Senior Scientific Program Manager

Department
 

BSD CTD - Gen3 Project Management - Operations

About the Department
 

The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/, https://gen3.org/, https://stats.gen3.org/, and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/.

Job Summary
 

The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for scientific research projects and research facilities. Ensures compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives, and mandates. Manages the production of articles, reports, and manuscripts, and presents research findings at meetings and/ or conferences.

The Scientific Program Manager supports the development of cloud-based data platforms for biomedical research by understanding the current and future scientific use cases of the platforms’ users and leading the development of innovative solutions. Building upon an understanding of research objectives, data, and software capabilities, the SPM will guide engineering, scientific, and administrative teams to create synergy, leading the planning, alignment, prioritization, and confluence across multiple projects in accordance with the CTDS mission. This responsibility includes working with technical staff to translate research ideas into use cases, user stories, and implementable epics and tasks, and working with software developers, architects, and other technical directors on program and product deliverables. Part of this role includes contributing to the solution of complex research challenges as part of a team science effort by serving as PI, Co-Investigator or Key Personnel for projects which may include leading and/or implementing strategic departmental work.

This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.

Responsibilities

• Leads the development of data sharing platforms using knowledge of research objectives, data, and software capabilities across projects and across engineering and scientific teams.

• Identifies, drives, and leads prioritization of departmental vision, technical tasks, and deliverables in collaboration with and on behalf of the Center Director, while managing scope of projects with reasonable flexibility to drive scientific goals.

• Creates synergy among multiple projects and the associated engineering, scientific, and administrative teams in accordance with CTDS mission.

• Advocates for priorities and manages expectations with technical and scientific staff and executives internally and externally.

• Anticipates internal and external research and project challenges that impact the Center and relevant research communities and recommends process, product, or service improvements to and with internal and external stakeholders.

• Represents projects and/or program by serving as the key point of contact for relevant program and product communications with various clients, stakeholders, consortiums, team members, collaborators, sponsors, subcontractors, vendors, and other participants.

• Manages multiple, sometimes competing, priorities for technical features / enhancements through coordination of subject matter experts and other managers and, where applicable, direct management of resources.

• Executes program and project processes, policies, and procedures through coordination and collaboration with program and product staff and senior leadership.

• Champions technical and non-technical initiatives to integrate product strategic plans into program, project, and product deliverables, working closely with sponsored award key stakeholders.

• Serves as scrum master with engineering teams, identifying, and leading process improvements, for the agile project management framework, and creates required artifacts.

• Leads the coordination of proposals, contracts, contract renewals, negotiation of contract clauses, including CFR/FAR claus