus visitors and a large array of public programming. Types of programs and activities vary from year to year.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Department Budget & Finance

• Allocates budget appropriately for departmental programming needs.
• Administer endowments in accordance with their restrictions on an annual basis and oversees departmental stewardship reports.
• Monitor the distribution of student funding support and ensure that the department complies with current policies.
• Supports staff, postdocs, and visiting scholars/interns for VU financial and expense tools.
• Maintain an understanding of institutional and departmental financial policies related to areas such as travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting to ensure compliance and proper stewardship of university resources.

Employee Management

• Manages the hiring, supervising, and developing of administrative personnel including workflow management and annual performance evaluations.
• Prepares and processes paperwork related to hiring employees.
• Serves as the Line Manager for Program Coordinator, postdocs, and interns/observers.
• Facilitates requests for visiting scholars, postdocs, and interns/observers. Serves as point of contact and processes paperwork required during appointment requests.
• Works closely with HCM Specialist on hiring, payroll, and performance issues.

• Supervise staff members by providing leadership, coaching, setting direction and acting as a resource to staff.

Departmental Operations

• Maintains departmental records and files.
• Continually develops and evaluates operational processes for the department.
• Develops administrative goals and priorities for departmental long-range strategic planning.
• Handles and maintains strict confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Promote internal and external awareness of the RPW Center and cultivate relationships with faculty, departments, students, and academic programs to ensure cross-campus engagement.

Grant Management

• Identify potential grant opportunities, draft materials for applications, and coordinate with A&S Grants Management team to submit grant applications.
• Monitor and oversee grant budget and activities, ensuring all grant spending is reasonable and appropriate per funding agency requirements and VU policies.
• Work with RPW Director and A&S Grants Management team to draft and submit financial reports to funding agencies.

Supervisory Relationships:

The Associate Program Director reports to the Director of RPW Center. The Associate Program Director oversees and manages all RPW Center staff, postdocs, and visiting scholars/interns.

Education and Certifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.
• A Masters's degree or higher is preferred.

Qualifications:

• At least six years of professional experience is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills are necessary.
• The ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects and competing deadlines is necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team setting is necessary.
• Knowledge of University policies, processes, and procedures is preferred.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are.  We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.

About Us

Vanderbilt is a community of talented and diverse staff & faculty!

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice through:

• Working and growing together as a community of communities... we are One Vanderbilt.
• Providing a work environment where every staff and faculty member can be their authentic and best self, while providing the resources and opportunities to learn and grow.
• Encouraging development, collaboration, and partnership both internally and externally while fostering the value that every member of the Vanderbilt community can lead and grow regardless of title or position.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.