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The primary purpose of the Associate Director, Research Planning and Development is to provide strategic planning and administrative oversight of large-scale multi-institutional clinical and translational research activities. The Associate Director participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of research initiatives and policies and facilitates the success of multiple research activities for the Research Operational Priorities and research throughout the institution.

Ideal candidate will have research or research management experience, to include project and people management experience in a healthcare or biological/biomedical science environment.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Know your business:

• Facilitates the development of research strategy and business plan/budget in collaboration with departmental and extramural faculty

• Implement and provide oversight for coordination of efforts for interdisciplinary collaborations and team science within Wargo and Holder Labs, not limited to PRIME-TR, Allison Institute, and Surgical Oncology T32 trainees

• Develops and manages research activities including, regulatory compliance.

• Develops metrics to measure and report regarding accrual for clinical research projects and clinical trials

• Collaborate with Regulatory and QA officials to define best practices and implement certification and compliance as applicable.

• Develop and maintain collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and with all staff

• Provide periodic information and recommendations regarding the development, evaluation, and revision of policies and procedures for the prioritization of the Wargo and Holder Lab Projects

• Develop and implement business development strategies, including corporate partnerships, philanthropic, licensing and entrepreneurial opportunities as appropriate based on laboratory and research mission needs

• Direct the ongoing development and presentation of the Wargo and Holder Labs' strategic, operating, and staffing plans, both long- and short-term, as needed to assure achievement of defined outcomes and targets from funded and pending rants

• Actively engage, cultivate and manage interdisciplinary institutional relationships to ensure efficient execution and achievement of milestones for Wargo and Holder Labs' Funded Projects

• Assist with in vivo experiments if needed (backup support for Wargo and Holder labs)

• Oversee coordination, retrieval, and validation of specimens from the Institutional Tumor Bank, MELCORE, and PRIME-TR for the purpose of achieving lab-specific goals

Grant Processing, Regulatory Compliance, and Financial Management:

• Assists faculty in processing all grant applications and renewals, sponsored agreements, protocols, material transfer agreements, and other paperwork related to research efforts

• Asists in preparation of the budgets for grant proposals and contractual agreements, including subcontracts with other institutions

• Ensures timely and accurate submission of required reports/documents for manuscripts and grants by tracking stages, alerting investigators and initiating response processes.

• Acts as liaison between faculty and collaborators.

• Maintains current knowledge of expenditures and reimbursement guidelines on various accounts.

• Complies with institutional policy and procedure relating to monitoring and spending of funds.

• Facilitate the development of research strategy and business plan/budget development for large-scale, multi-division, multi-departmental research programs in collaboration with departmental and extramural faculty as part of Wargo and/or Holder Labs

• Implement governance/oversight procedures for Research OPs, engaging with key faculty, initiative leaders, and initiative team leads to ensure adherence to project plan, facilitate problem solving, and ensure project success.

• Provide advice for operational plans for Research OPs

• Manage research activities including, regulatory compliance and assist with Human Resource tasks as they arise

• Collaborate with Regulatory and QA officials to define best practices and implement certification and compliance as applicable.

• Develop and maintain collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and with all staff

• Provide periodic information and recommendations regarding the development, evaluation, and revision of policies and procedures for the Wargo and Holder labs

• Ensure alignment of grant progress with funded research plan and overall research program

• Act as a resource for trainees and junior faculty to identify opportunities for research excellence and development of independence by serving as a navigator and mentor to in laboratory and project management

Self-Adaptability: Work in situations involving uncertainty, shifting priorities, and rapid change; deal constructively with mistakes and setbacks; demonstrate flexibility.

Team Coordination:

• Establish collaborative relationships with institutional, departmental and extramural faculty and staff to assure advancement of Wargo and Holder Lab Research Program

• Serve as a liaison to extramural collaborators and institutions.

• Provides administrative services to faculty leaders and coordinates clinical, research, and administrative functions. Activities include research meetings, executive and core leader meetings, conferences, and other ad hoc meetings or events, as necessary.

• Coordinates outreach activities of the program, including maintaining contact databases and distribution lists, receiving and completing requests for educational materials and speakers, and assisting with updates to informational materials.

• Coordinates and oversees outside visitors including speakers, VIPs, and other guests. This includes travel and transportation arrangements and room and itinerary scheduling.

• Maintains master calendar for faculty and team leaders.

• Maintains database of attendance and participation in meetings.

• Assists Lab Managers with coordinating lab functions and meetings for faculty and team, with maintaining lab equipment list including maintenance schedules, yearly inventory, points of contact and coordinates on purchasing.

• Maintains and updates faculty lab websites

• Present and/or assist in the preparation of presentations and grant documents.

