Lab Operations Administrator

About the role

The Data & Democracy Research Initiative (DDRI), led by Professor Moon Duchin, is a unique effort to bring mathematical and computational tools to the study of democracy. The Data & Democracy Lab Operations Administrator will report to Professor Moon Duchin with dotted line reporting to the DSI Senior Director of Research Programs & Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between DDRI and DSI, including attendance at DSI administrative meetings and representation of the lab’s needs to DSI leadership.
• Navigate administrative processes across both the DSI and the Department of Computer Science, and maintain up-to-date knowledge of policies, procedures, and contacts in both units.
• Manage all lab-related HR and personnel processes, including appointment paperwork, visiting researcher agreements, and coordination with university HR.
• Serve as the point of contact for university partners inquiring about hiring, affiliations, and grant compliance requirements.
• Auxiliary in day-to-day operational management of the lab: space, supplies, equipment, facilities coordination, and building access.
• Maintain and continuously improve internal systems for scheduling, communications, documentation, and project tracking.
• Manage procurement, reimbursements, travel coordination, and vendor relationships in accordance with university and DSI policy.
• Ensure the lab calendar, Slack channels, and shared documentation are current and functional.
• Manage the onboarding process for all new lab members, including RSEs, postdocs, visiting PhD students, predoctoral researchers, and administrative hires.
• Coordinate with DSI Facilities and IT for building access, equipment setup, and computing accounts.
• Track grant budgets and expenditures in coordination with DSI and university sponsored research offices.
• Support the Research & Partnerships Manager with administrative components of grant submissions.
• Provide high-level administrative support to the PI, including calendar management, correspondence, meeting preparation, and follow-up.
• Anticipate operational needs and resolve them before they require PI attention.
• Prepare briefing materials, agendas, and summaries for internal meetings.
• Aids in program budgets and recommendations related to budget.
• Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.
• Analyzes program budgets and recommends or makes budgetary recommendations.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education

• Minimum Qualifications: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree in law, public policy, political science, data science, or social science.
• Experience: Demonstrated experience navigating complex institutional environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Familiarity with sponsored research administration, grant compliance, or research finance.
• Experience with university HR, purchasing, and reimbursement systems (UChicago systems a plus).
• Experience managing onboarding and operational support for a transient or high-turnover research environment.

Preferred Competencies

• Institutional fluency: able to identify the right person and process in a complex university environment.
• Proactive problem-solving: resolves operational issues before they escalate.
• High organizational capacity: comfortable managing many parallel tasks and stakeholders.
• Discretion: handles sensitive personnel, financial, and institutional information professionally.
• Service orientation: commitment to social justice, genuinely invested in supporting lab members and enabling the PI’s work.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.