Career Opportunities

Job Title: Research Project Manager

Organization Name: Northwestern University, Center for Applied Health Research on Aging

Location: Chicago, IL (Downtown Campus)

Position Description:
The Research Project Manager will handle a diverse array of Federal, industry and foundation-funded studies for the Health Literacy and Learning Program. He/She will oversee research staff working across multiple long-term and short-term projects. Studies are broadly focused on designing and evaluating health education materials and exploring patient experiences and learning opportunities within healthcare settings. Current studies broadly focus on health literacy, breast cancer and HIV among diverse populations.

Manages all activities associated with biomedical &/or social-behavioral research studies considered very complex by the inclusion of several of the following: multiple investigators, teams, sites, sub-contracts, participants, longitudinal assessments/ interventions; &/or multi-million dollar budgets.  Ensures completion of contract requirements & client specifications.  Oversees day-to-day operations including identifying & securing needed resources; creating, implementing, monitoring, & updating project plans; facilitating meetings with appropriate parties; tracking tasks/deliverables to ensure timelines, milestones &/or goals are attained; monitoring & reporting progress as appropriate; & resolving or escalating issues in a timely manner.   May co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & coordinates writing, submission & administration of grants.  Ensures that all study activities are completed by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Position Responsibilities:

Technical

• Provides complex scientific & technical leadership in determining research priorities & the plan, design & execution of research projects ensuring that programs of investigation meet specified objectives. 
• Plans, develops & implements new processes & protocols to support research studies & maximize/extend study capabilities. 
• Oversees completion of study activities per protocol. 
• Ensures that study protocols are in compliance with appropriate rules & regulations & reviews study progress and recommends revisions, amendments, and/or other study changes as necessary to better meet needs of sponsors. 
• Reviews scientific literature & evaluates & recommends applicable techniques & procedures.  

Administrative

• Analyzes, evaluates & interprets data to determine relevance to research.
• Assists PI in developing statistical methods & models to analyze & report data based upon study requirements. 
• Prepares results & may co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & disseminates information via seminars, lectures, etc. 
• Creates data for use in grant submission & develop new proposals for research including obtaining financial support. 
• Acts as liaison between sponsoring agencies, collaborating organizations &/or other research &/or educational institutions. 
• Ensures that all study documents associated with current local, state, & federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws & research protocols are completed in a timely manner.

Finance

• May create &/or manage research study budget which may include deciding on & approving expenditures of funds based on budget.
• Monitors accounts.
• Negotiates prices & specifications with vendors.
• Purchases supplies, materials, equipment & services.
• Ensures appropriate allocation & compliance. 
• Invoices study sponsors for study tests/procedures. 
• Coordinates & participates in budgetary negotiations with industry sponsors.    

Supervision

• Trains, directs, assigns duties to & may supervise lab EEs, students, residents &/or fellows. 
• Acts as a mentor in regard to education of junior coordinators. 

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 2 years of data management/analysis or similar experience required

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in biostatistics, statistics, or epidemiology or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 5 years' research study or other relevant experience required;

OR

• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 3 years' research study or other relevant experience.
• Supervisory or project management experience is required.
• Must complete NU's IRB CITI training before interacting with any participants & must re-certify every 3 years.

Competencies:

Minimum:

• Strong project management experience and proven ability to strategize, think operationally, organize, and implement research programs.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical thinking skills.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent listening, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills & attention to detail.
• Strong foundation in research methodology.
• Proven ability to work in teams and foster collaborative environments.
• Strong personal initiative and ability to work independently.
• High degree of professionalism.

Preferred:

• A master's degree in health science, social science, biological sciences, or education
• Experience mentoring
• Experience working on large collaborative projects and teams

Organization Description:

CAHRA is dedicated to fostering collaborations across the Northwestern community and throughout Chicago to stimulate research leading to meaningful improvements in the way our healthcare system

proactively engages and supports individuals, and their families, as they get older and face increasing health demands.

How to Apply:

To view the job posting and/or apply for the job, click here