Director of Translational Research Operations

University of Pennsylvania

United (PA)

On-site

USD 112,000 - 120,000

Full time

9 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Retirement plans

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia seeks a Director of Translational Research Operations to lead the Translational Research Unit, building operational workflows, managing budgets, and guiding projects from conception to completion. You will translate complex science into scalable, financially sustainable pipelines and supervise staff across functions.

Successful candidates will show strong leadership, strategic thinking, and proven ability to grow teams

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science and 7 to 10 years or Master of Science and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Experience in organizational growth, change leadership, and building high-functioning teams in a biomedical science environment.
Experience in immunology is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage a team of operations and scientific professionals, setting and monitoring goals, addressing performance challenges, and overseeing hiring and onboarding for Translational Research Unit staff.
Develop business and product strategies; align goals with the Director of Immune Health.
Oversee updated service rates, billing, and quarterly expenditure/revenue reports.
Serve as point-of-contact for internal and external investigators interested in using Translational Research Unit services; ensure seamless communication for new study planning and onboarding.
Establish and oversee QA and QC protocols for each service; ensure data is recorded, organized, and stored; create and oversee project trackers.
Identify and propose improvements to enhance robustness, quality, and efficiency across the sample lifecycle, in collaboration with processing and platforms teams.
Lead development of client-facing website and tracking systems for clinical cohorts and services with data infrastructure.
Collaborate with R&D to develop new services; work with communications to draft MOUs for external partners.

Skills

organizational growth

change leadership

building high-functioning teams

immunology knowledge

Education

Bachelor of Science and 7 to 10 years or Master of Science and 5 to 7 years or equivalent combination of education and experience

Job description

Director of Translational Research Operations

University Overview The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city ofPhiladelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urbancampus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance andlandmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety ofatmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home forwork and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includesexcellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and theirfamilies, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety ofprofessional development opportunities, supportive work and familybenefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources,and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director of Translational Research Operations

Job Profile Title

Director D, Research

Job Description Summary

The Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) at the University of Pennsylvania aims to translate immune data intoclinically actionable measurements, drive new discoveries, andshift paradigms of clinical care. I3H is seeking a Director for the Translational Research Unit who bridges scientific research withbusiness and commercial goals.

This position serves as a senior leader responsible for developingoperational workflows for routine scientific outputs, managingbudgets, overseeing projects from conception to completion, andcollaborating with cross-functional teams. The Director willtranslate complex scientific deliverables into robust operationalpipelines to ensure financial sustainability, scientific integrity,and professionalism.

The Director will manage the Translational Research Unit staff,develop and implement strategic objectives aligned with the largergoals of Immune Health, and support financial management and growthof the service center. This includes identifying and proposingimprovements to enhance robustness, quality, and efficiencythroughout the sample lifecycle; collaborating on service ratedevelopment and billing oversight; establishing QA/QC protocols;establishing and ensuring digital chain of custody for samples; andserving as the primary point-of-contact for internal and externalinvestigators. and serving as the primary point-of-contact forinternal and external investigators.

The individual should haveproven experience in organizational growth, change leadership, andbuilding high-functioning teams, preferably in a biomedical scienceenvironment. The individual should have exceptional communicationand relationship-building skills with the ability to represent theorganization effectively at local, national, and globallevels.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Manage a team of operations and scientific professionals,setting and monitoring goals, addressing performance challenges,and overseeing hiring and onboarding for Translational ResearchUnit staff.
Develop business and product strategies; work with the Directorof Immune Health to align goals and strategy of the TranslationalUnit with overall goals of Immune Health.
Collaborate with the Director of Finance to develop updatedservice rates, oversee billing for services, and provide quarterlyreports capturing itemized expenditures and revenue.
Serve as point-of-contact for internal and externalinvestigators interested in using Translational Research Unitservices; ensure seamless communication for new study planning andonboarding.
Establish and oversee QA and QC protocols for each service inthe Translational Research Unit, ensuring data is routinelyrecorded, organized, and stored; create and oversee projecttrackers.
Identify and propose improvements to enhance robustness,quality, and efficiency throughout the sample lifecycle, workingwith the Assistant Directors of Processing and Platforms.
Lead conceptual development and maintenance of client-facingwebsite; develop internal- and external-facing tracking system forclinical cohorts and services in collaboration with the datainfrastructure team.
Work collaboratively with the Director of R&D to developand implement new services; partner with communications staff todevelop marketing materials; draft and negotiate MOUs for externalpartners.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science and 7 to 10 years or Master of Science and5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of educationand experience is required.The individual should have provenexperience in organizational growth, change leadership, andbuilding high-functioning teams in a biomedical scienceenvironment. Experience in immunology is strongly preferred. Theindividual should have exceptional communication andrelationship-building skills with the ability to represent theorganization effectively at local, national, and globallevels.

Position contingent upon funding.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$112,433.00 - $120,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to therequirements of the position, and in alignment with salary rangesbased on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to therequirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.