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Research Services & Communications

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Regular

FLSA Status:

ExemptHybrid 02 (On Campus 2 days/Week)

SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division. That means the terms and conditions of your employment are governed by university policy (including the Staff Personnel Policies Manual) and any collective bargaining agreement entered into between American University and SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division.

Summary:

The Principal Outreach Partner serves as ORSA’s dedicated internal communicator, service partner, and campus connector for the AU research community. Reporting to the Director of Strategy and Communications, this position ensures that faculty, staff, and unit-based research teams can effectively access, navigate, and utilize the university’s research support services. The role is centered on internal communications, service delivery, and practical application—helping the research community understand how to apply institutional policies, procedures, and user guidance in real-world contexts, including those related to Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols, animal welfare compliance, human subjects research protections, and data security requirements.

A core function of this position is the development and production of internal research communications, including a monthly funding opportunities and research development newsletter, and maintaining the research administration website. The Principal Outreach Partner Research writes, formats, and packages content—along with research development resources and institutional updates—into clear, accessible communications for the campus research community.

The incumbent also serves as a hands-on resource for faculty and staff who need additional guidance beyond formal training and documentation. Working in a consultative, tutorial capacity, the Principal Outreach Partner helps users interpret and apply the tools, systems, and resources produced by the ORSA team—providing one-on-one and small-group support through walkthroughs, Q&A sessions, and practical demonstrations. This role reinforces adoption by meeting users where they are and translating institutional requirements into clear, contextual guidance. The incumbent develops the canonical documentation, SOPs, and training materials, this position focuses on user-facing communications and direct engagement that help the research community put those resources into practice.

Acting as a bridge between ORSA the Office of Research and schools, departments, centers, and institutes, the incumbent provides responsive support tailored to the needs of different disciplines and units. Through ongoing engagement across campus, the Principal Outreach Partner identifies service gaps, recurring challenges, and opportunities to improve how research support is delivered and communicated.

Essential Functions:

1.) Internal Communications for Research Community

• Develop, write, and produce ORSA’s monthly funding opportunities and research development newsletter.
• Write and format newsletter content—drawing on funding opportunities identified and curated by graduate student assistant—to communicate upcoming deadlines, research development resources, institutional updates, and highlights of available support services in an accessible, audience-appropriate format.
• Draft and distribute clear, audience-appropriate internal communications that help faculty and staff understand and act on policies, procedures, and system changes—including those related to IRB protocols, human subjects research protections, animal welfare compliance, and data security requirements.
• Develop service-oriented communications—including “what you need to know” briefs, service announcements, policy update summaries, and plain-language explainers—tailored to the needs of different campus units.
• Proactively communicate updates related to research services, compliance requirements, institutional processes, and available resources through appropriate internal channels.
• Responsible for actively updating webpages to ensure content remains accurate, current, and aligned with user needs and organizational priorities.

2.) Unit Engagement & Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary ORSA liaison to school- and unit-based research administration teams, building strong and collaborative relationships with faculty, Associate Deans for Research (ADRs), and research administrative staff across the university.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships across schools, departments, centers, and institutes to understand unit-specific service needs, communication preferences, and operational challenges.
• Maintain a consistent and visible presence through unit meetings, office hours, workshops, and research forums.
• Act as a trusted, responsive point of contact for faculty and staff seeking guidance on research-related services, processes, and institutional partners.
• Connect faculty and staff to the appropriate offices, services, and tools, ensuring efficient coordination across the research support ecosystem.
• Foster cross-unit collaboration and knowledge-sharing to strengthen the overall research support community.-Establish regular points of contact with ADRs, unit research administrators, and other key stakeholders to understand school-based needs, challenges, and priorities.
• Maintain a visible presence through unit meetings, school-level workshops, office hours, and research forums to ensure ongoing engagement.
• Act as a trusted advisor and responsive point of contact for faculty and staff seeking guidance on research administration processes, available resources, and appropriate institutional partners.
• Foster cross-unit knowledge-sharing and strengthen collaboration among research administrators across schools and central offices.

