Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

The Vice President, Research Operations is a senior administrator within the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This executive position is responsible for the research operations of the institute including, but not limited to oversight of DFCIs numerous core facilities and integrative research centers, Grants and Contracts, Post Doctoral and Graduate Student Affairs Office, and Research Support Services.

Cores and Shared Resources.

• Oversee the Director for Research Support Services
• Responsible for planning, operationalizing, overseeing, coordinating, monitoring, analyzing and evaluating the more than 20 cores at DFCI.
• Reviews quarterly institutional core reports regarding financials and usage.
• Meets with core directors to discuss the operations of the core and budget forecasting.
• Reviews business plans for new cores and provides support to assist during the start-up period
• Reviews the core financials with leadership bi annually.

DFCI cores/ shared resources including but not limited to:

• Animal Resource Facility
• Biospecimen Repository
• Cell Manipulation Core
• Chemistry Core
• Clinical Research Lab
• Confocal Microscopy
• CTO Core
• Cytof Facility
• Flow Cytometry Core
• Health Communications
• Informatics Core Services
• Molecular Biology / Microarray Core Facility
• Molecular Diagnostics Lab
• NMR Core
• Survey and Data Management

Integrative Research Centers and Departmental Cores

• Reviews and approves all business plans to ensure compliant pricing model
• Reviews all chargeback financials monthly to identify any potential shortfalls or surplus funds.
• Develop strong relationships with IRC staff, Strategic Planning Team and Departmental staff

Grants and Contracts

• Oversight of Director of Grants and Contracts
• Timely and accurate grant submissions, subcontract and billing agreements
• Development of key metrics to support both the Office and Institute
• Resource management to ensure staffing is appropriate
• Delivery of quality customer service to research community

Post-Doctoral and Graduate Student Affairs Office

• Provide oversight and management for the Office and its initiatives

Oversight of Research Support Services

• Management of iLabs Lab Management System and Core Management System
• Critical Alarm Management and Freezer Management
• Dollar Density Management – consolidation of InSite and Financial Systems
• Coordination with Purchasing, Safety, Facilities, General Services, Security, etc.

Serve as a key leader in the performance improvement efforts in research - Project Thrive

• Manage all identified Project Thrive initiatives
• Develop metrics to measure the success of each initiative
• Ongoing assessment of research landscape to identify future opportunities
• Serve as Co-Chair the Research Forum. This forum is intended to update the departmental business offices and central research focused areas on new policies and procedures, new initiatives, finance updates, etc.
• Develop and oversee short and long-term strategies to support and continually improve the research support needs of research investigators at DFCI.
• Provide oversight, advice, and guidance in the appropriate and compliant conduct of research at DFCI

Work with SVP, Office of Research, to ensure compliance with all policies and guidelines, state and federal regulations, and any other regulatory agency as it relates to research:

• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
• City of Boston fire safety requirements
• Massachusetts Water Resources Authority regulations
• Environmental Protection Agency requirements
• Biosafety
• Ensure fiscal accountability for research grants, gifts, and other funds in support of research.
• Directly manage the leaders responsible for basic and translational research operations (including grants & contracts, shared service centers and the animal resource facility).
• Work in partnership with the SVP, Office of Research, on various initiatives and process improvement efforts.

• At least 10 years of experience in a scientific academic health care or a like setting with at least 5 to 7 years of experience in a key senior leadership role supporting a research environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading research operations in a complex organization, including interfacing effectively with multiple faculty and staff with a strong customer- service focus.
• Highly knowledgeable about research administration and financial management functions within an academic medical environment, with specific knowledge and experience in the areas of:
  • Current and emerging research administration issues and trends
  • Federal appropriations processes
  • Roles of federal and other sponsors in research and development
  • Policy and guideline interpretation, communication, and application
• Demonstrated experience working with large governmental research organizations and the infrastructure of those organizations.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to understand the business of science, in terms of implementing research and taking discovery from the laboratory to the application of new knowledge and insights.
• Strong demonstrated financial planning and management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to directly manage large matrixed teams of administrative and research/technical staff.
• Strong quantitative, analytic, and problem-solving skills to evaluate all aspects of a situation and make appropriate and timely decisions. Proven ability to interpret complex legislation, policies and regulations.

• An understanding of and experience with information systems as related to data collection, accuracy verification, analyses, and distribution to appropriate stakeholders.
• Track record of working closely and effectively with a diverse constituency, including faculty, administrators, state policy makers, and the private sector in a wide range of disciplines.
• An ability to partner effectively with faculty.
• An executive who understands and embraces the philosophy of and opportunities associated with distributive leadership.
• A highly skilled change agent with demonstrable sensitivity to the interpersonal, group dynamic, organizational, political, and perceptual issues associated with change.
• Demonstrated ability to create and sustain momentum through relationship building, collaborative management; the ability to manage multiple and complex tasks; the ability to prioritize and implement; and experience in developing accountability and monitoring systems within the context of a complex, geographically dispersed, and matrixed system and local health environment.
• A relevant advanced degree such as an MBA, MPH or MHA is preferred.

Critical Competencies for Success: Expert in Innovation and Strategic Implementation: Due to the critical importance of research to DFCI’s mission and the current challenging research environment, the VP for Research Operations will effectively advance the research strategy and agenda of DFCI by:

• Partnering with the SVP, Office of Research, investigators, and DFCI leadership at the strategic and operational levels and setting up systems to look for innovative and nontraditional sources of research funding;

Operational Excellence: In a faculty led institution comprising equal parts research and clinical care, the VP for Research Operations must provide an administrative infrastructure that facilitates and enhances research. This will be achieved by:

• Building a shared sense of accountability for compliance and regulatory affairs among investigators and research administrative staff;
• Enhancing research staff development and retention in order to ensure that DFCI remain the institute of choice to conduct cancer-related research.

A Highly Effective Communicator and Relationship Builder: In a complex, passionate, intensely mission-driven and highly matrixed organization with multiple internal and external relationships, effective collaborative and open information sharing is critical for sustainability and growth of the Institute. The VP for Research Operations will enhance communication by:

• Effectively analyzing and presenting data to influence behavior, stimulate innovation, promote best practices, and drive organizational change;
• Strengthening relationships among the various research within DFCI and among local and affiliated institutions to increase alignment with common goals;
• Sustaining and growing relationships with national and international research organizations such as the NIH to increase timely information flow to DFCI;
• Influencing with and without authority
• Proactively problem solving and balancing the role of compliance/regulation with entrepreneurship to drive science discovery.

Other Personal Characteristics

• Passionate for the mission of DFCI. Dedicated and energetic with the highest personal integrity.
• Deep ability to listen, learn and assimilate information for action.
• Highly experienced and applies past learning to new setting and does not assume what worked elsewhere will apply at DFCI.
• Superior leadership, communication, facilitation and customer service skills.
• Able to strike the right balance between regulatory and compliance requirements with innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to research.
• Committed to collaborative research across departments and institutions, as opposed to a “silo-oriented” type of thinking; someone who is skilled at building consensus and who is flexible, collaborative and adaptable in approach and demeanor.
• An extremely bright individual who enjoys working with and supporting extraordinary and confident scientists, and who is comfortable dealing with other leaders in a selfless manner.
• Facilitative leadership style, but able to make decisions and execute upon them. Able to assimilate into the DFCI culture without losing his/her own independence.
• Excellent talent manager, developer and evaluator. Able to delegate appropriately and build strong, independent, high-functioning teams

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other groups as protected by law.

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