Assistant Director of the Clinical Trial Financial Group

Department
BSD OCR- Post Award

Job Summary
The job supervises and monitors a team of support staff responsible to administer pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals/funding within a department or unit.

The Assistant Director will provide direct supervision and oversight of the financial management for clinical trials within the BSD. They will supervise a team of Financial Managers (FMs) and Financial Coordinators (FCs) within the CTFG and will report to the Associate Director of the CTFG within the OCR.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a team responsible for clinical trial post-award activities across the BSD, including financial management and reconciliation on behalf of faculty with industry, federal, and private funding agencies.
• Monitor key performance indicators related to clinical research revenue and expenditures through the development of financial targets, clinical trial financial budget reports, quarterly and annual clinical trial financial summaries.

• Support the development and adoption of clinical research financial policies and procedures for post award clinical trial staff.

• Partner with Department Administrators to develop and implement the research staff salary Program Support Model across the Biological Sciences Division.

• Support clinical research budget planning in partnership with departments and service lines and BSD finance.

• Serve as a local expert and act as a key resource for clinical trial financial management and compliance across the BSD.

• Align SOPs with other key divisional groups to use as reference materials and to ensure consistent processes are followed across the CTFG and BSD.

• Develop metrics to ensure proper staffing levels are maintained to meet key objectives and timelines.

• Work closely with Operations and Regulatory teams across the BSD.

• Provide input and analysis to help manage multi-investigator grants, multi-site IITs, and single-site IITs.

• Advise BSD faculty and staff on matters related to clinical trial budgets and contracts in a clear and professional manner.

• Read and interpret clinical trial study documents including Protocol, Budget, Contract, Informed Consent, and Laboratory Manual.

• Provide input into CTMS and Financial System implementation and utilization.

• Successfully interact with departments, sections, core facilities, and administrative offices to ensure efficient operation at all levels.

• Establish professional relationships with pharmaceutical, CRO, and non-profit counterparts to facilitate amicable and timely negotiations.

• Contribute to data analysis, using established and novel metrics, to advance Unit and Department efficiency and profitability.

• Manage multiple concurrent projects, paying special attention to competing deadlines, complexity, and priority.

• Attend in-person meetings, presentations, conferences as required on an occasional basis.

• Supervises the daily activities of the team, sets priorities for direct reports to ensure task completion, and coordinates work activities to meet departmental objectives.
• Supervises employees that provides specialized support for the research enterprise within a department or unit, including pre- and/ or post-award administration for all sponsored activity. Serves as liaison between PIs, University administrative offices, and external agencies.
• Supervises employees directly including selection, training, performance appraisal and work allocation. Ensures service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or master's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public health, finance, or a related field strongly preferred.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5-7 years of experience managing clinical trial post-award activities in an academic medical center, healthcare, or similarly complex research environment strongly preferred.

• Experience in clinical trial financial management and compliance strongly preferred.

• Experience developing and monitoring key performance indicators, dashboards, and financial summaries to support operational and strategic decision-making strongly preferred.

Preferred Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of clinical trial financial management, including budgeting, invoicing, reconciliation, revenue tracking, and financial reporting strongly preferred.

• Strong understanding of industry-sponsored, federal, private, and investigator-initiated research funding mechanisms strongly preferred.
• Ability to develop, implement, and standardize policies, SOPs, and best practices across teams.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex projects and competing deadlines.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to advise faculty, administrators, staff, and other stakeholders clearly and professionally.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with finance, operations, regulatory, and departmental leadership in a complex academic or healthcare environment.

Working Conditions

• Office environment (hybrid).

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover Letter (preferred)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
Financial Management

Role Impact
People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours
40

Drug Test Required
No

Health Screen Required
No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No

Pay Rate Type
Salary

FLSA Status
Exempt

Pay Range
$100,000.00 - $130,000.00
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
Yes
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.