3.) Communication & Change Management

• Communicate upcoming changes to policies, systems, and processes—including updates to IRB procedures, human subjects protections, animal welfare protocols, and data security standards—through internal channels, helping faculty and staff understand what is changing, why, and how it affects their work. (Note: Updated training materials, system guides, and formal documentation related to changes are produced by the ORSA Team.)
• Coordinate with ORSA and other subject matter experts to ensure change communications accurately reflect updated guidance, timelines, and resources.
• Contribute to fostering a shared understanding of research administration practices aligned with institutional priorities.
• Translate research policies, procedures, and system updates into clear, accessible guidance for faculty and staff.
• Support the culture shift around research and research administration in terms of R1 status and necessity for research administration support
• Proactively communicate updates related to: funding opportunities and tools, policy or regulatory changes, process improvements within the Office of Research and Sponsored Awards, and contribute to outreach activities that increase awareness of ORSA services and strengthen connections among faculty, unit staff, and external stakeholders.

4.) Service Feedback & Continuous Improvement

• Gather feedback from faculty, staff, and unit-based research personnel to identify service gaps, recurring challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide structured insights and recommendations to ORSA leadership to inform process improvements, training priorities, and resource development.
• Surface recurring questions and pain points that indicate where internal communications, user resources, or documentation should be created, revised, or redistributed.
• Identify patterns in and challenges to help improve service delivery, communications clarity, and accessibility.

5.) Onboarding & Community Support

• Support onboarding of new faculty and research support staff by delivering welcome communications, guided introductions, and personalized orientations to available services, processes, and institutional resources—including an overview of IRB, human subjects, animal welfare, and data security requirements and where to find related guidance.
• Reinforce existing training and guidance by providing follow-up support, clarification, and real-time assistance as users begin applying processes.
• Promote awareness and effective use of research tools and services (e.g., compliance systems, funding databases, library resources) through direct engagement.
• Contribute to building a more connected, informed, and service-oriented research support community across campus.

6.) User Support & Applied Guidance

• Provide hands-on, consultative support to faculty and staff who need additional help applying institutional policies, procedures, systems, and tools in their day-to-day research work, including IRB submission processes, human subjects protocols, animal welfare procedures, and data security practices.
• Serve as a tutorial resource for users by conducting one-on-one and small-group walkthroughs, Q&A sessions, and practical demonstrations of research compliance and administrative processes and systems.
• Reinforce and support the adoption of training, tools, and resources developed by ORSA by helping users interpret and apply them in practice.
• Compile and share Q&A summaries, common-issue roundups, and tip sheets drawn from recurring user questions and support interactions to help the broader research community benefit from individual consultations. (Note: Formal reference materials, job aids, and system documentation are developed and maintained by ORSA.)
• Connect faculty and staff to the appropriate offices, services, and tools, ensuring efficient coordination across the research support ecosystem.
• Troubleshoot barriers affecting research activities and workflows, and facilitate resolution in collaboration with relevant offices.

Competencies:

• Serving Customers.
• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.
• Developing Plans.
• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.
• Championing Customer Needs.
• Displaying Creativity.
• Building and Supporting Teams.
• Supporting Coworkers.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.
• 35 hours per week.

Salary Range:

• $75,000.00 - $80,000.00 annually.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 3 - 5 years of professional experience in internal communications, research administration, higher education support services, or a related area.
• Experience working in a university research office or with faculty-facing services would be a strong differentiator.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Familiarity with research compliance concepts (IRB, human subjects, animal welfare, data security) is preferred.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement, change management, communications, or cross-functional coordination.
• Experience using data or service metrics to assess needs, identify gaps, and support operational improvement.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Strong written communication skills with the ability to translate complex policies and procedures into clear, accessible language.
• Experience producing newsletters or internal communications.
• Comfort working in a consultative, one-on-one support capacity.
• Ability to build relationships across organizational units with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency with email marketing/newsletter platforms, Microsoft Office, and content management tools.
• Experience with research administration systems is a plus but not essential.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to tailor support to varied disciplines, unit structures, and levels of research administration experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and respond effectively in a service-oriented environment.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

American University current employees must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email [email protected].

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.