Director, Strategic Research and Innovation Partnerships/Chief of Staff

Job Title

Strategic Leadership & Enterprise Execution

Operational & Organizational Effectiveness

Executive Communications & Strategic Messaging

Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

Decision Support & Strategic Analysis

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in a biomedical or STEM discipline or closely related field with strong scientific literacy.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in strategic planning, operations or research administration within a research-intensive environment.
• Exceptional organizational, project management, scientific and proposal writing and executive communication skills.
• Proven ability to navigate complex organizations and build high-impact partnerships.
• Experience preparing executive-level communications, presentations, and reports.
• Ability to lead through influence and collaborate across diverse stakeholders, including the engagement of university students in the missions of research, entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Familiarity with university-based workforce development programs to work with faculty and learners at all levels within the university student body.
• Ability to work collaboratively, with social skills and EQ.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience in higher education administration, scientific and proposal writing, research development or research enterprise leadership.
• Track record of leading enterprise-wide initiatives and strategic transformations.
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills with the ability to translate complexity into actionable strategy.
• Familiarity with federal research funding, compliance environments and interdisciplinary research and industry initiatives.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.