University of California San Diego

Soil Health Center Director - 140956

Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Advanced degree in biological science or equivalent experience/training; terminal degree preferred (PhD, JD, MD, etc.).
  • Strong academic background with thorough knowledge and experience in microbiome and soil research.
  • Proven experience in federal research and funding acquisition.
  • Demonstrated expertise in fundraising and stakeholder communication for research development.
  • Advanced knowledge of administrative and financial management principles.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a strategic advisor and operations manager for the Soil Health Center.
  • Independently oversee microbiome research operations and various programs.
  • Lead proposal development and coordinate with financial staff.
  • Monitor and evaluate microbiome project strategies for progress and impact.
  • Manage budgets for research components, including personnel and sequencing costs.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work option with frequent travel required.
  • Supportive work environment committed to diversity and inclusion.
  • Engagement with a broad range of stakeholders in the microbiome field.
Full Job Description
Payroll Title:
ACAD PRG MGT OFCR 4 RP Department:
CTR FOR MARINE BIOTEC & BIOMED Hiring Pay Scale
$113,505 - $158,000/Annually Worksite:
SIO Appointment Type:
Career Appointment Percent:
100% Union:
RP Contract Total Openings:
1 Work Schedule:
Days, 8 hrs/day, Mon-Fri

#140956 Soil Health Center Director
Filing Deadline: Mon 10/12/2026
Apply Now

DESCRIPTION

The Center Director reports to the Principal Investigator and serves as a strategic advisor, program representative, and operations manager providing leadership for the Soil Health Center program development, including strategic planning, grant writing, communications, and project management. The Center Director will independently oversee Microbiome research operations within the Soil Health Center and will also be responsible for various microbiome research programs. The Center Director will serve as the primary liaison for local, national, and international strategic partnerships with collaborators, donors, foundations, and farmers.

The Center Director will draft and coordinate proposal development with business office financial staff and will execute specific projects. The Center Director will monitor and evaluate strategies in Microbiome projects to measure progress and assess impact. The position will be responsible for budget management for the Center and will oversee over research budgets that include personnel, genomic sequencing, and research costs. The Center Director will draft and edit grant proposals, research regulatory documents, manuscripts, donor mailings, and broadly distributed scientific articles. Responsible for strategic staffing and providing work direction to lab personnel. Serve as a supervisor for staff employees.

The Center Director will assist the PI in pursuing potential project development and assumes oversight for specific projects or programs for the Center. The Center Director will have a broad understanding of microbiome research and engages with networks and leadership in a range of stakeholder sectors. The Center Director will work with PI on formulating short- and long-term planning and procedures, including attaining private and federal grant funding and private donor relationships. The Center Director will develop and organize conferences and other public forums.

QUALIFICATIONS
  • Advanced degree in biological science or equivalent experience / training. Terminal degree in a related field (PhD, JD, MD, etc.).
  • Academic background and experience in selected area of research. Thorough knowledge and experience with microbiome and soil research. Thorough knowledge necessary to apply principles, practices and procedures in the completion of assignments. Demonstrated ability and knowledge to provide technical advice concerning precision nutrition and various microbiome research programs.
  • Experience with federal research and funding.
  • Highly skilled fundraising experience. Highly skilled in communication with stakeholders and agencies regarding opportunities and development of research.
  • Advanced knowledge of administrative, budgetary, human resources and financial principles and practices.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft (MS) Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and Adobe (Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop) products.
  • Demonstrated ability to draft program strategies and workplans. Demonstrated ability to write, edit, and disseminate informational materials. Demonstrated ability to write, edit, and review project grant proposals, technical reports, and journal publications.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills. Effective presentation skills. Demonstrated ability to conduct presentations targeted to a range of professional and community-based audiences; facilitate group processes in a variety of settings.
  • Demonstrated skill to communicate clearly, effectively, tactfully, and patiently in person, on the telephone, and in writing. Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with scientific and governmental agencies as well as the public. Comfortable with public speaking and giving scientific/technical presentations.
  • Strong ability to think creatively and independently on concepts requiring advanced analytical skills. Demonstrated leadership and ability in creative program development and strategic planning, and in project and proposal development. Demonstrated organizational and decision-making abilities to prioritize competing work assignments in order to meet deadlines and adherence to quality standards. Demonstrated ability to organize work and schedules with changing priorities, frequent interruptions and minimal supervision; ability to exercise mature and independent judgement; demonstrated ability to work independently on detail oriented projects.
  • Efficient interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse groups to achieve results. Demonstrated skills in motivating and fostering collaborative planning to identify common goals, program or project parameters, and outcomes. .
  • Advanced ability to work collaboratively with internal and external peers and managers. Demonstrated ability to lead and influence others. Skill in planning, organizing, and directing the work of professional and administrative staff engaged in a project. Demonstrated experience in leading and participating in collaborative teams and networks to realize common goals. Skilled in designing collaborative strategies to incentivize participation and action.
  • Demonstrated ability for effective resource and short and long-term planning, decision making, results delivery, team building, and the demonstrated ability to adapt to emerging issues.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
  • This is primarily an on-site position, with a hybrid work option and frequent travel required.
  • Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.
Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: Unclassified - No data available (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: Unclassified - No data available

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Apply Now

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community .

About University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the seventh-oldest of the 10 University of California campuses and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling approximately 38,325 students. UC San Diego is organized into six undergraduate residential colleges (Revelle, John Muir, Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sixth College) and five academic divisions (Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Jacobs School of Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences). The university operates 19 organized research units (ORUs), including the Center for Energy Research, Qualcomm Institute (a branch of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology), and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.
Learn more about University of California San Diego
Size
38,325 employees
Industry

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at University of California San Diego

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Soil Health Center Director - 140956 jobs: