Operations Manager - Scientific Research Labs (Hybrid)

Primary Work Address: 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637

Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) advances the discovery and sharing of scientific knowledge to benefit us all. As a biomedical research organization and philanthropy, HHMI supports a vibrant community of academic researchers, educators, students, and professionals. Together, we’re unlocking the fundamentals of biology and building an open, inclusive future for science.

About the Role:

We have an exciting opening for a Science Operations Manager to lead our Science Operations Office located at The University of Chicago in Chicago, IL. At HHMI, Science Operations Managers serve as the first point of contact and operational liaison to assigned HHMI research laboratories and our partner Host Institutions. These roles play an integral part in championing and upholding HHMI’s policies, practices, and procedures. Through building strong relationships across HHMI, you will partner on the delivery of financial, human resources, procurement, and host/lab services while acting as a change champion for ongoing process improvement efforts. One of the key responsibilities of this role is to ensure alignment with HHMI’s mission, vision, and culture among office and lab staff. It will be critical to model strategic leadership behaviors, be self-directed, and be able to balance the labs’ preferences and perspectives with organizational priorities and policies.

Occasional travel is required to host institutions across Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, Wisconsin, Missouri, and HHMI headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD to participate in events and meetings.

This role will be part of a hybrid work environment, with the expectation of 2-3 days on-site and the remainder remote.

What We Provide:

• A team that values and champions a culture of continuous learning, creativity, collaboration, and interdisciplinary thinking.

• A role well positioned to support an organization that is fundamentally changing the scientific landscape by implementing initiatives emphasizing HHMI’s core values.

• A mission-driven team that is passionate about their work and an environment where colleagues help each other.

• A comprehensive total rewards package that includes competitive pay with a 10% employer contribution to your retirement, a hybrid work schedule, broad benefits options, and much more.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the local relationship manager and liaison to HHMI investigators, lab staff, Science Operations Office (SOO) staff, host institution officials, and HHMI headquarters staff on science operations matters for The University of Chicago, Indiana University, University of Illinois, Urbana, University of Michigan, University of Utah, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Washington University in St. Louis.

• Build and leverage relationships with key host institution partners to address policies, procedures, and campus service transactions. Maintain knowledge of host safety and disaster recovery preparedness guidelines, policies, and procedures.

• Work within Concur, Workday, Abacus, and Ariba to help support lab activities (including expense reimbursement, lab procurement activities, etc.)

• Directly oversee Science Operations staff, including running day-to-day responsibilities as well as mentoring and coaching to ensure business continuity and career development.

• Lead and participate in projects and process improvement efforts by serving on cross-functional teams and collaborating with peer groups and managers. Champion and constantly work to improve administrative processes

• Collaborate with department leadership, Science leadership, the SOO team, and fellow Science Operations Managers (SOMs) to ensure adoption and compliance with standard policies, procedures, processes, and technologies to promote consistency.

• Prepare annual budget for SOO. Monitor laboratory budgets providing oversight and consultation to investigator/delegate. With the guidance of the Regional Business Manager, perform various fiscal/budgeting services for Investigator labs such as personnel forecasting/transfers, encumbrance monitoring and financial audits.

• Partner with various Operational teams, including Procurement, People & Culture, Finance, and others to support coordination between labs and responsible teams for facilitating:

• Lab procurement needs and ordering, as well as monitor and approve activities such as expense reimbursements, graduate student payments, and capital equipment requests

• Visa processing, personnel changes, salary planning, among other HR pro