Director for Clinical Research

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Medical School Office of Research is seeking an experienced, visionary leader to join the team as the Director for Clinical Research. This position leads Office of Research units in developing and providing best-in-class support and infrastructure for the conduct of clinical research at Michigan Medicine and throughout the U-M community. The Director reports to the Senior Director for Research and functionally reports to the Associate Dean for Clinical & Translational Research and, where relevant, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Research.

Together, they are responsible for promoting the vision for the clinical trial enterprise and providing strategic and operational leadership of clinical trials at the Medical School.

As a senior administrative leader, the Director for Clinical Research leads a cross-functional team of experienced unit directors who oversee operations of the Clinical Trials Support Office (CTSO), the Michigan Clinical Research Unit (MCRU), Calendar Review & Analysis Office (CRAO), and Institutional Review Boards for the Medical School (IRBMED). Additionally, they will partner closely with multiple units across the University and Michigan Medicine that impact clinical research, such as Investigational Drug Service and Revenue Cycle Research Billing.

The Director sets the overall team and unit objectives consistent with the vision of the Medical School and Michigan Medicine. As a member of the Office of Research staff leadership team, the Director promotes the broader Medical School research agenda and guides strategic planning and implementation of a range of initiatives.

We are looking for a dynamic leader and forward-looking administrator with a passion for clinical research, customer service, and operational excellence. An ideal candidate is energized by cultivating, developing, and leading a team of professional staff and supporting a work climate that elicits a high level of team engagement. A skilled communicator, the candidate builds trusting relationships and a strong team culture based on mutual respect, where s/he fosters learning from different perspectives and roles.

As an expert in the management of clinical research, with astute business and operational acumen, the candidate advises on organizational, technical, and policy-oriented issues. The candidate is both data and people driven, able to analyze, compare, and evaluate various courses of action and drive decisions while taking into consideration the impact on people. The candidate is driven to promote research discoveries that improve health for patients at U-M and across the state.

• Collaborates to create a shared vision, effectively communicates the vision, and inspires stakeholders to build consensus
• Collaborates and builds relationships with appropriate stakeholders and models respect, recognition, and collaboration
• Creates value for a multifaceted community, fosters a climate of service excellence, supports a work environment that is welcoming to all, and elicits a high level of team engagement.
• Leads innovation and change through the application of lean thinking philosophy, tools, and techniques to increase operational efficiencies
• Coaches and develops others and provides professional development support. Develops talent with both the individual and organizational needs in mind
• Develops and role models accountability, responsibility, and engagement. Provides the team with strategic direction, prioritization, and support to achieve results
• Adapts oneself in a complex environment, adjusts as required, and always engages in self-reflection, continual learning, and growth
• Acts with courage and confidence to encourage creative thinking, seize opportunities, demonstrate personal conviction, and convey an optimistic outlook

As a premier, research-intensive academic medical center, the University of Michigan Medical School…