Associate Director of Research Strategy and Development

Associate Director Of Research Strategy And Development

The Associate Director of Research Strategy and Development is a senior strategic leader responsible for advancing the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center's research vision, priorities, and long-term growth. Serving as a key advisor to the Cancer Center's leadership, this role shapes research strategy, informs institutional planning, and translates scientific ambition into coordinated initiatives, research partnerships, and funding opportunities. The Associate Director integrates strategic analysis, institutional advising, staff leadership, team science, proposal development, and initiative management to strengthen the Cancer Center's research enterprise and position it for sustained impact and competitiveness.

Working across basic, translational, clinical, population science, and community-engaged research domains, this position aligns Cancer Center priorities with emerging scientific opportunities and broader institutional goals. The Associate Director serves as a key liaison with the University's Provost Office of Research Development to advance university-wide research initiatives and ensure alignment between Cancer Center strategy and institutional research priorities. The role also serves on the steering committee of the Therapeutic Discovery Institute and works closely with its Managing Director to advance collaborative opportunities, programmatic growth, and strategic alignment.

In partnership with Foundation and Corporate Relations, Medicine and Biological Sciences Development, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Corporate Engagement Office, the Associate Director helps align funding opportunities with research priorities to support the long-term sustainability of strategic initiatives. Through strategic planning, research development, collaboration-building, project leadership, analytics, and communications, the Associate Director advances the Cancer Center's mission and research growth.

Responsibilities include:

• Research Strategy and Institutional Planning
• Strategic Advising and Cross-Institutional Leadership
• Strategic Research Development and Team Science
• Strategic Initiative and Project Leadership
• Research Analytics and Strategic Communications

Minimum qualifications include a college or university degree in a related field and 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include a PhD in a relevant scientific discipline, significant professional experience in research development, strategic planning, academic research administration, scientific program development, or a related field, and demonstrated experience supporting complex, interdisciplinary, or large-scale research initiatives in an academic medical center, cancer center, research university, or similar environment.