Director, Operations and Strategic Engagement

The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) is an intellectual hub in the Midwest that connects leading universities, national labs, and industry partners to advance the science and engineering of quantum information, train the future quantum workforce, and drive the quantum economy. Based at the University of Chicago, the CQE is anchored by Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Purdue University. The community includes over 50 corporate, international, nonprofit, and regional partners and leads national initiatives such as The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub.

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) is the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering, integrating science and engineering to address global challenges. PME’s programs are enhanced through partnerships with Argonne and Fermi National Laboratories, aiming to bring solutions for urgent societal problems while training the next generation of scientific leaders.

About the role

The Director serves as a primary liaison among CQE, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), University, industry, and state government stakeholders. This role reports to and provides comprehensive operational support to the Regional Innovation Officer (RIO), coordinating daily administrative workflows for the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE). The Director collaborates on fiscal and budgetary activities, manages non-disclosure agreements and memorandums of understanding, and supports research security and risk assessment procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provides comprehensive operational support to the Regional Innovation Officer (RIO) and directs daily administrative workflows.
• Facilitates collaboration between CQE, EDA, University, industry, and state government stakeholders.
• Proactively identifies operational issues and implements process improvements.
• Coordinates fiscal and budgetary activities with the RIO and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CQE.
• Manages non-disclosure agreements and memorandums of understanding in collaboration with the RIO and CEO.
• Supports the creation and monitoring of procedures for research security and risk assessment.
• Monitors multi-institutional project timelines to ensure EDA grant milestone compliance.
• Manages physical space, equipment deployment, and scheduling across regional hub sites.
• Designs and implements standardized operational tools, communications protocols, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Manages complex federal grant budgets, tracking expenditures against projected allocations.
• Ensures adherence to EDA, federal, University, and state regulatory and procurement protocols.
• Synthesizes financial data and operational metrics for mandatory quarterly and annual federal performance reports.
• Audits financial workflows, invoicing, and contract compliance for University and corporate partners.
• Provides input for grant proposal preparation, ensuring compliance with University, federal, and private foundation guidelines.
• Serves as the primary operational point of contact for principal investigators, corporate partners, and state agencies.
• Organizes and schedules governance board meetings and ensures proceedings are documented.
• Partners closely with CQE and partner institution leadership to facilitate operational alignment.
• Executes and supervises outreach events in collaboration with CQE staff.
• Assists the Bloch PME Regional Innovation Officer in developing data collection and tracking processes using the CQE’s Salesforce system.
• Acts as a researcher and planner for departmental efforts, developing databases of peer/competitor profiles, faculty research topics, and international collaborations.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Requirements

• College or university degree in a related field.
• 5-7 years of work experience in a related discipline.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in business administration, operations management, public administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple stakeholders, including university, industry, and state government.
• Experience managing large-scale federal awards (e.g., EDA, DOE, NSF).
• Background handling coordination of large initiatives, including logistics and timelines.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and financial systems to track performance metrics and budget variances.
• Expert knowledge of project management software (e.g., Asana, Jira, Smartsheet).
• Strong capability to translate complex technical milestones into clear operational updates for diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-tech, and evolving innovation ecosystem.
• Commitment to professionalism, teamwork, and high-level service.
• Attention to detail and discretion with confidential information.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.

Benefits

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Pay

$110,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year.