Senior Scientific Project Manager

Department

BSD CTD - Gen3 Project Management

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/.

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.

Job Summary

The job leads a research project or contributes to the scientific direction of a research resource.
The Sr. Scientific Program Managers (SPM) have three main duties that support the Center's mission:
• First, SPMs lead teams at the Center that contribute to the solution of complex research challenges as part of a team science effort. Part of this role includes serving as PI, Co-Investigator or Key Personnel for projects.
• Second, SPMs contribute to the development of cloud-based data platforms that the Center develops for the translational data science research community by understanding the current and future scientific use cases of the platforms’ users and contributing to the development of innovative solutions. This responsibility includes working with software developers, architects, and other technical directors on project and product deliverables.
• Third, the SPM will act as a project manager who will work with technical staff to translate these research ideas into use cases, user stories, and implementable epics and tasks.

Responsibilities

• Prioritize technical tasks and deliverables in collaboration with and on behalf of the Center Director.

• Advocate for priorities and manage expectations with technical and scientific staff and executives internally and externally.

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

• Manage scope of projects with reasonable flexibility to drive scientific goals.

• Track progress of technical deliverables, communicating blockers, problems, and wins with appropriate levels of detail, depending on the audience.

• Interprets and collects data and trains others in the interpretation of data. Leads the dissemination of data and significantly contributes to scientific publications and grant writing.

• Leads others to solve complex problems, providing expertise to the team which includes of scientists and clinicians from the University and nationally.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a PhD in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Client management experience.

•  Experience leading cross-functional teams, either directly or indirectly.

•  Experience leading software development programs, projects, and/or products (especially SaaS), either directly or indirectly.

•  Familiarity with tools like Atlassian Jira/Confluence and/or other project management software tools.

•  Experience managing or working on federally funded projects/programs, or projects/programs funded by a grant, federal contractor, or OTA.

•  Experience working with software and data releases (open-source software experience strongly preferred).

•  Grant and scientific or technical writing experience.

•  Experience with information security regulations like FISMA, FedRAMP, or NIST.

Licenses or Certifications:

• Any of the following or similar certification or trainings: CAPM, PMI-ACP, DASM, DASSM, PMP, DAVSC, DAC, SAFe, or CSM.

Preferred Competencies

• Ability to lead teams to solve complex problems and propose innovative solutions.

• Ability to participate in complex team science projects, work effectively with other organizations, and represent and advocate for the Center.

• Familiarity with data science.

• Ability to learn about cloud computing and software development.

• Ability to learn about information security, compliance, and privacy.

• Experience with implementing machine learning & AI solutions (generative AI, fine-tuning models, custom model training and evaluation, LLMs, RAG).

Working Conditions

• Office or hybrid office/remote position.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover Letter (preferred)

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$130,000.00 - $160,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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