Assistant Director, Lab Operations

Department
 

Booth CDR: Operations - White

About the Department
 

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.
Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.
Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.
As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.
For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary
 

The Assistant Director will manage operations of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research Labs, focusing on our Campus, Pop-up and Virtual Lab operations. In this capacity, the Assistant Director will be responsible for ensuring successful lab operations, including training and managing research professionals and research assistants who conduct research in the labs, and providing support for the operations, systems, record-keeping, accounting, equipment and facilities in the labs. The Assistant Director will serve as a primary project manager for all research projects conducted in the labs by affiliated faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, overseeing study management from the initial project request through the conclusion of the study. This role will involve developing and maintaining partnerships in support of our research with internal and external organizations. The Assistant Director will also support internal and external research operations reporting, as well as providing support for RF-CDR events and programs.

Responsibilities

• Manages daily lab operations, including organization and scheduling of daily studies conducted in the labs, maintenance of proper record-keeping of participant data and research management, as well as payment and incentives provided for participation.
• Oversees, schedules, time-approves, hires, and trains research assistants and research professionals who conduct research with participants in the labs.  Serves as a managerial lead for RF-CDR lab staff in the Campus, Virtual, and Pop-Up Labs.
• Maintains systems and tools used to support data collection and related operational records in the labs related to general lab operations, as well as facilities and equipment management.
• Serves as a lead project manager for studies conducted in the RF-CDR labs by affiliated faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, ensuring the full scope of work for each managed study is carried out appropriately by research assistants.
• Provides reporting to RF-CDR Leadership about research operations as required.  Contributes to weekly RF-CDR Lab staff meetings to report, review, and discuss operational procedures and outcomes. 
• Provides feedback and consulting for researchers on their study designs and issues, including technical requirements, recruitment considerations, and ethics-related issues, to help optimize and troubleshoot research studies to be carried out in the RF-CDR Labs. 
• Contributes to the design and management of recruitment methods for the RF-CDR labs for specific demographic and population needs, engineering creative solutions to recruit participants across lab locations as necessary, in coordination with the RF-CDR Communications team and RF-CDR lab managers.
• Assists with purchasing research materials, reconciling research expenses, and managing accounting records and procedures in the labs using UChicago ePayment, GEMS, and other related systems as necessary.
• Develops and maintains productive relationships with internal and external organizational partners in support of the labs and RF-CDR research.  Maintains communications with partners, including all necessary reporting to partner organizations.
• Maintains excellent, timely communication regarding research operations with RF-CDR faculty, students, postdocs, and staff.  Assists with overarching communications, outreach, and management of events sponsored by the RF-CDR (Think Better lecture series, conferences, etc.) as needed.
• Applies research principles and relevant subject matter knowledge relevant to administer a research project. With a moderate level of direction, manages lab and/or research-related duties and tasks. Helps develop, design and conduct research projects according to plan.
• Takes responsibility for the following non-laboratory duties: transcribing and coding data; developing data collection instruments; presenting research; and recruiting and scheduling research subjects. Acquires higher-level skills and knowledge in the process.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in the area of psychology, organizational behavior, marketing, other related social science area.

Experience:

• At least two years of experience in conducting computer, web-based, and interpersonal interaction-based experiments.
• Previous experience in managing research teams and research projects.

Preferred Competencies

• Familiarity with behavioral science research methods.
• Outstanding verbal, written, presentation and organizational skills.
• Handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions.
• Work independently with little supervision, possess a self-motivated disposition, identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty, organizational partners, and members of the public, in a multitude of communication methods i.e., in person, email, phone.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

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

Job Family
 

Research

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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