Associate Director, Research

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full Time Professional The Chicago Lighthouse - Main Office, Chicago, IL, US

5 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To $95,000.00 Annually

Reporting to the Chief Research Officer, the Associate Director is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s research portfolio. The Associate Director is a skilled and collaborative leader who coordinates administrative functions to support efficient, effective operations. The Associate Director works closely with the Chief Research Officer and Director of Clinical and Scientific Initiatives to advance the organization’s research strategy, operational excellence, and department goals.

Approximately monthly travel to the organizational site, with occasional additional travel for conferences, meetings, and organizational events.

• Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, and deliverables for software, hardware, and clinical research activities
• Coordinate cross-functional research activities among academic, clinical, engineering, and commercial collaborators
• Support strategic partnerships with academic, clinical, and industry stakeholders to advance vision research and technology translation
• Communicate project status, technical risks, study findings, and milestone progress to internal teams and collaborators

• Lead clinical psychophysical testing for visual prosthesis research, including experimental design, condition planning, and data collection oversight
• Direct all aspects of clinical-trial data storage, access, and security for ongoing visual prosthesis research studies
• Analyze clinical data to inform insights into clinical devices and guide optimization
• Support regulatory documentation and submissions as needed for clinical research activities
• Direct system-level design and software development for the Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP)
• Develop, maintain, and document ICVP C# software in accordance with design-control practices and participant-safety requirements
• Design, implement, and execute unit- and system-level verification tests for visual prosthesis software
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies into prosthetic vision systems

• Collaborate with grants and development teams to identify funding opportunities aligned with organizational research priorities.
• Support the development and submission of grant applications, funding proposals, and other research-related funding materials.
• Coordinate with investigators, partners, and stakeholders to gather information and strengthen proposal submissions.
• Identify and communicate opportunities for research growth, innovation, and program expansion.
• Support proposal development by coordinating scientific content, budgets, timelines, and supporting documentation.
• Assist in cultivating relationships with funding organizations, research partners, and collaborators.

• Author and co-author peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference abstracts to disseminate research findings
• Present research outcomes at national and international conferences
• Provide expert peer review and editorial service for manuscripts submitted to leading journals in the field

• Mentor students and support research personnel and junior team members in research methods, data analysis, scientific communication, and professional development.
• Provide guidance and support to promote rigorous research practices, effective project execution, and dissemination of research findings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Research Officer.

• Commitment to our mission of providing opportunities for people who are blind, visually impaired, otherwise disabled, or are Veterans is essential.
• Master's…