Research Director, External Contracts – Select Agent Program

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Compensation: $120,000–$180,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Position Type/

Schedule:

Full-time, exempt. Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Occasional weekend work and work-related travel may be required based on operational needs. This position is fully on-site; remote work is not available.

Work Location: Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 S. Archer Rd., Bedford Park, IL 60501.

Work Authorization: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Illinois Tech is unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment-based visa for this position.

The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) Research Director, External Contracts & Select Agent Program provides scientific and operational leadership in alignment with IFSH strategic initiatives and its portfolio of funded research projects and grants, while serving as the Alternate Responsible Official (ARO) for the Moffett Campus Select Agent Program. This work includes externally funded projects, faculty collaborations, and leading a team to meet established goals and deliverables.

The Research Director will oversee project execution, support grant and contract development and implementation, supervise training and research staff, and ensure the production of high-quality scholarly and applied research. The Research Director will lead various aspects of research, particularly inactivation studies, high-pressure processing (HPP) validations, pilot plant activities, and related research initiatives, and will provide scientific advice to the IFSH Executive Director and research team.

As a condition of employment, the successful candidate must satisfy and maintain all applicable security clearance and access requirements associated with working in a secure research facility.

• Identify, develop, and manage a portfolio of funded research projects through the design, implementation, and evaluation of research programs.
• Supervise research scientists, project coordinators, postdoctoral fellows, and students, including performance management and professional development.
• Support pilot plant operations and related research activities, including responsibilities associated with serving as the Alternate Responsible Official (ARO) for the Moffett Campus Select Agent Program and supporting applicable regulatory, security, and compliance requirements.
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed journals and national and international conferences, and develop reports, briefs, and presentations for stakeholders.
• Guide and develop project budgets and resource allocation in alignment with university, sponsor, and regulatory requirements while managing project timelines, deliverables, and reporting obligations.

• Ph.D. in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field or related discipline, with 15+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) on significant grants and/or managing multiple contract research project.
• Demonstrated success securing external research funding and publishing scholarly work.
• Experience supervising and developing research personnel.
  
  Strong problem-solving, communication,…