Director of Informatics and Data Science Operations and Development

University of Illinois Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition waivers

Job summary

University of Illinois Chicago seeks a Director of Informatics and Data Science Operations to provide strategic leadership and oversee the Informatics/Data Science Program within the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). This role guides multidisciplinary teams designing and implementing actionable informatics solutions that advance translational research.

The position emphasizes collaboration with UI Health IT, ACER, and national CTSA networks, ensuring scientific rigor,

Qualifications

• Master's degree in biomedical informatics, clinical informatics, data science, biostatistics, computer science, public health, health services research, or closely related field.
• 7–10 years of progressively responsible supervisory experience in biomedical/clinical informatics, data science, or translational research infrastructure.
• Experience developing and/or managing secure, compliant research data environments involving EHR data, clinical data warehouses, registries, or multi-site datasets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and day-to-day management for the CCTS Informatics/Data Science program.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop informatics specialists and staff, including performance management and professional development planning.
• Oversee resource allocation and project prioritization to ensure timely delivery of services.
• Advise Center leadership on innovative informatics strategies aligned with sponsor requirements.
• Lead needs assessments with investigators to identify opportunities for clinical information systems and data services.
• Oversee design, development, and implementation of clinical informatics solutions supporting research and health interventions.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Verbal and written communication

Education

Masters degree in biomedical informatics / related field

Job description

Hiring Department: Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1042586

Salary: Salary range for this position is budget at $125,000 - $175,000. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, and budget constraints. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the full range for a position.

About The University Of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits.

• This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The Director of Informatics and Data Science Operations and Development provides strategic leadership and operational management for the Informatics and Data Science Program within the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). Funded through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA), the Program advances the national mission of accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into improved health outcomes. This is achieved through the development of robust informatics infrastructure, the promotion of interdisciplinary team science, the enablement of high-quality and interoperable data integration, and the support of innovative, rigorous, and reproducible clinical and translational research.

This position bridges advanced technical expertise with real-world health implementation by identifying translational bottlenecks, developing novel methodological and analytic approaches, and advancing informatics initiatives aligned with institutional strategy and national CTSA priorities. In collaboration with Data Science/Informatics Director(s) this role contributes to shaping the scientific direction and growth of informatics-driven research initiatives across the CCTS and the UIC health sciences colleges, strengthening the University’s impact within the national translational science ecosystem. The role manages multidisciplinary teams responsible for the design, development, implementation, and oversight of innovative informatics and data science solutions that advance clinical and translational research across the full research continuum.

This is an academic professional, non-faculty position responsible for advancing the institution's clinical and translational research informatics capabilities through strategic management, operational oversight, and collaboration with faculty and institutional leaders.

Responsibilities

Operational Leadership and Team Management

Provide strategic leadership and day-to-day management for the CCTS Informatics/Data Science team.

Supervise, mentor, and develop informatics specialists and staff, including performance management, coaching, and professional development planning.

Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture.

Establish and enforce team norms, standard operating procedures, and quality standards in alignment with Center policies, Campus guidelines, and state/federal regulations.

Oversee resource allocation and project prioritization to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of services.

Assign personnel to projects; guide development of project plans and timelines; monitor progress and ensure achievement of strategic objectives.

Track and report scientific and operational progress, resource utilization, performance metrics, and quality indicators.

Identify operational or scientific barriers and implement solutions to ensure successful project outcomes.

Scientific and Technical Leadership

Advise Center leadership on innovative informatics strategies that align with local and national research priorities and sponsor requirements.

Lead needs assessments with investigators to identify opportunities for clinical information systems and data services.

Monitor emerging trends in biomedical informatics, clinical data science, AI, and translational research.

Oversee the design, development, and implementation of clinical informatics solutions that support research, quality improvement, and health intervention initiatives.

Ensure scientific rigor, regulatory compliance, and reproducibility across projects.

Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration

Lead collaborative informatics and data science initiatives with internal and external stakeholders to achieve objectives outlined in the CCTS grant.

Partner with the Center and Program leadership to represent CCTS in national networks and collaboratives, including the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program Consortium.

Strengthen institutional partnerships with UI Health IT, UIC’s Advanced Cyberinfrastructure for Education and Research (ACER), and the AI.Health4All Center.

Serve as liaison between campus units and CCTS leadership to ensure alignment of informatics and data science strategies with institutional priorities.

Identify, evaluate, and recommend collaborative opportunities through engagement with CTSA hubs, Enterprise Committees, Working Groups, and professional associations.

Develop coalitions that expand institutional capabilities and enhance national visibility.

Research Innovation and Scientific Contribution

Provide strategic leadership for the Informatics and Data Science Program, shaping vision, policies, and priorities that advance clinical, biomedical, and translational research across the institution and collaborative networks.

Lead the development and expansion of innovative informatics and data science programs that address critical translational research challenges and enhance research infrastructure.

Initiate and oversee novel research initiatives in clinical and translational informatics, including applications in data science, real-world evidence, pragmatic trials, and implementation science.

Identify and pursue opportunities for UIC leadership in national informatics innovation, translational science initiatives and extramural funding; lead or contribute to multi-investigator and multi-site grant proposals aligned with NIH and CTSA priorities.

Build and coordinate multidisciplinary teams to design and conduct high-impact research and preliminary studies that support competitive grant submissions.

Provide expert guidance to investigators on study design, protocol optimization, data capture strategies, and advanced analytics.

Disseminate best practices and contribute to consortium-wide guidance, white papers, peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national scientific conferences.

Represent the Informatics/Data Science program in institutional and national forums and contribute to reporting and evaluation of program outcomes in alignment with NIH CTSA requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters degree in biomedical informatics, clinical informatics, data science, biostatistics, computer science, public health, health services research, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible supervisory experience in biomedical/clinical informatics, data science, or translational research infrastructure within an academic medical center or research-intensive environment, with demonstrated success leading, mentoring, and developing interdisciplinary teams in the design, implementation, governance, and oversight of clinical and translational informatics solutions.
• Experience developing and/or managing secure, compliant research data environments involving EHR data, clinical data warehouses, registries, or multi-site datasets.
• Strong knowledge of NIH policies and federal regulations related to human subjects research, data sharing, privacy, security, and responsible conduct of research.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships across institutional units (e.g., IT, research administration, compliance, clinical operations).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience supporting NIH-funded research programs, preferably within a Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA) hub or comparable large-scale federally funded initiative.
• Experience serving in a leadership role within a CTSA hub, including participation in CTSA Enterprise Committees, Working Groups, or cross-hub initiatives.
• Familiarity with national data standards and interoperability frameworks (e.g., HL7/FHIR, common data models such as OMOP or PCORnet).
• Experience implementing FAIR data principles and NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy requirements.
• Demonstrated expertise in advanced analytics, machine learning/AI applications in health research, real-world data, or learning health systems.
• Experience leading informatics components of pragmatic trials, implementation science studies, or community-engaged research.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to successful extramural grant applications (e.g., NIH, AHRQ, PCORI), including multi-PI or multi-site proposals.
• Experience developing sustainable service models for research informatics cores or shared resources.
• Engagement in national professional organizations related to biomedical informatics, translational science, or health data science.
• Experience mentoring staff or trainees in informatics or data science disciplines.
• Record of scholarly productivity in clinical, biomedical, or translational informatics (peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or funded research).

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.