Senior Research Operations Manager IVPRL, Department of Surgery

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Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU's sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

School Of Medicine MBU

Surgery

The Injury and Violence Prevention Research Lab (IVPRL), led by Dr. Nicholas

D. Thomson, is accepting applications for a Senior Research Operations Manager. The lab conducts multidisciplinary research to understand and prevent violence and externalizing disorders across the lifespan. This includes NIH- and CDC-funded research evaluating firearm violence prevention, youth and intimate partner violence, substance use, and experimental studies examining developmental psychopathology. The research portfolio integrates innovative technologies—including virtual reality (VR), psychophysiology, and biomarkers—to improve prevention and intervention strategies.

Learn more at:
About | Injury & Violence Prevention Program | VCU Health.

This senior leadership position is focused on the strategic oversight of a growing clinical and experimental research portfolio. The Senior Research Operations Manager will supervise Clinical Research Coordinators, Lead Coordinators, and low- and mid-level managers, and will be responsible for ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and fiscal accountability across all federally funded projects. The role requires deep expertise in research operations, clinical coordination, and innovative data collection, with a focus on biopsychosocial risk and protective factors related to violence and externalizing behavior in youth and adults.

• Supervise and support Clinical Research Coordinators, Lead Coordinators, and Managers
• Oversee personnel onboarding, training, and professional development
• Lead cross‑functional team coordination and foster a collaborative lab culture

• Manage all IRB submissions, amendments, continuing reviews, and protocol adherence
• Prepare and submit annual reports (RPPR), closeout reports, and milestone updates for NIH and CDC grants
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations and internal policies related to research conduct, ethics, and data protection
• Work with industry on industry‑sponsored research

• Coordinate administrative tasks and timelines for new grant submissions
• Manage budgets, personnel allocations, and procurement for active projects
• Oversee and be responsible for data sharing plans and reporting to NIH, including NIMH Data Archive uploads and tracking project milestones

• Ensure successful implementation of clinical and experimental research protocols
• Provide oversight for participant tracking, recruitment, retention strategies, and data collection processes
• Troubleshoot operational challenges and recommend improvements to increase efficiency and impact

• Conduct or supervise clinical interviews with high‑risk youth and adults
• Oversee psycho-physiological (PEP, RSA, HRV, HR, facial EMG) and biomarker (e.g., phlebotomy) data collection
• Ensure fidelity and function of Biopac, Mindware, and related physiological systems
• Lead integration and troubleshooting of VR technology for intervention and assessment
• Conduct and supervise data cleaning, coding, and analysis using SPSS and R

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Master's degree in psychology, public health, neuroscience, or a related field (PhD preferred)
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in research operations, including leadership on federally funded (NIH/CDC) projects
• Demonstrated experience with IRB submissions, regulatory compliance, and federal grant reporting (RPPRs, milestone tracking, and…