Program Administrator, Pulmonary

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Job ID54677

Location

Chicago, Illinois

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Department: MED-Pulmonary

Salary/Grade: EXS/7

Job Summary:

Oversees a major division/department-wide program. Provides direction and thought leadership to develop strategic administrative initiatives that meet the mission/objective of the program. Oversees the effective, compliant, & efficient daily management of all operational, financial, & business functions in support of the program & in coordination with central offices such as HR, Budget, Facilities, IT, & Provost. Represents program on internal & external business affairs & is viewed as an expert resource regarding program administrative affairs. The program/project is summarized below.

The Research Accelerator Unit (RAU) provides centralized clinical research infrastructure to support extramurally-funded clinical trials across the Divisions of Allergy/Immunology, Hematology/Oncology (CAR-T Autoimmune Disease section), Pulmonary/Critical Care, and Rheumatology. The unit delivers the operational and financial support necessary to advance clinical studies from start-up through close-out, enabling investigators to conduct high-quality research efficiently and compliantly.

The RAU currently supports approximately 65 active projects and is expected to expand to nearly 80 projects in FY2027. Moreover, they manage 105 investigator-initiated or industry-sponsored trials, with another 18 trials in start-up. As the portfolio grows, the unit plays an essential role in ensuring financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and continued growth of the Department's clinical research endeavors.

The Program Administrator will support the business and financial operations of this expanding research portfolio. The position will oversee key administrative and fiscal functions, including clinical trial budget negotiations, contract execution, sponsor invoicing, payment reconciliation, and financial reporting. The role will also assist leadership in monitoring portfolio performance, aligning staffing resources with study activity and revenue, and identifying opportunities to improve operational efficiency and scalability.

Administration

Budget & Financial

Communications

Evaluation

Grants/Contracts

Outreach

Program Development

Recruitment

Strategic Planning

Specific Responsibilities

Administration

Directs and leads development of program/project strategic plan.

Oversees & ensures that day-to-day operations are appropriately managed, efficient and effective.

Operationalizes goals & objectives; ensures that resources are created or obtained.

Manages customer service; creates associated practices & procedures & metrics to measure success.

Analyzes data & recommends & implements changes & improvement to better ensure attainment of mission.

Manages logistics requirements, including facilities, venue, scheduling, technology, instruction, catering, etc.

Oversees documentation of agreements between NU and partner institutions, ensuring that agreements are complete and reviewed by all necessary NU officials.

Participates in developing IT strategy to meet the mission & needs of program/project.

Ensures necessary hardware, software & network infrastructure technology services are appropriated from central or internal IT.

Budgets & Financial

Ensures that the program/project meets associated revenue & expense goals.

Develops and implements ideas for improving business processes, and increasing program/project revenues and margins.

Plans & manages complex budget(s) which fund strategic mission including financial sustainability & enhancement models.

Plans & implements annual budget process.

Oversees all daily, monthly & annual financial activities including transactions, analysis, & reporting.

Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.

Communication, Outreach & Recruitment

Directs program/project marketing/branding efforts.

Identifies and implements short- and long-term strategies and plans to meet program/project goals.

Engages in outreach/field relations serving a number of goals, including recruitment, participation, sponsorship, relationship building, etc. to support continued program/project development & improvement.

Interacts with internal/external resources & organizations to identify new markets & opportunities.

Builds relationships with program/project alumni to develop and cultivate professional networks, financial resources, and sense of community among alumni.

Evaluation

Oversees development & implementation of evaluation processes, quantitative & qualitative measurements that ensure that program/project benchmarks are successfully attained and communicated in a timely and efficient manner.

Manages evaluation processes; recommends & implements changes for enhancement; monitors effectiveness through follow-up evaluation studies.

Collaborates with internal/external resources to develop meaningful outcome measurements and methods of program/project evaluation that will lead to enhancement.

Grants & Contracts

Manages professional research administration support staff in order to facilitate & enhance all administrative grant processes & related compliance.

Responsible for pre- & post-award administration completed by research administrators.

Builds relationships with Principal Investigators (PIs) & NU research associated offices

Transfers knowledge & advises on research policy & procedure.

Manages payroll administration for research appointments.

Program Development

Manages goals, objectives, outcome measurements and metrics, financial feasibility, marketing strategies and collaboration opportunities with other internal and external organizations.

Manages the ongoing development and refinement of the program's/project's current and future curriculum and course offerings in consultation with subject matter experts.

Manages the recruits, hires, and directs instructors/faculty.

Provides leadership for planning, scheduling, delivering and maintaining program(s)/project(s) to sustain quality instruction in all educational activity.

Manages for consistently high quality standards across all partner programs/projects, including admissions, teaching, grading, service levels, and facilities.

Strategic Planning

Creates & leads a coordinated program of activities designed to increase program/project objectives.

Develops & executes strategies to involve internal/external constituents and cultivate new individual, corporate, institutional &/or foundation collaborations

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

4 years program/project administration or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

Ability to successfully complete the requirements of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Research Access Program.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

Prior working experience involving budget development and contract negotiations in an academic research setting.

Prior working experience involving budgeting for CAR-T clinical trials.

Prior working experience involving multidisciplinary teams.

Skill/knowledge in the use of the CERES enterprise system.

Action oriented - Willing or likely to take practical action to deal with a problem or situation.

Coachability - Receptive to feedback, willing to learn, embracing continuous improvement.

Collaboration - Facilitates open and effective communication, cooperation and teamwork within and outside of one's own team.

Collegiality - Helpful, respectful, approachable; builds strong working relationships and a positive work environment.

Initiative - Exhibits energy and desire to achieve; sets ambitious goals and acts decisively; takes action that no one has requested to improve or enhance job results and avoid problems.

Meets deadlines - Displays consistency and success in adhering to deadlines.

Multi-tasking - Demonstrates ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

Organization - Plans, organizes and schedules in an efficient, productive manner; anticipates contingencies and pays attention to detail.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $63,080- 81,320 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs.

For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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