Director of Translational Research Operations

Job Description Summary

The Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) at the University of Pennsylvania aims to translate immune data into clinically actionable measurements, drive new discoveries, and shift paradigms of clinical care. I3H is seeking a Director for the Translational Research Unit who bridges scientific research with business and commercial goals.

This position serves as a senior leader responsible for developing business and product strategies, managing budgets, overseeing projects from conception to completion, and collaborating with cross-functional teams including R&D. The Director will translate complex scientific concepts for business purposes and ensure projects align with both scientific integrity and commercial viability.

The Director will manage the Translational Research Unit staff, develop and implement strategic objectives aligned with the larger goals of Immune Health, and support financial management and growth of the service center. This includes identifying and proposing improvements to enhance robustness, quality, and efficiency throughout the sample lifecycle; collaborating on service rate development and billing oversight; establishing QA/QC protocols; and serving as the primary point-of-contact for internal and external investigators.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage a team of operations and scientific professionals, setting and monitoring goals, addressing performance challenges, and overseeing hiring and onboarding for Translational Research Unit staff.
• Develop business and product strategies; work with the Director of Immune Health to align goals and strategy of the Translational Unit with overall goals of Immune Health.
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance to develop updated service rates, oversee billing for services, and provide quarterly reports capturing itemized expenditures and revenue.
• Serve as point-of-contact for internal and external investigators interested in using Translational Research Unit services; ensure seamless communication for new study planning and onboarding.
• Establish and oversee QA and QC protocols for each service in the Translational Research Unit, ensuring data is routinely recorded, organized, and stored; create and oversee project trackers.
• Identify and propose improvements to enhance robustness, quality, and efficiency throughout the sample lifecycle, working with the Assistant Directors of Processing and Platforms.
• Lead conceptual development and maintenance of client-facing website; develop internal- and external-facing tracking system for clinical cohorts and services in collaboration with the data infrastructure team.
• Work collaboratively with the Director of R&D to develop and implement new services; partner with communications staff to develop marketing materials; draft and negotiate MOUs for external partners.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science and 7 to 10 years or Master of Science and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. The individual should have proven experience in organizational growth, change leadership, and building high-functioning teams in a biomedical science environment. Experience in immunology is strongly preferred. The individual should have exceptional communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to represent the organization effectively at local, national, and global levels.

Position contingent upon funding.