Job Summary:

This position will provide leadership for the administrative, personnel and financial/grants management activities of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center (VVC).

The VVC is committed to impacting global health through fundamental research that fosters development and testing of new vaccines for infectious diseases. Our international team of scientists and physicians focuses on work with major human pathogens, especially microbial threats that affect the most vulnerable subjects such as infants and the elderly. Many of the targets we study are particularly important in low- and middle-income settings. We also conduct research related to biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.

Administration of research in this center is unusually complex, since individual projects sometimes involve portfolios of considerations including biosafety, export control, select agents, multiple subcontracts including international sites, human subjects research, vertebrate animal studies, and intellectual property matters. The center engages in the broadest array of funding mechanisms, including federal (NIH, DTRA, DARPA, JPEO, CDMRP), foundations and nonprofits, corporate sponsored research agreements, and gifts, prizes, and royalties.

The ideal candidate will have broad research administration experience in an academic medical center setting, overseeing grants management/development, research compliance activities, budget/financial management and forecasting activities as well as personnel management. Must be well organized with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential for the role, to support strategic initiatives of the VCC.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as a member of the VVC leadership team
  • Attend meetings and interact with VVC members, Office of Research (OOR) leadership, and other academic departments and central offices of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).
  • Resolve problems concerning staffing, utilization of facilities, equipment, and funds
  • Work to align VVC operations with principles and goals defined by VUMC leadership
  • Serve as strategic partner to VVC Center Director, and work to operationalize plans within VUMC and regulatory guidelines
  • Serve as a resource to VVC members regarding federal rules and regulations that apply to expenditures and effort allocation for funded projects
  • Facilitate ongoing educational activities with research project personnel to help ensure compliance awareness and understanding of federal, state, and institutional rules and regulations
• Manage and coordinate administrative and support functions for VVC
  • Supervise staff, make staffing recommendations, interview and screen applicants for hiring
  • Assign work priorities; conduct performance reviews; performance improvement plans and disciplinary actions in concert with Human Resources Business Partner
  • Ensure best practices for human resources support, including principles of equity and inclusion, sustainability and diversity of the workforce, effective personnel and payroll administration, appropriate internal salary equity within the department, strict confidentiality for personnel records, timely onboarding of new personnel, and meaningful annual performance reviews
  • Develop and train staff in appropriate systems, policies, and procedures
  • Collaborate with central offices such as Finance, Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of Research, Export Control, etc. to support effective grants administration, including proposal development and timely reporting
• Provide budgetary and financial expertise
  • Responsible for monitoring and managing the overall financial performance of the Vaccine Center and implementing ways to improve performance, including:
• • Analyze and develop the annual VVC budget
  • Recommend distribution and allocation of general department resources
  • Prepare reports for leadership review
  • Review and approve purchase and equipment requisitions, travel and entertainment expenses, etc.
  • Work with the Department of Finance to review grant expenditures, contract and subcontract invoicing, project close-out activities including the timely FSR filing with funding agencies
  • Monitor project expenditures to ensure that charges meet federal cost accounting guidelines for allowances/applicability. Monitor budget variances and resolve any charge discrepancies
  • Ensure accuracy of space surveys and efficient use of space allocated to VVC

Minimum Qualifications:

Job requires Bachelor's Degree and 3 years of experience or the equivalent.

* Experience with corporate sponsored research agreements is preferred

* Experience with US Department of Defense grants and contracts is preferred

* Experience with intellectual property affairs is preferred

* Experience with international research agreements is preferred

INDTB