Director of Research

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Employment Type:

Job Profile:

Job Summary:

The Department of Medicine offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced and strategic leader to serve as Director of Research within the Department of Medicine Office of Research Services (ORS).

The Director provides executive oversight and strategic leadership for the Department of Medicine’s research portfolio, working closely with department leadership, faculty, staff, campus partners, and external stakeholders to advance the department’s research mission. This position serves as a key liaison and spokesperson for research-related matters and is responsible for translating strategic priorities into effective programs, processes, and operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing executive leadership and strategic oversight of the Department of Medicine’s research portfolio.
• Developing, implementing, and directing research program policies, procedures, and operational strategies.
• Leading long-term research strategic planning initiatives and aligning research programs with departmental and institutional priorities.
• Serving as a key liaison and spokesperson for the Department of Medicine with internal and external stakeholders.
• Developing, monitoring, and auditing research program budgets and allocating resources to support strategic priorities.
• Identifying and pursuing opportunities to secure research funding and strengthen research infrastructure.
• Assessing organizational structures, systems, and processes and implementing improvements to support research growth and effectiveness.
• Providing leadership, supervision, mentorship, and professional development for research administration staff.
• Building collaborative relationships across a complex, matrixed organization and navigating competing priorities effectively.
• Supporting faculty and research leaders in the development and advancement of successful research programs.

This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Candidates who demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities will be given first consideration:

• Demonstrated experience supporting and administering basic science, clinical, and health services research programs, including large and complex research portfolios.
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of the multiple missions of academic medicine, including education, research, clinical care, and community service.
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership experience.
• Proven ability to lead within a matrixed-management structure and build effective relationships across organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated experience with faculty relations, team building, organizational assessment, decision-making, and staff development.
• Strong operational management, organizational, financial, analytical, negotiation, and conflict-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in high-pressure situations.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Serves as the unit liaison and key spokesperson to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information and representing the interests of the research program

• Oversee the departmental research events and research communication strategies, including providing professional development in grantsmanship.

• Lead within a complex matrix spanning UW-Madison, the School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health and the VA; align university and health system requirements while advancing departmental research goals.

• Oversee central research resource allocation and shared research/processing laboratory spaces

• Capture, analyze, and present data to department leadership related to proposal statistics, award information, historical funding/trends, national rankings, etc.

• Develops, implements, directs, and evaluates research program operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Develops, directs, and evaluates research program strategic planning initiatives and establishes objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources in alignment with the strategic plan

• Develops and audits research program budget(s)

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, Office of Research Services

The Department of Medicine Office of Research Services (ORS) assists principal investigators in creating and maintaining successful research programs. Our team provides guidance through the life cycle of a research project, helping investigators navigate the intricacies of research with intramural and extramural funders.

Fueled by innovation yet grounded in kindness, the Department of Medicine empowers leaders to transform medicine and improve lives everywhere. We are committed to professional fulfillment and health equity. We strive to ensure that everyone in our department understands the importance of social impact and belonging—and is empowered to champion it in all they do. Join us and be a part of supporting our nationally recognized faculty, innovative medical education programs and exceptional clinical care as we work towards our vision of healthy people and healthy communities!

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is $185,000 and is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. 

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage and the SMPH Academic Staff Benefits Flyer.

Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience managing complex, multidisciplinary research portfolios in an academic, healthcare, or comparable environment.
• At least 5 years direct experience with pre-and post-award research administration oversight, proposal development, budget planning and preparation, financial systems and administrative management of basic science and large and complex clinical and health services research programs.
• A minimum of 5 years experience administering large center/program project grants and training.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree in business administration, healthcare administration, or a closely related field.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree Required.

How to Apply:

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To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.
 

Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.

 - Cover Letter
 - Resume
 

Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position.
 

Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work. 

The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.

Contact Information:

Justin Vang-Moore, vangmoore@wisc.edu

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. 

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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