Research Project Manager

Summary

Job Category:
Research Support
Job Title:
Research Project Manager
Job Category Definition:
This specialty covers the design, implementation and evaluation of various research projects. Functions include providing support in areas such as instrumentation, data management, laboratory operations and general administration.
Job Title Definition:
The Research Project Manager plans, develops, and maintains procedures, equipment, and policies that have an impact in all facets of research; leads program strategy, program management, technology approach, implementation methodology, quality control, and support for the program; performs complex experiments, data collection, and data analysis; interprets and presents data to a variety of audiences; interfaces with multiple levels of the organization and external entities to discuss services and technology; establishes and maintains collaborative relationship with administrators, faculty, and staff to advise, facilitate, and/or train in the essential elements of the program; oversees the operations of the department, budget management, preparation and submission of grants, staffing, support staff supervision, records management and statistical report preparation, meeting coordination and documentation of studies; ensures program compliance with government regulations, University policies, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, and prepares regulatory reports; monitors operating cost; prepares financial reports; and negotiates space allocation. Duties are performed at various levels within the defined title.
Working Conditions:
Specific physical requirements and effort are outlined in Job Responsibilities Worksheet (list of essential job duties and responsibilities specific to a particular job at the unit level) in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
Other Requirements:
 

Levels

Level 1  

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
RERS9001 I Exempt

Level 1 positions typically demonstrate baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills along with baseline knowledge of routine work applications, employment regulations, policies, and procedures necessary to perform assigned managerial/supervisory tasks; follow recommended approach to assigned work to facilitate achievement of desired results and review completed work of others to verify accuracy and conformance to required procedures and special instructions; ensure employees practice respect for the opinions of others and an awareness of the value of diversity, safety, and environmental consciousness in the workplace; utilize a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation; practice positive approaches to problem solving for basic issues; evaluate recommended changes/improvements to quality improvement processes, procedures, policies, and plans; supervise assigned staff and coordinate routine activities to ensure successful completion of tasks.

Typical Education & Experience

2+ years related experience

Bachelor's Degree or higher

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Typical Work Duties
  • Manage and track budgets and resources to assure efforts are in compliance with project/study guidelines
  • Assist with preparation and submission of grants
  • Assist with coordination of all protocol and procedure training sessions
  • Oversee regulatory compliance issues such as tracking and recording protocol-specific certifications and procedure certification such as Human Subject Protection and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and record Institutional Review Board approvals, etc.
  • Ensure specifications and source documentation are obtained for all studies from external organizations
  • Handle close out of studies
  • Coordinate the evaluation of procedures implemented during pilot studies to determine necessary design and logistical changes for main study
  • Ensure statistical and data management reports are generated and distributed in a timely fashion
  • Schedule, coordinate, and conduct training sessions about project/study
  • Develop, design and coordinate production and assist with the distribution of marketing materials for studies
  • Oversee updates of manual of operations, data collection forms and websites associated with project/study
  • Coordinate meetings, phone conferences, minutes and presentations for multiple projects/studies
  • Coordinate project documentation such as conflict of interest and copyright forms for manuscript submissions
  • Coordinate required project documentation such as Certificates of Confidentiality and Investigational New Drug Applications and assist with regulatory reports
  • Organize, support, and provide follow-up to steering committees and other project sub-committees
  • Serve as liaison with internal departments and external entities
  • Perform data collection and data entry for studies
  • Assist in writing scientific papers for publication
  • Hire, train, supervise, assign work and evaluate support staff

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 2  

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
RERS9002 J Exempt

Level 2 positions typically demonstrate intermediate planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills along with intermediate knowledge of employment regulations, policies, and procedures necessary to perform assigned managerial/supervisory tasks; define work objectives, plans, priorities and deadlines and delegate routine tasks appropriately; review completed work of others to verify technical soundness and adherence to deadlines; coach, mentor, and motivate staff in a fair and consistent manner to achieve goals; coach employees on practices that promote the value of diversity, safety, and environmental consciousness in the workplace; demonstrate intermediate ability to communicate using more complex terms relevant to specific discipline; develop creative recommendations for solving problems that are varied and somewhat difficult in nature but with limited scope; identify and implement changes/improvements to quality improvement processes, procedures, policies, and plans; supervise staff and coordinate activities to ensure successful completion of tasks.