• Act as an information resource to investigators and staff.

• Develop and provide formal and informal education.

• Maintain and ensure knowledge of the research process in compliance with institutional policies, Institutional Review Board and federal regulations.

• Develop metrics to measure and report upon research outcomes for experimental and/or new research initiatives

Fiscal Responsibility:

• Develop, direct and manage the annual Wargo and Holder Labs' budgets and justification of expenditures.

• Develop short and long-range projections and financial plans, maintain appropriate analyses and adjust where appropriate for Wargo and Holder Labs' grants and budgets

• Assist in preparation of annual progress reports, as required, for philanthropic grants

Maintains a level of professional expertise through educational programs.

• Attends appropriate departmental meetings and institutional continuing education programs.

Other:

• Serve as a consultant and leads project teams.

• Identify internal and external granting opportunities and coordinate departmental response, as needed.

• Monitor funding opportunities and inform faculty and clinical research trainees of relevant programs.

• Assist with developing strategies for securing philanthropic funding and the application process for that funding.

• Assist in writing grant applications as needed (scientific, ancillary, budgets, etc.).

• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills when contacting other institutions and agencies (i.e., NCI, sponsoring agencies, etc.) by phone, email, and/or face to face interactions. Assimilate pertinent information in order to compose written correspondence.

Other duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

Analytical Thinking - Gather relevant information systematically; break down problems into simple components; make sound decisions.

Self-Confidence - Recognize own knowledge, skills, and abilities; respond to challenging situations with confidence; understand limits in self.

Strategic Thinking - Define strategic goals and issues clearly; apply broad knowledge and experience when addressing strategic issues; foresee obstacles and opportunities relating to change or improvement.

Professionalism - Employee demonstrates commitment to collaborative professional relationships with physicians and all members of the heath care team.

Service Orientation

Provide service to our stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, colleagues and each other, in a safe, courteous, accountable, efficient and innovative manner to include:

• Promoting collegiality that demonstrates respect and professionalism to our stakeholders at all times

• Modeling safe, ethical behavior that mitigates risk to the institution through sound business practices, and adherence to MD Anderson's Standards of Conduct, institutional policies and procedures

• Responding to requests in a timely manner while proactively communicating expectations for procedures, service arrival, or project deliverables to stakeholders

• Using the steps to HEAL (Hear, Empathize, Address and Learn) the relationship when service recovery is needed.

Customer Focus

• Builds and maintains customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the organization through skills demonstrated in communication, personalization of interaction, regulation of emotions, and proactive problem solving.

Performance Statement Examples

• Represents a cheerful, positive manner with customers either on the phone or in person. Shows interest in, actively listens to and responds in a clear and timely manner to customer's expressed needs.

• Focuses on the customer's results, rather than own. Goes beyond basic service expectations to help customers implement complete solutions through personalized service that anticipates the customer's unspoken needs.

• Delivers services when and where the customer needs them. Explores options when unable to deliver a requested product or service, and pursues solutions until the customer is satisfied by addressing the root cause of the issue. Problem solves with patient, family member, care giver or clinical team to aid in proactively resolving issues and concerns.

• Provides to customers status reports and progress updates. Seeks customer feedback and ensures needs have been fully met.

• Talks to customers (internal and external) with a pleasant tone to find out what they need and how satisfied they are with the service. Remains in control of own reactions and responds in a manner that demonstrates appropriate nonverbal cues and complements the customer's emotions in the situation. Recognizes when its is necessary to escalate situations to leadership to ensure customer satisfaction.

EDUCATION:

Required: Bachelor's degree in science or medically related field, business or healthcare administration.

Preferred: Master's degree in science or medically related field, business or healthcare administration.

EXPERIENCE:

Required: Five years experience in an academic research setting facilitating research program development and management of research resources to include two years of supervisory/management experience. With preferred degree, three years of required experience to include two years of supervisory/management experience. Successful completion of the LEADing Self Accelerate and/or LEADing Self Discover programs may substitute for one year of required supervisory or management experience. Completion of both programs can be substituted for a maximum of two years of supervisory or management experience.

OTHER:

Required: Must pass pre-employment skills test as required and administered by Human Resources.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

Additional Information

• Requisition ID: 170947

• Employment Status: Full-Time

• Employee Status: Regular

• Work Week: Days

• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 108,500

• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 137,750

• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 167,000

• FLSA: exempt and not eligible for overtime pay

• Fund Type: Soft

• Work Location: Hybrid Onsite/Remote

• Pivotal Position: Yes

• Referral Bonus Available?: Yes

• Relocation Assistance Available?: Yes

• Science Jobs: Yes

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