Associate Director, Business Operations and Strategic Planning

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $110,000 - $135,000

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Office (CTO), the Associate Director for Operations (Associate Director) is responsible for the management and oversight of business operations and finance in the CTO at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH). In addition, the Associate Director will participate in special projects relating to business operations and finance in the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA).

The CTO, which operates as a joint venture between VP&S and NYPH, assists Columbia University (University) faculty and academic/research staff in the development of industry sponsored and investigator initiated clinical trials and clinical research (collectively, Clinical Trials) and provides administrative resources and infrastructure to build and sustain Clinical Trial research at the University. SPA is responsible for proposal and contract review, proposal submission, award set up and related activities for all externally sponsored research at the University other than Clinical Trials.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Executive Director for Clinical Trials Office (ED), the Office of the EVPR, the Office of the Dean of VP&S, the Office of the Controller, including Research Policy and Indirect Cost, the Office of the General Counsel, VP&S Faculty and NYPH administration in meeting the institutional needs with respect to the CTO's financial management, quality assurance, training and process-improvement goals.
• Develops and implements policies and procedures designed to ensure that the financial responsibilities of government, private, and industry sponsored research are carried out in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including those promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the rules of the Joint Commission.
• Management, development, and execution of the financial IT systems and data within the CTO.
• Develops and implements financial policies and procedures for the CTO.
• Assesses financial data security and management practices in the CTO.
• Ensures compliance with government and University rules and regulations relating to financial aspects of Clinical Trials.
• Collaborates with the ED and the CTO directors in the oversight of all post-award activities for Clinical Trials, including billing and collections, reporting and reconciliation of financial results and oversight of collections from sponsors.
• Supports leadership and operational teams in integrating change management activities as part of continual process improvement initiatives.
• Partners with operational teams in ensuring that policies, procedures, and processes are developed, maintained, and documented to ensure efficient workflow and transparency with respect to Clinical Trials.
• Establishes and implements HR policies and procedures for the CTO.
• Provides analyses of budgets and financial projections regularly and as requested by the ED, the EVPR and other institutional officials.
• Analyzes, reconciles and reports on comparative financial data from peer institutions.
• Participates in special projects relating to the business and financial aspects of SPA, as assigned by the ED.
• Performs related duties & responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus five years of related experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Business Administration
• In-depth knowledge of the financial and business aspects of research.
• Demonstrable ability to collaborate with partners in research (including government, foundation and industry sponsors), investigators and research staff.
• Expert knowledge of analysis of financial data and preparation of budgets and financial reports.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strong computer skills required, including, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Access, and SharePoint

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.