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Req #: 246692

Department: PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Posting Date: 06/06/2025

Closing Info:

Open Until Filled

Salary: 50% of $5,810 - $8,714 per month

Limited Recruitment: **Open to UW Employees only**

Shift: First Shift

Notes:

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf )

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the UW School of Medicine is the third largest clinical department within the School of Medicine with 330 full-time faculty members, 460 courtesy faculty members, and over 350 staff. Department faculty provide clinical services in 5 hospitals, 14 primary care locations, and several outpatient sites in addition to telepsychiatry consultations to more than 150 clinics in Washington and beyond. As the only academic psychiatry department serving the five state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho), the Department’s highly competitive residency training program is largely responsible for developing the mental health workforce in the Pacific Northwest. The Department’s robust research portfolio totals $67 million in grants and contracts per year for projects ranging from clinical neurosciences to treatment development to health policy and population health. The Department is recognized as an international leader in developing, testing, and implementing Collaborative Care, an integrated care model increasingly seen as a solution for population-based mental health care. Other areas of excellence include Addictions, Autism, High Risk Youth, Neurosciences, and Trauma, and the Department is developing innovative new programs in Technology and Mental Health, Global Mental Health, Maternal and Child Mental Health, and Targeted Intervention Development. Psychiatry is the third largest department in the School of Medicine and the largest non-divisioned department. The overall annual operations funding from all sources is over $130 million.

The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences within the UW School of Medicine currently has an outstanding opportunity for a 50% FTE Program Operations Specialist.** **DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders and Overdose, directed by Dr. Marco Pravetoni, at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is focused on development of vaccines, antibody-based therapeutics, and small molecule pharmacotherapies to counteract opioid use disorders, drug overdoses, and the translation of these promising novel therapies into the clinical space. The Center manages a unique multidisciplinary research program integrating vaccine design, antibody engineering, formulation/delivery platforms and pre-clinical models among a wide variety of other studies to support regulatory approval and clinical evaluation, and ad hoc industry collaborations. We are seeking a Program Operations Specialist who will be responsible for overseeing administrative efforts and coordination of research operations to support multiple pre-clinical and clinical research programs, as well as the overall daily operations of the Center. The ideal candidate will support the Center Director and Principal Investigator (Marco Pravetoni) in managing the NIH- and industry-funded research portfolio by managing program operations, managing competing timelines, directing staff, and generally serving as the PIs delegate in operational and logistics matters.

The position is complex as the Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders and Overdose includes a large portfolio of NIH grants, industry contracts, and other types of research collaborations. The position will require understanding upstream management (i.e., interaction with the Center Director and other faculty collaborators), and downstream management (i.e., interaction with staff scientists, post-docs, and trainees). The individual will work under the general direction of the Center Director to ensure that the research operations of the Pravetoni Laboratory and Center as a whole are fully executed, and competing deadlines are met. This individual is expected to serve as the PI’s delegate with minimal or no instruction. For instance, the individual will be expected to interface on the PIs behalf with colleagues in the Center, the Department of Psychiatry, or the larger School of Medicine/University.

The position bridges the often-wide gap—real and perceived—between tribal communities and academia / government agencies, especially with respect to health research. By building mutually trusting relationships between community and academia / agencies, both sides will be able to address health disparities to the mutual benefit of community well-being and researchers.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** Direct Program Operations Activities (65%)

+ Daily running of the Center as the operational arm of the Center Director managing multiple complex sponsored projects. While the scientific mission of the program is still conducted by the Director and senior scientists, the Program Specialist will support this mission.

+ Coordinating with research investigators and staff to ensure completion of required trainings for all Center activities.

+ Support the PI and senior staff members in managing external contractors, and administrative steps required to manage contractors, such as manage document control for CDA, MTA, and SOW or other contractor-related documentation.

+ Responsibility for developing resources and materials for the Center, in partnership with the PI. They will maintain timelines and schedule meetings, as needed. They will also facilitate leadership and stakeholder team meetings to translate the research plan into action. This task may include drafting meeting agendas, and setting up Zoom meetings with participants.

