DHR Global is partnering with The Office of the Vice President for Research at Carnegie Mellon University in seeking a highly motivated, resourceful, and trustworthy individual to support the senior leadership team as Assistant Vice President of Research Security working with the Chief Research Operations Officer. The office oversees the university-wide strategic initiatives and operational functions of Carnegie Mellon’s $600 million research enterprise and associated top-ranked technology transfer and startup activities, which span the university’s academic colleges, research institutes and centers, and the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center. Globally recognized for academic excellence and interdisciplinary research, this position is key Carnegie Mellon’s ambitious plans to deliver innovative and impactful solutions to the most pressing grand challenges of our time.
About CMU
A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), CMU is a global, research-intensive private university with more than 1,500 faculty, 17,000 students, and more than 120,000 alumni. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked CMU #24 among national universities, and Times Higher Education ranked CMU at #24 among world universities. CMU is home to the country's #1 ranked programs in artificial intelligence, computer engineering, cybersecurity, management information systems, mobile/web applications, and software engineering, the #8 undergraduate engineering program, the #7 undergraduate business program, and is one of a small number of academic institutions in the nation boasting a fully-fledged Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). CMU's confluence of scholarly excellence, robust federal and industry interface, and heritage of innovation has consistently placed it among the world's most dynamic and impactful research institutions. Central to its research impact is CMU's strong track record of technology transfer and industry partnerships: between 2016 and 2020, CMU's IP-related activity—patents filed and inventions disclosed—grew 23 percent, and CMU faculty and students have spun out more than 400 startups that together have raised more than $7 billion in follow-on funding.
The University is known for its distinctive culture, which champions interdisciplinary inquiry and collaborative efforts in a technology rich environment. CMU's global footprint fosters cooperation across borders, including from its campuses in Australia, Qatar, and most recently Rwanda, where it is making a commitment to empower the next generation of African leaders and innovators. With more than a dozen degree-granting locations, as well as a growing number of research partnerships around the world, CMU is truly a global institution. CMU faculty are known for inspiring students to think creatively, interpret with insight, and solve major societal, scientific, and technological challenges. Current and former faculty and alumni include 20 Nobel Laureates, 79 members of the National Academies, 12 Turing Awardees, 10 Academy Award winners, 116 Emmy Award winners, and 44 Tony Award winners. Exceptionally talented students, roughly 47% undergraduate and 53% graduate, are drawn to the University's commitment to innovative education and training and its outstanding programs across its seven schools and colleges. CMU's annual budget is over $1.2 billion with total research expenditures of $447 million (FY2020).
After a storied history dating to the early 1900s, in 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute, a science research center founded by the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, to become known as Carnegie Mellon University. Today, CMU is a dynamic institution that has exceptional impact in the world. Although it is among the youngest of the nation's top universities, CMU's extraordinary success emanates from its deeply held core values and a unique heritage of innovation. It is a place of creativity, pragmatism, and ambition, with a tradition of strategically focusing its efforts and resources in areas where it can lead, then pursuing those areas with startling intensity. CMU is firmly committed to academic freedom, tenure protection, and shared governance, providing a fertile environment for faculty success. The University facilitates collaboration across its seven schools and colleges through organizational mechanisms and incentives, such as numerous joint appointments and a dedication to recognizing contributions outside one's main field. CMU has long embraced diversity as a core value that is central and indivisible from the pursuit of intellectual and artistic excellence, and for more than two decades it has made increasing diversity in every constituency and building a supportive and nurturing community a strategic priority.
Research at CMU
Carnegie Mellon is known as a hotbed of innovative research, from the founding of the nation's first Robotics Institute in 1979, to the world's first program in engineering and public policy more than 50 years ago. The entrepreneurial mindset of its faculty, staff, and leadership have made the University a pioneer in societally transformative technologies such as the wireless campus, autonomous transportation and smart infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, among others. Research and creative expression span the arts, humanities, social sciences, science, and engineering as well as the fundamental to the applied, from blue-sky curiosity driven research in the academic units, to restricted research and large-scale prototyping at the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), to fully classified projects at the SEI.
CMU's strengths span the institution:
CMU researchers have enriched learning science through research conducted at the school's LearnLab, a cross-disciplinary international laboratory for advancing the practical science of robust student learning. CMU scholars are pinpointing how children learn languages with partners at the University of Chicago and the George Washington University.
