Research Project Manager

Department Overview

The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences is an independent research institute within OHSU that is dedicated to health and safety in the workplace. The Institute receives its base funding from the Oregon Workers' Compensation Fund and leverages this base funding to secure federal government grants in basic, clinical, and applied research. We perform biomedical/occupational research and innovation for a healthy workforce, aimed at promoting health and reducing disease and disability among workers across the nation, particularly in Oregon.

Function/Duties of Position

The research project manager (RPM)will oversee a diverse portfolio of research projects and a team of research staff under the direction of Dr. Nicole Bowles (PI and supervisor).

• The laboratory's research spans two primary areas:
  • Studies examining the interrelationships among cannabis and related substances, sleep, circadian rhythms, and health; and
  • Occupational health research with firefighters, first responders, and other high-risk worker populations, with a focus on sleep, circadian disruption, and modifiable working conditions.
• Projects include longitudinal observational and field-based studies, controlled human laboratory studies, and translational research requiring coordination across human, preclinical, and regulatory activities.
• The principal responsibility of this position is providing operational leadership across the laboratory's research portfolio by translating study and program priorities into coordinated activities for the research team.
• Working with the PI, the project manager will establish project plans, timelines, responsibilities, and milestones; delegate activities to research staff; and ensure that required activities are completed on schedule and to appropriate standards.
• This includes oversight of new study start-up, active studies, and study close-out; IRB and regulatory requirements; recruitment and participant scheduling; data collection and management; and FDA/IND and controlled-substance requirements as applicable.
• The project manager will anticipate deadlines and resource needs, identify operational barriers, and work with staff and the PI to resolve or escalation issues as appropriate.
• The position provides indirect leadership and daily oversight to research staff, students, and volunteers, including setting clear expectations, helping staff prioritize competing responsibilities for projects, providing timely and constructive feedback, and holding team members accountable for assigned work and study milestones.
• The RPM will ensure appropriate staff training and protocol adherence and coordinate staffing and resources across concurrent studies as directed by the PI/supervisor.
• The RPM will also coordinate interactions with research cores, external vendors, and regulatory groups and ensure that resulting activities, documentation, and deliverables are completed as required.
• Additional responsibilities include coordinating materials and staff activities needed for grant submissions and progress reports, manuscripts and presentations, study documentation, and the implementation of newly funded projects.
• By coordinating people, resources, regulatory activities, and study timelines across the laboratory's research portfolio, the RPM will provide the operational structure necessary to advance an interdisciplinary research program spanning mechanistic, clinical, and applied occupational science.

Required Qualifications

• Master's in relevant field AND 3 years ofrelevant experience in clinical or human-subjectsresearch. OR
• Equivalent combination of Bachelor's in relevantfield in conjunction with training and experiencemay be considered.
• Experience in clinical or human-subjects research,including experience with complex, longitudinal,interventional, and/or federally funded researchstudies), and understanding of human-subjectregulatory requirements, such as GCP (GoodClinicalPractice), FDA/ICH requirements, IRBprocesses, and HIPAA.
• Experience performingresearch project, program, or laboratorymanagement functions, including coordinatingday-to-day operations across multiple concurrentstudies or projects.

Skills and Abilities

• Background in workplace or public healthinterventions (safety, health or well-being),healthcare, academic institution, construction orfirst-responder industries within the last 5 years.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintainproject plans, timelines, milestones, staffingplans, and deliverables and independently trackwork through completion.
• Demonstrated proficiency developing orimplementing SOPs, regulatory tracking systems,and quality-control procedures.
• Demonstrated proficiency supporting grantsubmissions, progress reports, manuscripts, andscientific presentations.
• Skill in providing functional leadership toresearch staff, including assigning andprioritizing daily activities, monitoringcompletion and quality of work, training andmentoring staff, identifying missed deadlines orperformance concerns, and escalating concerns tothe PI or appropriate supervisor.
• Demonstrated proficiency and experienceoverseeing human-subjects research and IRBactivities across the study lifecycle, includingstudy start-up, data-quality practices, regulatorycompliance, amendments, continuingreview/reporting requirements, protocoldeviations, and study close-out.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate researchactivities across investigators, research staff,institutional offices, research cores, vendors,and/or other external entities, including researchsponsors, regulatory agencies and communitystakeholders.
• Demonstrated proficiency with research data management systems such as REDCap, including oversight of study setup, data completeness, and data-quality processes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management/tracking tools.
• Demonstrated project-management skills,including the ability to simultaneously managemultiple complex research projects; establishpriorities, dependencies, timelines, andmilestones; and consistently drive activities totimely completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant fieldand at least 5 years ofprogressively responsibleexperience in clinical or human subjects research, includingexperience with complex,longitudinal, interventional, and/orfederally funded research studies,as well as at least 2 years ofexperience performing researchproject, program, or laboratorymanagement functions, includingcoordinating day-to-day operationsacross multiple concurrent studiesor projects.
• Experience in research involvingsleep/circadian rhythms, cannabisor substance use, occupationalhealth, or first-responderpopulations.
• Formal training certificate (e.g.,SoCRA, CRA), coursework, and/orexperience in project management.
• Knowledge/use of project management approaches and toolsfor tracking responsibilities,dependencies, timelines,milestones, and deliverables.
• Experience in data collection,management, and processing,including computing descriptivestatistics and making charts andgraphs.
• Prior involvement in studiesregulated under an FDA IND orIDE (Investigational DeviceExemption.
• Understanding of DEA controlled substance regulations, including storage, security, inventory, andrecordkeeping.
• Ability to draft, implement, andoversee standard operatingprocedures (SOPs) for handlingSchedule I substances.
• Prior experience with grant writing,progress reports, or manuscriptpreparation.

Additional Details

Working hours are typically weekday daytime hours. This is a 0.5 FTE position with work hours distributedacross at least four weekdays to provide continuity for research operations, staff coordination, and projectoversight.

Occasional schedule flexibility may be required for time-sensitive study or regulatory needs; however, routine evening, overnight, and weekend work is not expected. The position requires regular on-site work and may require occasional travel. Some teleworking may be negotiated.

Why apply to OHSU?

We are Oregon's only public academic health center. In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington. All are welcome. OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply. To request reasonable accommodation, contact View email address on click.appcast.io #J-18808-Ljbffr