+ Assists in the development of new initiatives and evolution of existing programs and projects.

+ Work independently and establish strategic timelines to ensure completion of operational tasks for the Center.

+ Collaborate with the Center Director in developing organizational charts and work plans to ensure efficient completion of tasks.

+ Project management of grant submissions and manuscript preparation. Collect all materials for grant submission and coordinate with UW ABC.

+ In collaboration with the PI and Center Research Manager, ensure the timely and effective completion of study activities according to the milestones and according to the approved budget. - Provide periodic status reports to Sponsors, PI, and other key personnel with regards to progress toward project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and any obstacles to achieving them.

+ Serve as liaison between the UW project team, research project partners, community partners and funding agency.

+ Monitor research budget expenditures and work with the PI, research manager, department fiscal managers and lab staff to ensure charges are allowable and allocable. In collaboration with the department Research Administration team, create and maintain spending projections to ensure that research activities will be completed within funding provided. Proactively identify budget issues, develop resolution plans with PI and the department grant manager and implement these plans.

+ Independently implement procedures, protocols, tools, materials, etc. for the Center. Identify problems, propose solutions, and implement those solutions following consultation with the PI. - Supervise creation and maintenance of study files, ensure audit readiness, and ensure files are maintained and stored in a manner and for a timeframe that meets regulatory requirements.

+ In collaboration with the department, supervise space allocation, and equipment procurement, when necessary.Team Management and Leadership Involvement (30%)

+ Under the direction of the Program Director, initiate the hiring of staff. In collaboration with the PI and Research Manager assist on oversee administrative tasks and documentations related to staff safety, training and general compliance.

+ Coordination of roles and responsibilities to ensure ongoing compliance with rules and regulations regarding the responsible conduct of research.

+ Interface with department HR to create job postings and check on appropriate leave reporting.

+ Interface with Department Leadership to ensure compliance with sponsor guidelines and budget management requirements.

+ Ensure effective and efficient team functioning.

+ Manage team communications. Establish an agenda, lead, and summarize team meetings.

+ Act as a change agent in developing and implementing process change within the research team.

+ Assist with fundraising and philanthropic endeavors.Other Duties as assigned (5%)Lead Responsibilities

+ The Program Manager will assist the PI in managing non-laboratory staff and support hiring, liaison with HR for recruitment, and monitoring leave reporting. **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS**

+ Bachelor's degree in public health, health administration, psychology, business administration or related field, AND a minimum of three years of job-related experience, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

+ Experience in managing at least one prior large complex project.

+ Experience with scientific research methodologies.

+ Must be self-directed and able to work independently, and under limited supervision, to complete assigned projects.

+ Effective interpersonal and leadership skills.

+ Excellent communication skills, in written and verbal English.

+ Demonstrated ability to analyze complex and non-routine issues requiring innovative solutions.

+ Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a dynamic organizational and technological environment.

+ Demonstrated ability to develop project plans/schedules and motivate team to meet deadlines.

+ Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply complex policies and regulations.

+ Demonstrated financial analysis skills, including preparing and presenting financial and quantitative analyses, financial projections, and budgets.

+ Significant project and clinical trial management experience or progressively responsible experience in a related position including regulatory and compliance responsibilities.

+ Experience with tracking database software, such as MS Access, REDCap, SQL, MS Excel and similar. **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS**

+ Master’s degree in relevant field, e.g. public health, health administration, psychology, business administration.

+ Experience managing complex research projects.

+ Previous industry or administrative experience in laboratories focused on medication/vaccine or other biomedical product development.

+ Fluency in spreadsheet software; ability to develop and maintain complex spreadsheets independently.

+ Experience in risk management and audit regarding federal and non-federal sponsors and regulating bodies.

+ Experience with grant application procedures, personnel documentation, contract generation and subcontracting, preferably at UW.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.