Associate Director E, Research

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director E, Research

Job Profile Title

Associate Director E, Research

Job Description Summary

The Tolbert Laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania is recruiting a senior research scientist to help build a new interdisciplinary initiative in partnership with the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation focused on uncovering the mechanistic principles that govern RNA-protein complexes and translating these insights into new therapeutic strategies.

This initiative intentionally integrates structural biology, biophysics, computational modeling, chemical biology, and RNA biology to investigate regulatory RNA-protein interactions involved in human and infectious disease. The preferred candidate will play a central leadership role in coordinating the scientific and operational activities of the program while working closely with the Principal Investigator and key stakeholders to drive research strategy and collaborative initiatives.

They will also play a central leadership role in overseeing the day-to-day scientific operations, coordinating research activities across multiple project teams, and helping drive scientific progress across a portfolio of collaborative projects.

Position contingent on continued funding.

Job Description

The primary purpose of this position is to build a new interdisciplinary initiative in partnership with the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation focused on uncovering the mechanistic principles that govern RNA-protein complexes in human disease and translating these insights into new therapeutic targets. Given the scope, the position requires a senior level  scientist who will play a central leadership role in coordinating scientific and operational activities of the initiative while working closely with the PI (Blanton S.

Tolbert) and key stakeholders. Position contingent on continued funding.

Job Responsibilities

+ Oversee day-to-day scientific and operational activities of the research initiative

+ Coordinate research projects spanning biochemistry, structural biology, computational modeling, and RNA biology

+ Facilitate communication and collaboration among internal lab members and external collaborators

+ Contribute to experimental design, data interpretation, and strategic planning

+ Supervise and mentor 1-2 research technicians and help coordinate the work of trainees

+ Assist with program management including meetings, project tracking and reporting

+ Support manuscript preparation, grant development, and scientific reporting

+ Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

+  Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and 7 to 10 years of experience or Masters of Science, Masters of Arts, and 5 to 7 or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. PhD in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, structural biology, or a related field and 5-10 years of research experience beyond the PhD, including postdoctoral and/or industry experience strongly preferred.

+  Expertise in at least one relevant area such as RNA biology, RNA-protein interactions, structural biology, computational modeling, or chemical biology.

+ Experience working in interdisciplinary research environments is preferred.

+ Strong organizational, leadership, and project management skills.

+ Intellectual curiosity and high degree of emotional intelligence.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$93,500.00 - $ Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience,…