CMU chemists are working with colleagues at Yale University as part of the landmark National Institutes of Health-funded Somatic Cell Gene Editing Consortium, aimed at accelerating genome editing research and the development of new classes of therapeutics.
Experts at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, a university-wide research initiative, develop and demonstrate technologies, systems and policies needed to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable future.
CMU is bringing together AI and social sciences researchers from across the country in the AI Institute for Societal Decision Making to develop human-centric AI for societal good that harnesses the power of data and improved understanding of decisions to create better and more trusted choices.
CMU’s SEI formed the AI Security Incident Response Team to help ensure the safe and effective development and use of AI by analyzing and responding to threats and surety incidents emerging from advances in AI and machine learning.
CMU's unique strengths in robotics, AI, and advanced materials are a growing and major attraction for industry partners. Coupled with the efforts of CMU's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, the University is a leader in introducing research innovations into the global marketplace and a driving force of economic development activity.
CMU researchers distinguish themselves with an international reputation for the breadth of their work as well as research support, consistently receiving funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Sloan Foundation, and the Departments of Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, among others. Of CMU's $579M million in expenditures in FY2022, 70% of funding was derived from the federal government, with the majority being from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the NSF. The University has diversified its funding portfolio over time, with FY2022 being a record year for industry and non-profit funding at $68 million.
The Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR)
The OVPR is a large and complex organization with a total staff of approximately eighty-five talented individuals that directly aids the administration and upkeep of CMU' s more than 100 research centers and institutes across campus.
The OVPR bridges academic units, interfacing with the Deans of CMU's schools and colleges on major initiatives and meeting regularly with a newly formed Council of Associate Deans for Research to foster dialogue and collaboration around research efforts both within and across units. Government Relations, which resides in the OVPR, leverages its long-standing presence in Washington, D.C. to bring new funding opportunities to CMU's talented faculty. And University Advancement forms a key partnership with the VPR around long-term corporate and foundation engagement, including opportunities for major gifts.
The Office oversees the SEI, which has a budget of nearly $150 million annually, and whose director reports to the VPR. Through the OVPR, the considerable capabilities and funding of the SEI are brought into constellation with faculty within colleges and departments across CMU. The Office is keenly attuned to the security implications of controlled, restricted, and classified research in an environment of international collaborations, and the VPR aids the University in determining the balance between the protection of IP, national security, and economic competitiveness.
Finally, the OVPR fosters an entrepreneurial climate that gives faculty and students tremendous freedom and strongly encourages the pursuit of bold ideas that translate into real-world impact. Thanks to the efforts and investments of CMU, the University of Pittsburgh, and other entities, the Pittsburgh Region has renewed and established itself as a technology hub for both startups and large corporations, including Duo Lingo, ANSYS, Bosch, Google, Meta, Apple, NVIDIA, SAP, and the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. Through the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Business Engagement, the OVPR drives economic prosperity in the region, nationally, and globally.
Given the scale and influence of CMU’s research enterprise, the University is investing in enhancing its support for research and innovation, including expanding external relationships with federal and industry sponsors, increasing collaboration across the across the University, and managing the complexities of research at this level. The OVPR is keenly attuned to the security implications of controlled unclassified and classified research in an environment of international collaborations, and the VPR aids the University to drive innovation while upholding its commitment to national security. The OVPR seeks an Assistant Vice President of Research Security in this newly created role to develop and implement efficient and effective risk-based policies, procedures and decision-making processes to meet the rapidly evolving research security requirements and regulations in NSPM-33 and the CHIPS Act. This position will be responsible for all aspects of research security including, export control, foreign influence, conflict of interest, and controlled unclassified information management. It will collaborate with other units in CMU to ensure the University is providing faculty and staff with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, services, and training.
