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.

 

The research project manager will work on a variety of projects under the direction of Dr. Nicole Bowles (PI). The project manager will oversee multiple research projects spanning two primary areas of focus: (1) studies examining the interconnection between cannabis and related substances, sleep, and circadian rhythms; and (2) programs with firefighter and first-responder populations addressing occupational health, including the impact of sleep and circadian disruption. A central responsibility of this role is managing day-to-day operations across these projects while maintaining and building community relationships that expand the reach and impact of the research program.

Function/Duties of Position

Technical

• Provides complex scientific and technical leadership in determining research priorities and the plan, design and execution of research projects, ensuring that programs of investigation meet specified objectives.
• Plans, develops, and implements new processes and protocols to support research studies and maximize/extend study capabilities.
• Oversees completion of study activities per protocol.
• Ensures that study protocols follow appropriate rules and regulations and reviews study progress and recommends revisions, amendments, and/or other study changes as necessary to better meet needs of sponsors.
• Reviews scientific literature and evaluates and recommends applicable techniques and procedures.

Administrative

• Analyzes, evaluates, and interprets data to determine relevance to research.
• Assists PI in developing statistical methods and models to analyze and report data based upon study requirements.
• Prepares results and may co-author scientific papers for presentation and publication and disseminates information via seminars, lectures, etc.
• Creates data for use in grant submission and develop new proposals for research including obtaining financial support.
• Acts as liaison between sponsoring agencies, collaborating organizations, and/or other research and/or educational institutions.
• Ensures that all study documents associated with current local, state, and federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws, and research protocols are completed in a timely manner.

Supervisory

• Trains, directs, and assigns duties to and may supervise students, residents, and/or postdocs.
• Acts as a mentor in regard to education of junior coordinators.

Financial

• Negotiates prices and specifications with vendors.
• Purchases supplies, materials, equipment, and services.
• Ensures appropriate allocation, and compliance.
• Invoices study sponsors for study tests/procedures.
• Coordinates and participates in budgetary negotiations with industry sponsors.
• May create and/or manage research study budget, including deciding on and approving expenditures of funds based on budget.

Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field and 3 years of relevant experience; OR
• Equivalent combination of Bachelor’s degree in relevant field in conjunction with training and experience may be considered.
• Experience or skills with project management, supervision, and overseeing research studies is required.
• Experience and skills in conducting human-subject studies (e.g., prior IRBapproved protocols, GCP training, experience with safety monitoring and adverse-event monitoring.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
• Good organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Discretion when dealing with issues of a sensitive nature to maintain participant confidentiality.
• Integrity in regard to interactions with others and in performing research.
• Ability to gather, compile, analyze and maintain, in a range of formats, information from a variety of sources,including research publications, web sources, and internal and external contacts.
• Ability to be self-motivated, to prioritize effectively and achieve deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills, including resource allocation, task tracking, and meeting milestones.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field and 3 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with data management and descriptive analyses, making charts and figures, survey construction, and general health or safety interventions are desirable.
• Experience in occupational safety and health, or FDA regulatory processes.
• Training certificate, coursework, and/or experience in project management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex multiyear, multi-site, or longitudinal studies.
• Experience in data collection, management, and processing, including computing descriptive statistics and making charts and graphs.
• Competence with data management systems (e.g., REDCap, electronic lab notebooks, clinical trial databases).
• Experience supervising and training junior staff, students, or interns.
• Ability to create project plans and timelines, prioritize and delegate work to meet project milestones, and think ahead to anticipate and mitigate problems.
• Experience and expertise in workplace or public-health interventions (safety, health, or well-being).
• Experience in healthcare, construction, or first-responder industries.
• Topical knowledge or expertise in work stress, psychological well-being, epidemiological surveillance, or occupational injuries/fatalities.
• Ability to liaise with external partners, including research sponsors, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders (e.g., first responder organizations).
• Comfort engaging with community partners and maintaining collaborative relationships.
• Prior involvement in studies regulated under an FDA IND or IDE (Investigational Device Exemption).
• Understanding of DEA controlled substance regulations, including storage, security, inventory, and recordkeeping.
• Ability to draft, implement, and oversee standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling Schedule I substances.
• Hands-on experience with human subjects research, ideally in substance use, sleep, or circadian biology.
• Familiarity with noninvasive physiological data collection (e.g., EKG, blood pressure, actigraphy, sleep monitoring, temperature sensors).
• Prior experience with grant writing, progress reports, or manuscript preparation.

Additional Details

Working hours of this are typically weekday day shifts, but evening, overnight, and weekend shifts will be required regularly. Interacting with research participants is required. Requires ongoing on-site work and may require travel. Some teleworking may be negotiated.

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or [email protected].