Assistant Director for Program Operations – Cancer Center at Illinois

at  University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAM OPERATIONS – CANCER CENTER AT ILLINOIS

Job Summary
Working with and providing expert guidance to the Director, Deputy Director, senior faculty and Center leadership to establish strategic and long-term plans for the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL). Work with key leaders to achieve the Cancer Center vision of leading the research evolution and to drive research initiatives that will support the Center’s mission.

WHAT WE DO:

• Inspire groundbreaking cancer research and technological advances using unique campus strengths in science and engineering.
• Mobilize faculty, staff, and students across campus to focus their skills and visions on cancer.
• Catalyze large multidisciplinary projects—including program project grants, training programs, and centers.
• Innovate new educational programs for students, professionals, and the general public.
• Forge multidisciplinary ties on campus to enhance research and education.
• Partner with clinical centers and companies to drive translation and achieve economic impact while building alliances with external partners.
  Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Implementation:

• Works directly with the CCIL Deputy Director and the Associate Director for Administration to implement Steering Committee priorities.
• Drives the strategic development of piloting new scientific initiatives.
• Conducts analytic reviews of scientific initiatives to assess effectiveness.
• Coordinates support needed to advance these efforts or enshrine programs within the CCIL
• In concert with the CCIL Deputy Director, coordinates the integration and activities of the CCIL Steering Committee’s standing subcommittees, including analysis of CCIL scientific research activities and productivity, membership processes and evaluation, Shared Resources integration, and educational programs and initiatives.
• Oversees the implementation of CCIL’s strategic planning process and evaluation, research initiatives, and special projects., Initiates and develops CCIL collaborative programs and initiatives with other campus academic and research units, and with external partner organizations.

Research Program Support and Collaboration:

• Actively participates in the preparation of the CCIL’s NCI Cancer Center Support Grant and it’s required progress report generation, evaluation, and analysis. Will serve as the administrative lead for the CCSG’s Leadership, Planning, and Evaluation component, and the Developmental Funds component, in concert with the Deputy Director.
• Support the Research Programs, including Working Groups, and their activities, stakeholder engagement in research, and aiding the development of interdisciplinary research teams within the CCIL.
• Provide direct supervision of Program Managers in their logistical support of research program and Working Group activities, CCIL funding and collaborative initiatives, and other CCIL program operational needs.
• Facilitates and drives key strategic research initiatives from inception phase. Scope and implement special projects and initiatives to support the Cancer Center and executing on the long-term vision as well as meeting short-term objectives.
• Oversees the conduct of CCIL Pilot Project Funding (e.g., Seed and Planning Grant competitions) initiatives, review, and award processes; including rigorous review of awardee reporting requirements to obtain evidence of progress and collaboration.

Relationship Building and Stakeholder Focus:

• Facilitates, coordinates, and oversees CCIL faculty recruitment processes and initiatives, including coordination with academic departments and campus administrative units.
• Leads programs that require cross-functional engagement with key staff from across the CCIL and University and with external stakeholders.
• Partner and develop strong working relationships with institutional leadership, committees and advisory team members to support execution of research initiatives.
• Proactively reaches out to faculty to build strong interdisciplinary research teams and support proposal development in support of established strategic themes, working groups, currently established research directions.
• Maintain a service orientation, identify the needs and quality expectations of all “stakeholders” and develop mechanisms to meet them.

Other Duties as Assigned
Minimum Qualifications
Master’s Degree 4 years of related experience in development of higher education research and/or educational program. Experience in project management, developing major research proposals, and coordinating research initiatives. Experience coordinating collaborative projects in a sponsored research environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working with federal or large non-federal agencies and professional experience in a research-intensive environment.
Prior administrative experience at an NCI Designated Cancer Center and/or familiarity with NCI Cancer Center Support Grant is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills. Exceptional organizational and time management skills and the ability to balance competing priorities from multiple requesters.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a wide variety of university constituencies.
• A background that establishes immediate credibility with faculty.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and networking experience across universities, national laboratories and state and federal agencies and the ability to influence and motivate constituencies which could span multiple organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal research funding agencies; proficiency in Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• An aptitude for learning new skills, tools, and processes.
• Ability to make sound decisions using good judgment and innovative and creative problem solving.
• Independence and self-motivation. Understanding of the National Institutes of Health’s research funding programs.

Please refer the Job description for details