Program Manager, Research

NYU Grossman School of Medicine is one of the nation's top-ranked medical schools, committed to improving the human condition through medical education, scientific research, and direct patient care. This role sits within a dynamic and rapidly growing lab at a leading academic medical center, where foundational discoveries are closely linked to real-world application.

About the role

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive operations leader to serve as a central partner to the Principal Investigator (PI) and ensure rigorous execution of all lab activities. The research lab is part of NYU Langone Health and the Perlmutter Cancer Center, focusing on advancing personalized cancer prevention with a strong emphasis on translation into clinical applications and real-world implementation.

The role has two equally important components:

• Designing and implementing automated, scalable, and precise operational processes that provide the PI with clear visibility across all lab systems, including finance tracking, compliance, ordering, inventory, and infrastructure.
• Driving day-to-day operations across internal and external stakeholders (funders, clinical and research collaborators, institutional offices, administration, vendors) to ensure timelines, deliverables, and standards are consistently met.

The lab has established operational foundations in some areas; the right candidate will take ownership of what exists, identify gaps, and drive continuous improvement across all systems independently.

Responsibilities

Operational leadership, execution, and coordination

• Serve as the primary operational lead and central point of contact for all internal and external stakeholders, personally owning end-to-end execution of all lab processes to ensure they run on time and to standard without PI oversight.
• Delegate specific responsibilities to lab members (postdocs, graduate students, staff) where appropriate.
• Own and track all lab deadlines (ordering cycles, compliance submissions, renewals, deliverables, grants, collaborations), ensuring nothing is missed.
• Drive execution across lab members, institutional offices, cores, funders, and vendors, proactively following up to prevent delays and resolving bottlenecks before escalation.

Systems Ownership, Automation, and Continuous Improvement

• Optimize and automate lab operational systems, ensuring consistent adherence to defined standards across all workflows, including:
  • End-to-end ordering processes for cost-effectiveness, completeness, and availability of critical supplies.
  • Systems for tracking lab-wide compliance activities (IBC, IRB, IACUC), ensuring all materials, activities, and documentation meet institutional requirements.
  • Financial tracking and related processes for accuracy, transparency, and cost oversight.
  • Maintenance of lab infrastructure, including organization of lab spaces, inventory systems, and storage standards.
  • Systems for maintaining up-to-date documentation across lab processes and experimental protocols for consistency, accuracy, and accessibility.
• Continuously improve and maintain structured operational systems (e.g., trackers, SOPs, workflows) to enhance efficiency, clarity, and scalability.
• Identify system-level gaps or inefficiencies and implement improvements, ensuring solutions are effective and sustainably adopted.
• Independently prepare and manage compliance and administrative documentation (e.g., internal biosafety/IRB materials, institutional forms), including drafting and ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Ensure all materials, documents, and submissions are prepared to a high standard and fully organized prior to PI review.
• Use Excel/Google Sheets and related tools to maintain structured, reliable tracking systems.
• Apply AI and other tools, as appropriate, to streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 5 years of progressive experience, including at least 2 years in a lead capacity over research projects, research coordination, program coordination, or a related role in an academic medical, clinical, or public health setting.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to operate with high autonomy in a fast-moving environment, taking initiative without waiting for direction and making sound operational decisions independently.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-phase projects and deadlines, driving execution across teams, including timelines, stakeholder coordination, and compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate existing operational processes, identify inefficiencies or failure points, and redesign workflows to improve reliability, scalability, and visibility.
• Track record of hands-on ownership in contributing to the development or improvement of operational systems and/or compliance workflows, or proactively identifying and resolving operational breakdowns.
• Familiarity with research operations in a healthcare or academic environment, including IRB/regulatory processes, data collection and management, and grant or manuscript preparation support.
• Experience supervising or training staff or interns.
• Proficiency with data systems and electronic records.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets, including building and maintaining structured trackers (e.g., inventory, finance, compliance), use of formulas, data validation, and error-checking systems.
• Openness to adopting new tools and technologies, including AI, to improve workflows; some experimentation or self-directed learning in AI is a plus.
• Strong written communication skills, including report or protocol writing.
• Clear, direct communicator who can translate complex information for different audiences, whether writing reports, flagging issues to leadership, or coordinating across teams.

Benefits

NYU Grossman School of Medicine provides a comprehensive benefits and wellness package designed to support employees and their loved ones at every stage of life. Offerings include:

• A robust support system for career development, family planning, and retirement savings.
• A generous time-off program and employee resource groups for peer support.
• Access to financial security benefits and holistic employee wellness programs focusing on seven key areas: physical, mental, nutritional, sleep, social, financial, and preventive care.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $84,577.93 - $109,200.00 annually. Actual salaries depend on factors such as experience, specialty, education, and hospital need. This range does not include bonuses, incentive pay, differential pay, or other forms of compensation or benefits.