​Assistant Director for Biofluids Core

About the role

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) is part of the Biological Sciences Division (BSD). UCCCC oversees multiple scientific programs and supports various research initiatives, including clinical trials. This role is crucial for managing biospecimen collection and preanalytical biobanking activities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the development of service level agreements with the Human Tissue Resource Center (HTRC).
• Develop, implement, and optimize standard operating procedures, workflows, and technical processes.
• Manage and mentor research staff, including hiring, performance management, staff development, and oversight of method development and laboratory operations.
• Collaborate with financial services to establish and manage fee structures and user fees.
• Review clinical trial protocols for feasibility and billing intensity scoring.
• Serve as the key collaborator with the HTRC for inspections, safety audits, and compliance monitoring activities.
• Prepare and review data compliance reports for leadership.
• Develop goals, operating procedures, and clinical research guidelines aligned with UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center strategy.
• Adapt UCCCC priorities and resources to address operational challenges and support evolving clinical research demands.
• Manage research professionals and support staff involved with planning, monitoring, and compliance aspects of research projects.
• Advise other researchers on long-range plans for research projects.
• Develop goals and operating procedures, practices, and guidelines for research activity based on department strategy.
• Manage the laboratory facilities, including the purchase of new equipment and the maintenance and repair of laboratory equipment.
• Review research of others, and may conduct own research, in area of expertise.
• Edit and approve articles, reports, and manuscripts.
• Present research findings at meetings and/or conferences.
• Manage the research of processes in clinical or non-clinical settings.
• Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in a related field and 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. A Master's Degree in a related field is preferred, along with at least 10 years of experience operating and managing core facilities and research labs, 7-10 years of independent policy-based decision-making, and experience directing or managing a growing team.

Qualifications

• Strong communication, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Adaptability and problem-solving abilities.
• Dedication to the team mission.
• Experience handling confidential and sensitive data with discretion.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Familiarity with graphing software (SigmaPlot and GraphPad).