About Howard Brown Health Center: Howard Brown exists to eliminate the disparities in health care experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people through research, education and the provision of services that promote health and wellness. Founded in 1974, Howard Brown Health Center provides the finest cutting-edge, comprehensive healthcare and social services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community through primary medical care, counseling, social services, education, prevention, outreach and research. Howard Brown is the leading private provider of HIV and AIDS services in the Midwest and the only LGBTQ health center in the region. More than 36,000 adults and youth access services annually through our diverse health and social service delivery system focused around seven major programmatic divisions: primary medical care, behavioral health, research, HIV/STD prevention, youth services, elder services, and community initiatives. Howard Brown is a multi-site operation based in Chicago and includes a main health and research center in the Uptown neighborhood, Triad Health practice at Illinois Masonic Hospital, the Broadway Youth Center, and three Brown Elephant resale shops in Chicago and Oak Park. Howard Brown is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Vice President, Research. This is a full-time, senior-level position in our health center. JOB TITLE: REPORTS TO: Vice President, Research Senior Vice President & COO, Health Center Operations Position Summary*: The Vice President, Research is responsible for the strategic vision, leadership, and oversight of all Howard Brown Health Center research operations, and for ensuring its administrative integrity in collaboration with other department leaders. This program is administered through a large multidisciplinary department with funding from several private and public sources. Research projects are carried out in collaboration with many university-based investigators, community-based organizations, and other research organizations. Areas of research focus include, but are not limited to, LGBTQ health and health disparities, and HIV/AIDS/STI prevention. Responsibilities include financial oversight for the department, pre-award management, strategic planning for the department, development of collaborative relationships with local and national investigators, oversight of the agency Institutional Review Board/HIPAA activities, hiring/supervision and management of staff. Principal Duties and Responsibilities*: Strategic Leadership & Development Provide strategic vision, leadership, support, and planning to expand and promote research at HBHC.
Create and implement innovative ways to lead HBHC into a new era of research by leveraging HBHC research data and actively building relationships with and engaging external agencies and organizations to pursue new funding opportunities. Effectively identify and recruit new PI s to bring new research studies into HBHC. Advocate for and assist investigators to incorporate the HBHC mission, vision and strategic goals into study objectives. Explore and determine appropriate, creative sources for disseminating HBHC research data and findings on a national scale. Coordinate dissemination of research findings through the agency website, the research newsletter, and the bi-annual research breakfast series. Assist in the translation of research results and interventions for used in community-based programs. Encourage and engage staff to publish and present intramural and extramural study findings as part of ongoing professional development. Pursue professional and educational opportunities to continually enhance administrative and managerial skills. Study Development & Principal Investigator Collaboration Actively convene and support the Principal Investigator Advisory Committee, as well as serve as staff for the Board Research Committee. Actively identify and pursue research opportunities available through public and private sponsors in collaboration with individual investigators and others in accordance with HBHC mission. Actively research, pursue and secure private sources of funding (i.e., industry-formulated research protocols) through Collaborate with internal and external investigators in design of the administrative, scientific and operational aspects of research projects, including providing assistance where applicable, in pre- and post-award preparation, review, submission and management, as well as appropriate close-out of research project in coordination with Grants, Contracts and Finance departments. Administration Supervise Administrative Research Directors and other staff in conjunction with Principal Investigators. Monitor and address research staff effort reporting for sponsored research conducted at HBHC. In collaboration with Administrative Research Directors, oversee development and successful implementation of the annual strategic plan for the depart In collaboration with Administrative Research Directors, oversee development and implementation of annual departmental budget and ensure that expenses are in-line with revenue forecasts. Fulfill all executive administrative responsibilities including compliance with agency-wide procedures, including those of Grants and Contracts, Human Resources and Finance departments; prepare for and actively participate in regular Senior Leadership Team meetings; and serve on other ad hoc committees and task forces as required.
Effectively lead and manage all Research department staff to successfully attain required individual, team, department, and organizational goals and objectives. Track use of physical space by research department and advocate for additional space, as needed with President/CEO. Maintain departmental inventory of equipment (computers, printer, fax machine) and research-related software (e.g., SPSS, Medialab, EndNote) and add capacity, as needed. Compliance Oversee IRB functions and compliance with all federal regulations for conduct of research with human subjects and provide supervision of the Manager of Regulatory Compliance. Ensure that all staff receives regular training in protection of human subjects, confidentiality, HIPAA, and other related regulations and protocols. Adhere to all regulatory standards. Uphold all HIPAA and safety policies. Perform other duties as required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: The successful candidate will be a visionary who can drive the strategy for research at Howard Brown Health Center. Strong epidemiological experience and proficiency in conducting a significant amount of research are essential. We seek demonstrable experience at successfully engaging private sources of funding, coupled with the ability to effectively identify and recruit new primary investigators to initiate innovative research opportunities at Howard Brown Health Center. REQUIRED/MUST HAVE: Doctorate in public health, medicine, psychology, epidemiology, or related field Minimum 5 years of experience since completion of PhD Experience in pre-post award, and/or management of federally-funded research and research budgets Must have direct research experience, either as a PI or on the research team, on an LGBT health-related research project (and/or related areas such as HIV treatment). Recognized reputation and/or published body of work as an LGBTQ health Prefer applicants with experience working with multiple research areas Must be able to articulate a clear vision and strategy to expand HBHC s Research department and to effectively recruit new PI s. IN ADDITION, CANDIDATES SHOULD HAVE: Minimum 3 years of experience in project management and evaluation Expert knowledge of and familiarity with federal and clinical research regulations, including Institutional Review Boards, HIPAA, research integrity, etc. Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with others at all levels of the organization, both internally and externally. Includes excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills. Ability to prioritize a large and varied amount of administrative duties and deliver to tight schedules. Excellent writing and presentation skills, including the ability to write accurate and engagingly for a range of audiences. An understanding of and commitment to diversity and equality as it applies to the HBHC mission and Equal Opportunity policy. Knowledgeable of and proven ability to support research on LGBTQ health and social and behavioral health issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Intermediate ability with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote). Advanced abilities preferred. Working Conditions: Pleasant, professional health care center environment. Potential irregular hours, occasional late or weekend meetings/events. Extensive travel (25%-50%) may be necessary to develop effective relationships with outside agencies and organizations, and to attend meetings, professional conferences, and continuing education opportunities. Benefits The position of Vice President, Research is eligible for Howard Brown Health Center s full range of employer-sponsored benefits following thirty days of service. Insured benefits include medical, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. Other benefits include 401(k), health savings account, and Allied Care Solutions, our complementary employee assistance/resource and referral service. Paid time off benefits include: vacation, personal leave, and sick days, in addition to nine scheduled holidays. Application for Consideration For full consideration, please submit your resume and cover letter to talent@howardbrown.org with the email subject line: VP, Research. Equal Opportunity Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees at Howard Brown are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, veteran status, age, FMLA status, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state or local statutes.
*The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.