Department
BSD DFI - Staff
About the Department
Job Summary
Responsibilities
Staff Management & Training.
Supervises, mentors, and trains clinical research coordinators and ensures the highest standards of study conduct while facilitating staff professional development.
Manages recruitment, selection, and onboarding of clinical research coordinators and research staff, ensuring thorough orientation and compliance with institutional standards.
Provides staff training on policies and procedures for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, study conduct and regulatory documentation.
Mentors research coordinators throughout clinical study development phases, providing guidance from protocol development through study participant enrollment.
Addresses inquiries and provides guidance to research coordinators on study participants eligibility criteria for accuracy and compliance.
Ensures all staff and faculty involved in clinical studies have completed CITI and other regulatory trainings as mandated by IRB policies.
Regulatory Compliance & Documentation.
Conducts subject consent audits to verify adherence to ethical and regulatory standards.
Develops and reviews all IRB filings, clinical trial protocols and informed consent documents to ensure regulatory and ethical compliance.
Acts as departmental liaison with regulatory agencies (FDA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Clinical Trial officials.
Directly communicates with FDA officials to coordinate Investigational New Drug (IND) submissions and responses to regulatory queries.
Responsible for preparing, submitting, and maintaining all Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation for research protocols, amendments, and annual reviews.
Develops departmental standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent protocols and quality standards.
Clinical Trial Operations.
Manages day-to-day clinical research study operations for research staff and principal investigators (PIs).
Supports clinical trial initiation and ensures milestones are met throughout study lifecycle.
Manages recruitment and enrollments efforts for multiple clinical studies and trials.
Conducts and documents informed consent procedures for clinical studies, ensuring participant understanding and regulatory compliance.
Tracks and reports key metrics, including adverse events and protocol deviations, to compliance committees.
Designs and maintains infrastructure for scientific review, feasibility assessments, and projected effort analysis for clinical research protocols.
Process Improvement & Collaboration.
Establishes departmental goals and executes work procedures, practices, and clinical study guidelines.
Collaborates with principal investigators, physicians, research core laboratories, informatics team members, and vendors to facilitate study operations and cross-functional initiatives.
Partners with faculty to establish and monitor site performance metrics such as enrollment, retention, data quality, study start-up timelines, and incident rates. Leads root cause analyses and measures the impact of corrective or preventive actions.
Coordinates onboarding and activities with external contractors on specimen collection and documentation for study participants’ home visits.
Foster communication between research centers, sections, vendors, and regulatory agencies (e.g. FDA) for IND submissions and cross-references.
Conducts weekly/biweekly meetings with principal investigators to review study status, monitor study progress, and address any operational challenges.
Coordinate and tracks all Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) meetings, facilitating communication and documentation between internal and external collaborators.
Data Management & Monitoring.
Develops and maintains complex research study databases, collaborating closely with institutional data teams to ensure data integrity and security.
Demonstrates advanced proficiency in clinical study monitoring and auditing; leads and trains others in all aspects of quality assurance activities.
Manages database systems (e.g. REDCap) to ensure accurate data collection across multiple clinical research studies.
Proactively monitors patient safety and drug tolerability, assisting PI with real-time review.
Manages and directs the protocol review process for all clinical trials which includes the receipt and coordination of protocols for review, committee meetings, and clinical research conferences.
Advises the development of a formalized training program for both new and existing staff within the unit and any affiliates and/or partners. Monitors federal regulatory agency requirements related to clinical research training requirements and ensures training activities comply with requirements.
Manages PI and other senior research faculty and personnel, participates as a skilled individual contributor and/or lead researcher as expert in specialized area. Ensures research projects progress according to plan by overseeing the coordination of the daily clinical trial activities.
Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Certifications:
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Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in science, public health, health administration, nursing, or related field.
Experience:
Experience with FDA regulated clinical trials and investigator initiated clinical trial site management.
Licenses and Certifications:
Credentialing as a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) or Registered Nurse (RN) license.
Preferred Competencies
Strong leadership, staff development, team management and mentoring skills.
Effective communication, stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills.
Excellent organizational and detailed documentation practices.
Expertise in regulatory affairs, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, ethical conduct, and policy adherence.
Advanced knowledge in regulatory affairs and reporting requirements.
Demonstrated experience managing complex protocols and multidisciplinary teams.
Direct experience preparing and submitting FDA regulatory documents and responding to agency queries.
Advanced proficiency in regulatory reporting, audits, monitoring, and compliance.
Proficient in clinical data management systems (EPIC, REDCap, or equivalent); experience developing and implementing data collection tools and quality assurance measures.
Proficient in mentoring, training and managing staff, projects and clinical trials.
Working Conditions
Physically capable of moderate physical activity to retrieve clinical specimens from various buildings on the university campus.
Application Documents
Resume (required)
Cover Letter (required)
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Role Impact
Scheduled Weekly Hours
Drug Test Required
Health Screen Required
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
Pay Rate Type
FLSA Status
Pay Range
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
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