Clinical Research Technician

About The Department

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) is an integral component of the Biological Sciences Division (BSD). The BSD is the largest of four divisions of the University and includes the Pritzker School of Medicine. UCCCC administers four established scientific programs, and the NCI-sponsored Cancer Center Support Grant funds ten Shared Resources. The Comprehensive Cancer Center comprises over 200 faculty members from twenty departments, with members currently being awarded over $51 million in total direct-costs in peer‑reviewed cancer research grants, and $24 million in non‑peer‑reviewed grants and contracts.

The activities of the Center are broad and varied, including research, training and education, marketing and communications, fundraising, data analytics, clinical trials management, and community outreach and engagement.

The UCCCC has one of the largest cancer clinical trials programs in the country and in the Chicago area, with more than 450 adult and pediatric therapeutic trials actively accruing patients. Many of these studies are investigator‑initiated, including Phase I or I/II trials, demonstrating UCCCC’s commitment to translating basic research findings to the clinic through proof‑of‑principle and early‑phase studies. UCCCC opens over 130 new trials each year and accrues approximately 800 participants to therapeutic trials each year.

BSD CCC – Biofluids Core

The job provides technical research support for collecting, documenting, and reporting on moderately complex clinical studies. The Clinical Research Specialist will assist the Hematology/Oncology research team in adhering to protocol requirements and will gain direct patient experience in cancer clinical research and perform laboratory work in IV therapy. 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.

• Schedules patient appointments, reconciles PK schedule with sample collection kits, and organizes kits.
• Tracks study deviations.
• Collects blood occasionally to support the nursing staff, processes, and ships patient specimens.
• Conducts ECGs and transmits results to clinical trial sponsors; maintains up‑to‑date and accurate usage logs of samples processed and ECG collections.
• Organizes and inventories samples in ultralow temperature freezers and assists with creating flow sheets according to instructions on study protocols and lab manuals.
• Attends qualification and site initiation visits from study sponsors.
• Helps train new team members.
• Participates in the daily activities of moderately complex clinical studies and performs various activities including patient data retrieval, documenting clinical research records, and participation in program audits. Contributes to problem solving on assigned clinical research studies and tasks.
• Uses knowledge of clinical studies to coordinate the collection of analyzable clinical research data and/or samples.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in a related field (not typically required to have a four‑year degree).

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2–5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

• Bachelor of Science in a related field.

• Basic lab skills such as aliquoting and weighing specimens, and computer skills (Word and Excel).

• Ability to interact and communicate with clarity, tact, and courtesy with patrons, patients, staff, faculty, students, and others.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong data management skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the Microsoft Suite, including Outlook.
• Ability to understand complex documents (e.g., clinical trials).
• Ability to handle competing demands with…