Director, Research Development
Kent State University seeks a strategic leader and dynamic research development champion to build and oversee
its new Office of Research Development. The new director will assume the position at an exciting time, as Kent
State continues to solidify its place as an R1 top-tier research university (status awarded in 2022). This designation
has resulted in enhanced excitement for the research endeavor and an increased investment in the university’s
research support infrastructure. If you are interested in joining an established, high-performing team and
contributing your vision to growing a research development office, this position is for you.
The director of research development will have primary responsibility for the design, implementation and
stewardship of a long-term research development model supporting Kent State as an R1 research university.
Further, the director will oversee the Office of Research Development, leading the recruitment and development
of multiple staff who will report to the director. The director will have direct working relationships with faculty in
their pursuit of extramural research funding, specifically for large interdisciplinary proposals, center proposals, and
research and training proposals of high institutional importance. Additionally, the director will work with
constituents across and outside of the university to raise Kent State’s research profile, advance research success
and build new research collaborations. The director will report to the vice president for research and sponsored
programs. This position will require in-person work but flexible and remote arrangements are possible.
Kent State, simply stated, is an awesome place to work and is on the rise among the nation’s top research
universities. Kent State holds the esteemed distinction of being one of only five institutions in Ohio to be
recognized as an R1 top-tier research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
The 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings named Kent State among the Top Public School
in the nation. U.S. News also ranked Kent State No. 107 among the country’s public institutions, making it the
highest-ranked public university in northern Ohio on the list. Kent State continues to be highly ranked as a top
employer. For the 11th time, Kent State was named a “Great College to Work for,” specifically winning honors in
five categories: Compensation and Benefits; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Shared Governance; Faculty
Experience; and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Kent State also received the 2022 Higher Education Excellence
in Diversity Award for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Kent State was
selected as one of the 2022 “Best of the Best” Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ Students by Campus Pride for
creating a safe, welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff. Kent State continues to exemplify
leadership in its mission to support students as the Kent Campus was designated as a Military Friendly® School for
the 13th consecutive year in 2022. Kent State was the sole university in the U.S. to receive the prestigious 2022
Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International
Educators. The award recognizes Kent State for overall excellence in integrating international education
throughout all facets of the university and its campuses.
With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center and
academic sites in locations around the globe – such as New York City; Florence, Italy; and Curitiba, Brazil – Kent
State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far
beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. Kent State is a national leader in award-winning
student support services to graduate students. The student body comprises more than 33,000 students, including
about 1,650 international students from nearly 100 countries, and the worldwide alumni family exceeds 268,000.
The addition of new learning environments from the sciences to the arts and the development of exciting new
academic programs characterize Kent State’s focus on transformational educational experiences. Its Kent Campus,
which has a student body of more than 25,000, is located in Kent, a vibrant city of 28,000 people within the
Greater Cleveland-Akron metropolitan area. Ohio Magazine selected the city of Kent as a 2022-2023 Best
Hometown. The honor recognizes Kent as a great place to live, work and visit.
Link to the job listing is here: https://jobslist.kent.edu/en-us/job/498769/director-research-development
