Director of Academic Affairs

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:                                Director of Academic Affairs
Date:                                       April 2024
Reports To:                            President & CEO
Reporting Into the Job:        Research Office, Scientific Grant Writer, Compliance Office

Job Summary:

The Director of Academic Affairs is the main administrative resource to advise, support, assist, coordinate, and collaborate on academic initiatives within the Institute. The Director of Academic Affairs would report directly to the President & CEO, providing guidance in change management situations, and administering and implementing our faculty program working closely with the Chief Scientific Officer. This position serves as a trusted voice and advisor to our Principal Investigators, both within our Research and Biobanking Departments, on various initiatives.  

The Director of Academic Affairs would have several direct reports and oversee several academic-facing functions, such as our Research Grant Administration Officer, our institutional Compliance Department/resources, and the Scientific Grant Writer. The Director of Academic Affairs would partner with Human Resources to ensure Company policies are followed amongst the Research Department, and work to streamline interactions with Senior Management, Scientific Staff, Operational/Administrative Staff, and other members of our Internal and External communities. The Director of Academic Affairs will also be responsible for leading/implementing external partnerships with Higher Education institutions, as well as with the Camden Cancer Research Center and other Research Institutions.

Essential Duties and Accountabilities:

• Lead the Manager of Research Office to ensure Grant Administration and Institutional Compliance are being implemented in a satisfactory manner for all internal stakeholders involved, while considering external guidelines that need to be incorporated for these processes,
• Oversee the Grants Administration Team, which includes new applications, contracts, cooperative agreements, annual reporting, renewals, etc.
• Work with internal stakeholders to coordinate, interpret, and implement IP/Tech Transfers, and other similar agreements.

• Coordinate between Internal/External Compliance Resources to implement and review new & existing compliance controls to keep the institute compliant with various agencies that oversee our operations,
• Partner with the Chief Scientific Officer to administer our faculty program, and be the leader in driving that function,
• Partner with appropriate internal stakeholders to direct all administrative, financial, and operational activities regarding research and our faculty members.
• This position will work closely with our Accounting/Finance leadership team to ensure reporting, budget creation, and compliance are being upheld by Academic Labs/PIs/Researchers.
• In collaboration with the executive team, provide strategic and timely advice and guidance to the Faculty Committee to ensure success in the overall management of the Institutes mission,
• Advise the Senior Leadership and staff on high-level day-to-day operations, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness and optimizing the use of available resources.
• Oversee ongoing projects supporting the Research and Biobanking Departments and Faculty agenda to ensure that all are effectively and compliantly moving according to plan objectives and established milestones and measurement criteria.
• Help bring issues to the surface and ensure that they are considered, appropriate action is taken, and the results communicated throughout the organization as appropriate and in a timely manner.
• Rely on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals and utilize a wide degree of creativity and latitude.
• Develop understanding of the formal structure of the organization and interface appropriately with Leadership and Human Resources to make the Institute more efficient in our day-to-day academic activities,
• Perform other duties as assigned by President/CEO of Institute.

Qualifications

Education:

Ph.D., M.D., MBA, MPH or similar advanced degree in business administration, health administration, public health, or health related field with understanding of medically related research institute or other related scientific field.

Experience:

5-8 Years of Non-Profit or Higher Education experience is strongly preferred, working within a similar position as described in this description. This position will require you to have 2-3 years of experience interfacing with senior leadership teams, and/or executive teams within a similar organization. Qualified individuals will have a minimum of 2 years’ experience having direct reports and leading a cross-functional team. \

Experience within a scientific research field is strongly preferred and encouraged to apply. The position is required to have an understanding of academic research, as well as federal/state grant funding to support such research. While private/public pharmaceutical experience can be applicable, candidates will need to be able to show an understanding for academic/non-profit research environments. 

Competencies Needed:

The following competencies listed will give an individual the best chance to succeed in the role, in addition to the other qualifications listed above:

• Exhibits exceptional leadership capabilities, such as integrity, vision, self-awareness, accountability, ability to delegate, and learning agility,
• Explanatory communication skills, both written and verbal, within large, small, and one-on-one settings. This position must exhibit strong interpersonal communication skills,
• Ability to multi-task, and manage several on-going and cross-functional projects at once,
• Effective organizational skills, having attention to detail, and follow through skills,
• Ability to problem-solve and resolve differences in professional/academic opinion within a diverse population,
• Strong technical skills within Microsoft Office, Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, etc.), exposure/knowledge of information systems.
• Must have strong operational skills and wherewithal. Must understand how to take new and unknown concepts, strategize and then implement on various scales across an organization.

Coriell & Recruitment

Founded in 1953, the Coriell Institute for Medical Research is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving human health through biomedical research. Coriell scientists lead research in personalized medicine, cancer biology, epigenetics, and the genomics of opioid use disorder. Coriell also hosts one of the world's leading biobanks—comprised of collections for the National Institutes of Health, disease foundations and private clients—and distributes biological samples and offers research and biobanking services to scientists around the globe. To facilitate drug discovery and disease study, the Institute also develops and distributes collections of induced pluripotent stem cells. To learn more, visit www.coriell.org.

Any offer of employment extended by Coriell is contingent on an applicant’s ability to be Authorized to Work in the United States of America. Upon date of hire, all employees are required to provide whichever valid Employment Authorization Documents they wish, as long as it is in compliance with Federal Regulations.

This job description/posting is to provide general guidance on the nature of work that will be performed in this position. It is not represented to be a full or exhaustive list of the duties, responsibilities, or qualifications needed for this role. Due to the nature of our work, the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications listed on this job description/posting are subject to change.

Coriell is an Equal Opportunity Employer, who values a diverse work environment, who is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Coriell is an at-will employer.