Scope and Responsibilities
The inaugural AVP of Research Security provides strategic risk identification and policy assessment to prevent, reduce, or mitigate security and safety risks to university personnel, programs, physical and data assets, and other intellectual property (IP). Specific focus for the position includes security, foreign influence, export control, international travel, and insider threat risks associated with university domestic and international collaboration; sensitive and controlled research; and IP protection. Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Research, Chief Research Operations Officer (CROO), the Assistant Vice President works collaboratively across the university and its affiliated entities to support the university’s operations in delivering a risk-based approach to ensuring security standards and programs meet or exceed institutional and regulatory expectations and reputational considerations. The incumbent will serve as a central resource and advisor to senior leadership concerning security, investigations, and interpreting threat and risk information potentially impacting the university. They will develop and implement a comprehensive and proactive research security training program for faculty, staff and students. They will work closely with the university’s empowered official(s) to develop and implement programs to ensure compliance with required protocols, regulations, and laws, including federally mandated agency program requirements. They will serve as a primary liaison l with federal agencies (DOD, NSF and others), federal law enforcement and security organizations on matters related to national security and export control.
Specific Responsibilities
Leads CMU’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.
Working together with CMU’s Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of Research Integrity and Compliance, Office of International Education and Office of General Counsel, facilitates international research and scholarly collaborations and activities in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and guidance.
Develops and implements policies and processes for strategic, risk-based review and analysis of international partnerships and international programs funded by sponsored programs or gifts and provides recommendations to senior leadership.
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.
Leads the development and delivery of proactive research security training program(s) that are appropriate for diverse audiences, including faculty, staff, students and partners, and customized for a range of sensitive research, technologies and campus environments.
Supervises the university’s team responsible for export control oversight, including the development of training, education and assessment tools, and the implementation of policies and procedures to promote the university’s ongoing compliance with export control laws.
Works with the university research compliance leaders and chief audit executive to help ensure the effectiveness of compliance programs supporting research security efforts and to assess ‘red flags’ identified in the course of restricted party screening activities.
Works with HR professionals on all campuses to integrate research security activities within business processes and to help manage complex employment activities.
Provides senior leadership, administrators, faculty, staff and students with guidance and interpretation of regulations, policies and advisories concerning research security, export controls and high-risk travel.
Serves as a primary liaison officer with local, state, and federal governmental agencies concerning research security, national security and export control matters.
Works with CMU’s SEI research security office to support CMU faculty holding active clearances and on CMU’s insider threat program; leads the potential expansion of classified research and facilities outside of the SEI.
Maintains high standards of personal and professional ethics as well as effective working relationships with university administrators and operating personnel. Maintains confidentiality of security matters.
Receives and maintains necessary clearances and training as required for ITPSO designation.
Provides subject matter expertise, security training and recommendations to contractors and CMU personnel to reduce 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 CMU’s compliance with various state and federal requirements.
Develops and executes technology control operational security plans designed to reduce risks to new or existing initiatives.
Provides security and investigative support to detect, deter and reduce risks on complex activities.
Participates and demonstrates leadership on security organizations designed to reduce risks to the academic community.
Key Selection Criteria
Flexibility, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. Inclusion, collaboration and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, CMU seeks a team member who is able to effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. This is someone who shares CMU values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.
Required Qualifications and Skills
Education: Master’s degree and five (5) years of experience related to research security or national security within a university, government agency, or similarly complex entity; OR bachelor’s degree and seven (7) years of related experience. Terminal degree in scientific, engineering, regulatory or legal field (Ph.D., J.D., or similar) with policy experience is preferred.
S. citizenship and a minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership responsibility and supervisory experience.
Experience providing vision and strategy for a large government or government-associated agency, non-government organization or research university.
Experience investigating and analyzing threat information and developing comprehensive information security plans.
Knowledge of government and contract research security policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation.
Experience managing change and process improvements.
Demonstrated knowledge of the particular risk considerations of a large sponsored-research enterprise.
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 diverse individuals.
Active TS/SCI security clearance secured within the first six months of hire preferred.
Experience as an Insider Threat Program Senior Official (ITPSO), Corporate Facility Security Officer (CFSO), or similar role performing classified leadership, vision strategy for a large government or government-associated agency, non-government organization, or research university.
Additional
This position will be located in Pittsburgh, PA.
A non-tenured faculty-track appointment in an appropriate college would be considered for this position.
Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits, available to all full-time Carnegie Mellon University employees. Experience the full spectrum of advantages, from comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance to enticing retirement savings programs. Unlock potential with tuition benefits, and take well-deserved breaks with generous paid time off and holidays. Rest easy knowing you're covered by life and accidental death and disability insurance. For a comprehensive overview of the benefits awaiting, explore: https://www.cmu.edu/jobs/benefits-at-a-glance.
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