Vice President, Research Administration

OSF HealthCare; Illinois; On-site; USD 206,000 - 341,000; Full time

Job summary

OSF HealthCare seeks a strategic Vice President, Research Administration to lead ministry-wide governance, regulatory integrity, and financial stewardship under the FWA. The role chairs ROC, sets policy, and oversees cross-site portfolios for scalable, compliant growth aligned with OSF’s mission.

This executive role requires strong collaboration with C-suite leaders, enterprise system experience, IRB operations, and complex budgeting.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public health, information systems, data science, finance, or related field.
• 10 years of progressive leadership experience in research administration, research compliance, healthcare operations, or related field within a complex healthcare system or academic medical center.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level governance structures and overseeing multi-site research portfolios, including FDA-regulated research.
• HCCA Certified in Healthcare Research Compliance (CHRC).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Solid computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to be detail oriented.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal regulations governing human subject research and institutional oversight responsibilities.
• Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence C-suite leaders and governance bodies.
• Proven financial acumen overseeing research financial operations and compliance programs.
• Experience implementing enterprise systems and operational transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the executive authority for institutional research governance under the FWA, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations governing human subject research (including 45 CFR 46, 21 CFR 50/56, HIPAA, CMS billing rules, and ICH-GCP).
• Chairs and leads the Research Oversight Council (ROC) as the enterprise governing body for research strategy, policy approval, decision rights, and institutional accountability.
• Provides executive level oversight across research administration functions, ensuring appropriate separation and alignment of regulatory, financial, and operational functions.
• Oversees the Human Subject Protection Program, external IRB reliance relationships, risk-based monitoring, quality assurance, and corrective action frameworks to safeguard participants and institutional integrity.
• Directs enterprise research financial stewardship, including coverage analysis, billing compliance, research-related financial review, revenue integrity, etc..
• Leads governance and optimization of research systems and applications, including research-related software platforms and EMR research functionality, ensuring data integrity, transparency, and regulatory readiness.
• Develops and executes system-level research strategy aligned with institutional growth priorities, including oncology expansion, FDA-regulated research, industry partnerships, and academic collaborations.
• Establishes enterprise research performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting structures; provides regular executive updates on portfolio growth, compliance trends, financial performance, and operational risk.
• Serves as the executive escalation point for research-related compliance concerns, governance disputes, and operational conflicts to protect institutional integrity and participant safety.
• Builds and sustains a high-performing Research Administration leadership team; oversees workforce planning, succession strategy, and organizational design to support enterprise research growth.

Skills

Executive leadership

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Regulatory knowledge

Financial acumen

Enterprise systems

Project management

Microsoft Office

Healthcare research compliance

Stakeholder influence

Education

Master's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

EMR systems

IRB systems

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President, Research Administration serves as the executive leader responsible for ministry-wide research governance, regulatory integrity, financial oversight, systems infrastructure, and operational standardization under OSF HealthCare's Federal wide Assurance (FWA). As Chair of the Research Oversight Council (ROC), this role holds principal executive authority for implementing and upholding ROC-approved policies, institutional decision rights, and research governance standards across all OSF ministries. The Vice President provides system-level accountability for compliance, financial stewardship, risk management, and scalable growth of the research enterprise, ensuring alignment with OSF's mission, strategic priorities, and risk tolerance.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Master's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public health, information systems, data science, finance, or related field.
• Experience: 10 years of progressive leadership experience in research administration, research compliance, healthcare operations, or related field within a complex healthcare system or academic medical center.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level governance structures and overseeing multi-site research portfolios, including FDA-regulated research.
• Licensure/ Certification: HCCA (Health Care Compliance Association) Certified in Healthcare Research Compliance (CHRC)
• Other Skills/ Knowledge: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Solid computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to be detail oriented.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal regulations governing human subject research and institutional oversight responsibilities.
• Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence C-suite leaders and governance bodies.
• Proven financial acumen overseeing research financial operations and compliance programs.
• Experience implementing enterprise systems and operational transformation initiatives.

Salary range: $99.42 - $164.04, Hourly

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience: Experience operating under a single FWA across a multi-site health system.
• Experience building or chairing institutional research governance councils.
• Experience supporting oncology, early-phase, and industry-sponsored research growth.
• Experience supporting enterprise-level research growth strategies.
• Experience working with academic research environments.
• Experience supporting IRB operations.
• Experience supporting research billing compliance processes and oversight.
• Experience supporting compliance and audit activities.
• Experience leading clinical trial team/office.
• Licensure/ Certification: Certified IRB Professional (CIP).
• Lean or Six Sigma certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP).

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Serves as the executive authority for institutional research governance under the FWA, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations governing human subject research (including 45 CFR 46, 21 CFR 50/56, HIPAA, CMS billing rules, and ICH-GCP).
• Chairs and leads the Research Oversight Council (ROC) as the enterprise governing body for research strategy, policy approval, decision rights, and institutional accountability.
• Provides executive level oversight across research administration functions, ensuring appropriate separation and alignment of regulatory, financial, and operational functions.
• Oversees the Human Subject Protection Program, external IRB (Institutional Review Board) reliance relationships, risk-based monitoring, quality assurance, and corrective action frameworks to safeguard participants and institutional integrity.
• Directs enterprise research financial stewardship, including coverage analysis, billing compliance, research-related financial review, revenue integrity, etc..
• Leads governance and optimization of research systems and applications, including research-related software platforms and EMR (Electronic Medical Record) research functionality, ensuring data integrity, transparency, and regulatory readiness.
• Develops and executes system-level research strategy aligned with institutional growth priorities, including oncology expansion, FDA-regulated research, industry partnerships, and academic collaborations.
• Establishes enterprise research performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting structures; provides regular executive updates on portfolio growth, compliance trends, financial performance, and operational risk.
• Serves as the executive escalation point for research-related compliance concerns, governance disputes, and operational conflicts to protect institutional integrity and participant safety.
• Builds and sustains a high-performing Research Administration leadership team; oversees workforce planning, succession strategy, and organizational design to support enterprise research growth.

CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY:

It is the obligation of each employee of OSF Healthcare System to abide by and promote the Corporate Philosophy, Values, Mission, and Vision of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.
OSF Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

PHYSICAL & MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Uses keyboard, mouse, or other alternative input device.
• Converses and is understood verbally and in written form.
• Works in a stationary position for up to 4 hours at a time.
• Organizes and prioritizes own work as well as the work of others, often multitasking.
• Frequently works long and irregular hours.
• Regularly operates a motor vehicle to attend meetings in various locations.
• Occasionally makes presentations, both formal and informal.
• Responsible for decisions that have a significant business impact to OSF.