Director of Research – Synergy

Overview

The Administrative Director will be responsible for the management of day-to-day administrative, fiscal, regulatory, and operational activities of SYNERGY, Dartmouth’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program. SYNERGY is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, and is one of 60 similar centers in the United States.

In partnership with SYNERGY’s Principal Investigators, the Director will interface with Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health, and SYNERGY partners including other CTSAs, universities, health systems, community groups, and public agencies to build a clinical and translational science institute that is integrated into the national CTSA network; supports the biomedical research enterprise at Dartmouth Health, Dartmouth College, and the White River Junction VA health system; and provides critical infrastructure to create, expand, and sustain innovative translational science that has national impact.

This position is onsite in Lebanon, NH - All applicants please submit a cover letter with your application 

Responsibilities

• Leadership and Management:

• Implement the strategic vision for SYNERGY.
• Interface with Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health leaders, academic, clinical, and community partners, and external stakeholders to identify new opportunities for translational research.
• Provide oversight and strategic direction for SYNERGY’s administrative, fiscal, regulatory, and operational activities.
• Supervise and coordinate the efforts of the project managers and other support staff involved in SYNERGY-related projects.
• Ensure effective team dynamics and teamwork to maximize productivity, researcher and staff satisfaction, and minimize staff turnover while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Assist SYNERGY element and module leaders, in collaboration with the Principal Investigators, in the development, implementation, and evaluation of their respective programs.
• Develop best practices and document standard operating procedures for key functions of SYNERGY.

• Program Oversight:

• Oversee the infrastructure of SYNERGY, including administrative functions that support the pilot award program, community engagement activities, research workforce development and training, data science and clinical informatics, and the research program.
• Develop and maintain programs for community engagement and interface with community and government leaders.
• Oversee SYNERGY staff in the design and curation of electronic platforms, including website and social media accounts, including content creation, updates, and communication with end users.
• Serve as the administrative liaison to the national CTSA network, the CORES consortium of rural CTSAs, and the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research Network based at the University of Vermont and MaineHealth.

• Financial Management: 

• Work closely with the Director of Research Finance and designees to manage and administer SYNERGY’s financial operations, including award accounting and contracting.
• Develop and manage budgets, ensuring projects stay within financial constraints while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Monitor and analyze financial metrics to ensure optimal efficiency.
• Oversee budgetary and fiscal management of SYNERGY programs.

• Project Management: 

• Working with Dr. Bernstein and SYNERGY project managers, oversee the development and launch of the Dartmouth Journal of Healthcare Delivery Science, including the recruitment of a founding Editor in Chief, editorial assistant, developing a relationship with the publisher, managing the contract with the publisher, assembling an editorial board, and other related duties.

• Communication and Evaluation: 

• Facilitate communication among all stakeholders, including Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth College leadership, SYNERGY leadership, the Executive Oversight Board, the Internal and External Advisory Committees, other external academic collaborators, community partners, vendors, team members, and senior institutional management.
• With the leaders of SYNERGY’s evaluation and quality assurance/quality control activities, develop and oversee comprehensive center documentation, including standard operating procedures, progress reports and performance metrics.

• Regulatory and Compliance: 

• Working with the ORO’s Research Quality and Safety group, ensure that all SYNERGY-supported research activities comply with regulatory requirements and institutional guidelines.

• Advisory and Representation: 

• Attend all Steering Committee and Internal and External Advisory Committee meetings.
• Participate in Community Advisory Board meetings.
• Attend annual national CTSA meeting and national Association of Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) meeting and other relevant CTSA consortium meetings as needed.
• Attend Consortium of Rural States (CORES) CTSA meeting when available.

Qualifications

• - Master’s degree with at least 5 years of experience in clinical research or equivalent experience.
• - Leadership experience in biomedical research administration highly preferred.
• - Prior experience supervising staff.
• - Strong background in clinical research regulatory requirements.
• - Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to speak in front of groups.
• - Proficiency with computer databases and general computing software.
• - Certification through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) or Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) required or to be obtained within the first two years of employment.
• - Excellent time management skills.
• -Focus on customer service, including Dartmouth-based and external collaborators and partners.
• - Command the respect and confidence of direct reports, SYNERGY leadership, faculty, research staff, administrative partners.
• - Experience with financial management and budgeting in a research context.