Scientific Research Project Manager

MD Anderson's Cancer Biology department has a long history of being a leader in the field of basic and translational cancer biology research. The department emphasizes the training of students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows in the fundamentals of tumor biology to improve the outcomes of patients with malignancies. The department has built a program with close ties to many clinical departments to facilitate information exchange between the laboratory and the clinic. As such, faculty in the department are investigators on NIH funded collaborative cancer biology research grants ["Specialized Programs of Research Excellence" (SPOREs)]. In addition, there are several physician-scientists who have joint appointments in Cancer Biology, facilitating the exchange of clinically-relevant information between the laboratory and the clinic.

The Scientific Research Project Manager position applies technical and scientific expertise to direct and oversee scientific research activities in a busy laboratory. In collaboration with program leadership, this position oversees the development, tracking, and progress of deliverables regarding assays development and analysis of samples, ensuring compliance with regulatory statutes. This position will act as a designate of leadership at both the department and institutional levels, participating in scientific planning for the program and maintaining professional and cooperative relationships with business partners, administrators, Research Scientists/Investigators, Core Laboratory Directors, and other executive-level healthcare/academic professionals to ensure short and long-term scientific goals are met.

This position will not work in the lab. In addition to project management functions, there is also a requirement to complete administrative functions such as the creation and review of grant documentation, animal management protocols and material transfer agreements.

KEY FUNCTIONS

Collaboration

• Works with program leaders to develop grant proposals and projects, related budgets, site visits, external review committees, and other important scientific activities/events.
• Collaborates with faculty to present findings of research projects to internal and external professional groups. Prepares and presents business reports and business/strategic plans related to program initiatives to executive and scientific committees.
• Leads the development of assays and analysis of samples for assessment of immune therapy approaches, particularly in the area of cancer immunology and genomics.
• Serves as liaison between the TMP-IL and institutional/extramural collaborative partners regarding immune and genomic assays.
• Collaborates across the institution to ensure program objectives and deliverables are met.

Project Management

• Oversees complex research initiatives associated with projects (both proposed and funded) relating to the development of assays and analysis of samples, focusing specifically on effective program planning, milestone development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Ensures general project administration is executed in alignment with program goals.
• Monitors and reviews progress of research projects and reviews research activities.
• Ensures academic personnel meet/exceed mentoring plans and have designated meeting time with faculty Program Director.
• Ensures specific goals and objectives are obtained from study partners, evaluates research data, and develops/writes scientific reports.
• Implements plans for new research initiatives and coordinates long-term strategic planning efforts for programmatic research activities, identifying both internal and external funding opportunities to enhance research portfolio.
• Performs critical review of materials for research funding applications, progress reports, and other related communications, copy, editing or rewriting as necessary to ensure information is accurate, reflective of requested information, and provided in accordance with specified guidelines/policies.
• Reviews contracts for Director's speaking engagements and manages finances within institution allocations.
• Conceptualizes and directs the publicizing and promotion of the program. Reviews and informs on program accounts, providing relevant information on current and planned personnel as well as related laboratory expenses.
• Evaluates success of program, identifying and implementing strategies to enhance program outcomes.

Program Support

• Coordinates meetings and presentations for the purpose of providing objectives, goals, and progress updates for each project.
• Provides support for all program/project meetings and sub-meetings supporting projects led by the faculty Program Director.
• Drafts scientific project proposals for submission to funding agencies.
• Organizes planning meetings with collaborators/contributors to draft study aims, methods, etc.
• Maintains current scientific and technical information concerning relevant developments related to various departmental projects and/or programs. Works with faculty program director to track project milestones, set timelines, and follow up as needed.
• Oversees and maintains all federal, state, and institutional compliance and regulations for research projects.
• Develops standardized procedures across project work volume/workflow.
• For example, establishing procedures and work processes for reviewing scientific manuscripts.

Laboratory Maintenance and Operations

• Maintains the quality and timeliness of all research laboratory operations within budgetary guidelines.
• Manages issues related to workflow, administration, operations, and strategic planning.
• Evaluates and responds to inquiries for laboratory positions and facilitates the screening of applicants.
• Manages the exit process for all outgoing personnel.

Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

Education

Required: Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Preferred: Master's degree or Ph.D. in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Experience

Required: Six years' experience in scientific or experimental research to include two years as a project manager. With preferred degree, four years' scientific or experimental research experience to include one year as a project manager.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html