Assistant Vice President for Research, Compliance

Assistant Vice President for Research, Compliance

The Assistant Vice President for Research, Compliance (AVP), reporting directly to the Chief Research Operations Officer (CROO), is a key member of the senior leadership team in Northwestern University's Office for Research (OR). The AVP is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the efficient and effective operations of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Office, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Office. The Conflict of Interest Office (COI) reports to the University's Risk and Compliance Office, with dotted-line report to the AVP.

The AVP keeps the CROO informed of developments, particularly at the federal level, within and related to the AVP's areas of responsibility, providing recommendations and seeking counsel from the CROO in order to ensure the ongoing delivery of outstanding service to Northwestern's research community while maintaining and enhancing compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements.

Specific to the University's Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), the AVP serves as the Institutional Official under the University's Federalwide Assurance, as well as pursuant to the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) accreditation and is hence responsible for the appropriate functioning of the HRPP. Specific to the University's IACUC, the AVP serves as the Institutional Official ensuring that the animal care and use program function effectively and that the appropriate resources and support are provided to comply with all regulatory requirements.

Additionally, as the University provides human research, animal research, and conflict of interest administrative support to the University's clinical affiliates (Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago / Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute), the AVP is actively engaged in building and maintaining relationships with these entities. Through service on various University committees, including Research Compliance, IRB Chairs, IACUC (ex-officio), Conflict of Interest Oversight, Feinberg School of Medicine Conflict of Interest, the AVP influences policy and process, building consensus and consistency in coordination with other units and schools. The Assistant Vice President for Research will support the OR mission and values of understanding empathy, modeling accountability, ensuring fairness, embracing community, and valuing creativity.

Specific Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Vice President for Research (VPR), the CROO, other AVPs and unit directors in OR to create a collegial and mutually reinforcing management team in alignment with the OR Values.
• Understand and keep abreast of federal and state regulatory environments and University policies relating to all reporting areas in order to ensure the VPR, CROO and senior leadership are apprised of research regulatory issues and significant new developments.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the IRB Office and IACUC Office, ensuring they are structured and resourced to provide efficient and effective support to the research community in compliance with regulatory and legal obligations.
• Collaborate with schools and units across the University, addressing areas of concern and enhancing support for the research enterprise.
• Responsible for the appropriate functioning of the University's Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) : Serve as the Institutional Official for the University's Federalwide Assurance, assuring compliance with the U.S. federal regulations for the protection of human subjects in research; Serve as the Institutional Official for the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) accreditation, indicating that the university follows rigorous standards for ethics, quality, and protections for human research.
• Responsible for the appropriate functioning of the University's IACUC and animal oversight program. Serve as the Institutional Official ensuring that the animal care and use program function effectively and that the appropriate resources and support are provided to comply with all regulatory requirements.
• Provide guidance on research-related COI policy, procedures and emergent matters; over 90% of COI matters are within the research context. The research COI program covers >

4,000 active Investigators on >

10,000 projects.

Minimum Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Target hiring range for this position will be between $240,000-$290,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.