About this opportunity
Commonwealth of VA Careers lists this Director, Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity (JMU Only) opportunity in harrisonburg, Virginia. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Working Title: Director, Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity (JMU Only)
State Role Title: N/A
Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Vice President - REDI
Department: - Research, Economic Development and Innov
Pay Band: N/A
Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience
Specify Range or Amount:
Is this a JMU only position? Yes. This is a JMU only recruitment, only current JMU employees are eligible to apply.
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 11/12/2026
About JMU:
Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.
Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.
Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.
JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.
JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.
General Information:
The Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity provides leadership for university-wide programs that expand student participation in undergraduate research and creative activity and oversees strategic initiatives including university-wide undergraduate research funding programs, student travel awards, research training, communications and storytelling, assessment, First-Year Research Experiences (FYRE), and institutional reporting.
The Director will lead the establishment and development of JMU's university-wide infrastructure for undergraduate research and creative activity, translating institutional recommendations into a phased, evidence-based implementation plan. This will include the collection and analysis of institutional metrics, development of annual reporting processes, and promotion and visibility undergraduate research internally and externally. The Director will work collaboratively with colleges, departments, faculty mentors, institutional research partners, and external stakeholders in these efforts in advancing JMU's goal of making undergraduate research a distinctive component of the student experience.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Oversight:
Conduct and maintain an institution-wide inventory of undergraduate research and creative activity programs, opportunities, resources, and participation
Lead development of a university-wide strategic and implementation plan for undergraduate research and creative activity
Convene and support an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Advisory Board representing JMU's colleges and key institutional partners
Facilitate adoption and consistent application of a university definition of undergraduate research and creative activity
Establish common metrics, annual data collection processes, and institutional reporting practices in collaboration with appropriate university partners
Assess barriers to student participation and faculty mentorship and recommend priorities for strengthening access, capacity, and visibility
Develop a phased resource, staffing, partnership, and sustainability plan with input from partners including Academic Affairs
Produce a prioritized multiyear implementation roadmap with measurable outcomes and decision points
Program Leadership and Student/Faculty Support:
Provide strategic leadership for centrally coordinated university-wide undergraduate research programs and services
Coordinate centrally administered programs that connect faculty mentors and student researchers, including FYRE, travel awards, summer research opportunities, and related initiatives
Collaborate with academic units while preserving faculty and departmental responsibility for individual and programmatic research experiences
Coordinate program assessment and continuous improvement
Develop new strategies to expand undergraduate participation
Ensure access to undergraduate research opportunities
Serve as a primary point of contact regarding undergraduate research opportunities
Provide consultation to faculty, staff, and students
Coordinate mentor development opportunities
Support creation of accessible pathways into undergraduate research participation
Assessment, Metrics, and Reporting:
Lead development of institutional undergraduate research metrics
Coordinate annual data collection efforts across divisions, colleges and units
Supervise production of annual university-wide undergraduate research reports
Work closely with PAIR, CARS, and other institutional partners
Develop data definitions, reporting expectations, and validation processes in consultation with academic units and institutional partners
Supervise graduate and undergraduate student employees supporting assessment activities
Communications and Visibility:
Lead implementation of university-wide undergraduate research program communications and storytelling strategies
Coordinate annual reports, student research showcases, and visibility campaigns
Collaborate with University Communications, Admissions, and Advancement
Oversee student storytellers and communications interns
Partnership Development and Resource Generation:
Develop relationships with campus and external partners
Explore philanthropic and corporate support opportunities
Assist with grant development and partnership cultivation
Coordinate efforts supporting sustainable funding models for undergraduate research
Operations, Administration, and Supervision:
Supervise graduate and undergraduate student employees
Manage operating budgets and program expenditures
Coordinate advisory board activities
Maintain policies, procedures, and operational systems
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications
Master's degree
Experience managing academic research, experiential learning, scholarship, fellowship, or student success programs
Experience with program assessment, evaluation, or data-informed decision-making
Experience managing budgets and projects
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational units
Experience establishing or significantly expanding a program, office, center, or cross-unit initiative
Experience leading strategic planning or organizational implementation
Experience facilitating shared governance or advisory structures
Demonstrated understanding of faculty-mentored research or creative inquiry across multiple disciplines
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated success in funding research with or research experiences for undergraduate students
Preferred Qualifications
Terminal degree (PhD, EdD, MFA, or equivalent)
Experience working with undergraduate research programs
Experience supervising student employees or graduate assistants
Experience with grants, external funding, or fundraising
Experience using Microsoft 365, SharePoint, dashboards, or similar systems for program management and reporting
Experience producing institutional reports or assessment documents
Additional Posting Information:
JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice:
After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
EEO Statement:
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: .
Reasonable Accommodation:
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at or You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Worksite address
harrisonburg, VA, 22802, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.