Typical Education & Experience

2+ years related experience

Master's Degree or higher

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Typical Work Duties
  • Manage clinical investigative studies including contributing to the experimental plan, scheduling experiments, and coordinating the action of facilities
  • Advise University investigators and administrators on research methodologies, available data, and other resources
  • Collect and archive data from experiments; interpret complex data; perform and supervise analysis of data and present to a variety of audiences
  • Track experiment development and trouble-shoot problems encountered in the experiments
  • Develop, write, and implement procedures for research projects and experiments
  • Establish technical approaches which may be needed by Principal Investigator
  • Provide guidance and oversight of compliance with federal regulations and University policies on research with human subjects
  • Assure compliance with Institutional Review Board requirements and assist investigators on matters of human subject protection
  • Reconcile general budgets, gift funds, grants, and endowments; take corrective actions as necessary; approve expenditures and establish, extend or close grants
  • Create financial and statistical reports for Principal Investigators and division/department executives; analyze information and recommend spending activity
  • Prepare department annual budget; assist with faculty salary allocations
  • Negotiate lab space for existing or new faculty
  • Represent department research interests at institutional workshops and meetings; communicate funding opportunities to departmental faculty
  • Publish papers as co-author
  • Oversee the daily operations of the department including interviewing, hiring, and supervising support staff, conducting evaluations and providing guidance/counsel and opportunities for training

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 3  

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
RERS9003 K Exempt

Level 3 positions typically demonstrate proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing difficult unit assignments; demonstrate awareness of emerging trends, and changes in employment regulations, policies and procedures to proactively address issues; review completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach; delegate more advanced tasks to others; facilitate optimal group dynamics and evaluate employee performance on difficult work assignments and recommend appropriate developmental opportunities; develop and implement practices that promote a culture of diversity, safety, and environmental consciousness and that is conducive to effective relationships among diverse groups of employees; use diplomacy and advanced communication skills in unstructured settings; modify, adapt, or refine guidelines, if necessary, to resolve issues or problems; develop, evaluate, enhance, and/or implement quality improvement practices, processes, procedures, or policies that have an impact on unit operations.

Typical Education & Experience

4+ years related experience

Master's Degree or higher

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Typical Work Duties
  • Oversee and advise on research projects
  • Negotiate with external organizations to establish and maintain relationships
  • Advise University investigators and administrators on research methodologies, available data, and other resources
  • Oversee initiation, direction, conduct, and reporting of studies, surveys and/or applied research projects
  • Review and make recommendations for planning and research studies
  • Develop project/program infrastructure standard operating procedures, workflow processes and re-engineering processes
  • Research, evaluate and implement new technologies
  • Collaborate/consult with researchers by reviewing, evaluating and making recommendations for project/program initiatives
  • Provide leadership to project/program including initiating, conducting, reporting, and providing technical support and project management
  • Develop proposals and budgets; research plans, cost estimates, budget justifications, and statements of work
  • Contribute to operations affected by project/program; work with individuals internal and external to project/program to exchange information, solve problems, resolve conflicts, develop workflow processes, allocate department resources across projects, and ensure efficient and effective implementations of initiatives
  • Negotiate with external groups to establish and maintain relationships critical to the project/program
  • Contribute to strategic planning of the project/program
  • Maintain appropriate documents and reports
  • Advise investigators and administrators on appropriate methodologies and resources to implement projects/programs
  • Participant in professional activities: author, co-author abstracts, manuscripts; attend and present at meetings
  • Supervise records and statistical reports
  • Supervise project/program staff including hiring, training, supervising, evaluating, and developing staff

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 4  

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
RERS9004 L Exempt

Level 4 positions typically demonstrate advanced skills in budget management, business development, communications, and leadership and execution of objectives critical to unit's success; provide detailed plans for changes to specific policies and procedures that may result from trends and changes in overall direction of functional and/or organizational responsibilities; monitor completed work of others to ensure soundness of approach, effectiveness in meeting requirements, the feasibility of recommendations and adherences to requirements; evaluate and enhance practices that promote a strong commitment to inclusionary practices which support diversity, safety, and environmental consciousness throughout the University; demonstrate diplomacy in persuading and influencing a variety of people to achieve results; resolve complex, controversial or unprecedented issues and problems, and demonstrate sound judgment by considering values, risks, impact and implications of actions throughout organization; set clear expectations and hold management team accountable for effectively coaching, mentoring and motivating their respective staffs; develop, evaluate, enhance, and/or implement quality improvement practices, processes, procedures, or policies that have an impact on University operations.

Typical Education & Experience

6+ years related experience

Master's Degree or higher

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Typical Work Duties
  • Plan, design, and implement research projects
  • Perform analysis of data collected; work with and/or train faculty in use of advanced techniques for data collection and analysis
  • Create novel procedures for analyzing clinical data
  • Facilitate reporting of data for better understanding and improvement of clinical outcomes
  • Plan, construct, and implement novel databases for department data collection
  • Collaborate with leaders on large-scale data projects
  • Provide government and regulatory body communication and management
  • Provide education on emerging informatics possibilities and direct application
  • Direct protection efforts for research and clinical data
  • Provide technical leadership to department
  • Work with leaders on development of internal and external communication medium

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 5  

There is currently no Level 5.