Associate Director of Research

Job Description

The University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology, a complex academic and clinical department in the School of Medicine, has an excellent opportunity for the newly created role of Associate Director of Research. The Department has an annual budget of approximately $46 million, including $24 million in research funding from numerous federal, industrial, and philanthropic sources. The Department of Ophthalmology is one of the 31 departments in the School of Medicine with approximately 50 faculty members, 35 trainees, and 75 staff.

The mission is to alleviate suffering from eye disease by providing state-of-the-art, compassionate care, advancing research, and sharing knowledge with trainees and the community. The department emphasizes healthcare equity, an inclusive and safe learning environment, and diversity among faculty, staff, and trainees. Faculty provide care at eight major sites of practice, see approximately 100,000 patient visits and perform over 5,000 surgeries annually, and serve a five-state WWAMI region.

The department engages in services such as ocular oncology, uveitis, and medical and hereditary retinal disease, and trains residents, fellows, medical students, and vision science researchers. In the  academic year, the department published 175 papers and ranked #3 in NIH funding among ophthalmology departments; UW is in the top 10 nationally for funding from the National Eye Institute.

The Associate Director of Research oversees all financial and administrative functions related to research conducted within the Department of Ophthalmology. This role requires broad knowledge and experience in academic medicine, policy conformance and compliance, and collaboration with research faculty and staff to develop and implement processes and manage programs. The position exercises independent judgment in daily operations, strategic planning, communications, pre- and post-award grants management, coordination of personnel, space, and resources across multiple projects.

It maintains adherence to regulatory requirements for human subjects research and robust record-keeping for clinical research and clinical trials. The role advises faculty investigators and staff on current institutional and agency policies and procedures and provides timely notification of policy changes.

This role oversees and provides leadership for the department across all research-related activities including policy development, operations, strategy, finance, grants and contracting, regulatory support, risk management, research staffing, and events.

• Provide overall management of pre- and post-award grant and contract activities, including development, implementation, and administration of internal grant-related policies and procedures, financial management, record keeping, monitoring, and reporting.
• Oversee and manage compliance with policies and procedures of the School, University, and external funding agencies.
• Serve as contact for sponsors and central administrative offices on the substance of funded work and contractual arrangements.
• Monitor policies, processes, and researcher relations for consistent application and continual improvement.
• Design, prepare, and interpret analytical reports on departmental research funding and expenditure trends and projections.
• Participate in the clinical trial feasibility committee to shape departmental research priorities.

• Design and implement consistent processes for clinical research and clinical trial infrastructure from the application stage through study startup to closeout and reporting.
• Manage departmental space needs across vision science research labs, research faculty, and clinical trial locations including equipment and material requirements.
• Maintain rhythm of business throughout research activities and ongoing trials with a focus on financial stability and forecasting departmental need.
• Ensure timely reporting activities for research products, including philanthropy, state and federal sponsors (RPPR).

• Direct…