Research Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL

Department

BSD CCC - Administration

About the Department

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) is an integral component of the Biological Sciences Division (BSD). The BSD is the largest of four Divisions of the University and includes the Pritzker School of Medicine. UCCCC administers four established scientific programs, and the NCI-sponsored Cancer Center Support Grant funds ten Shared Resources. The Comprehensive Cancer Center comprises over 200 faculty members from twenty departments, with members currently being awarded over $51million in total direct costs in peer-reviewed cancer research grants, and $24 million in non-peer-reviewed grants and contracts. The activities of the Center are broad and varied, including research, training and education, marketing andcommunications, fundraising, data analytics, clinical trials management, and community outreach and engagement.

The UCCCC has one of the largest cancer clinical trials programs in the country and in the Chicago area, with more than 450 adult and pediatric therapeutic trials actively accruing patients. Many of these studies are investigator-initiated, including Phase I or I/II trials, demonstrating UCCCC's commitment to translating basic research findings to the clinic through proof-of-principle and early-phase studies. UCCCC opens over 130 new trials each year and accrues approximately 800 participants to therapeutic trials each year.

Job Summary

The Associate Director of Research Strategy and Development is a senior strategic leader responsible for advancing the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center’s research vision, priorities, and long-term growth. Serving as a key advisor to the Cancer Center’s leadership, including the Director and Executive Director for Cancer Research Administration, this role shapes research strategy, informs institutional planning, and translates scientific ambition into coordinated initiatives, research partnerships, and funding opportunities. The Associate Director integrates strategic analysis, institutional advising, staff leadership, team science, proposal development, and initiative management to strengthen the Cancer Center’s research enterprise and position it for sustained impact and competitiveness.

Working across basic, translational, clinical, population science, and community-engaged research domains, this position aligns Cancer Center priorities with emerging scientific opportunities and broader institutional goals. The Associate Director serves as a key liaison with the University’s Provost Office of Research Development to advance university-wide research initiatives and ensure alignment between Cancer Center strategy and institutional research priorities. The role also serves on the steering committee of the Therapeutic Discovery Institute and works closely with its Managing Director to advance collaborative opportunities, programmatic growth, and strategic alignment.

In partnership with Foundation and Corporate Relations, Medicine and Biological Sciences Development, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Corporate Engagement Office, the Associate Director helps align funding opportunities with research priorities to support the long-term sustainability of strategic initiatives. Through strategic planning, research development, collaboration-building, project leadership, analytics, and communications, the Associate Director advances the Cancer Center’s mission and research growth.

Responsibilities

Research Strategy and Institutional Planning

• Partners with Cancer Center leadership to shape, refine, and advance the Center’s research strategy, strategic priorities, and research components of the strategic plan.

• Conducts environmental scans, portfolio analyses, benchmarking, and opportunity assessments to inform institutional planning, priority setting, and program development.

• Translates strategic priorities into actionable initiatives, implementation plans, and cross-functional efforts that strengthen the Cancer Center’s research enterprise.

• Serves as a key liaison with the Provost Office of Research Development to align Cancer Center priorities with broader university research initiatives, cross-institutional opportunities, and strategic investments.

• Represents Cancer Center research priorities in university-wide planning discussions and help position the Center to contribute to and benefit from major institutional collaborations and initiatives.

• Partners with Foundation and Corporate Relations, Medicine and Biological Sciences Development, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Corporate Engagement Office, and other relevant stakeholders across the institution and Biological Sciences Division to align funding opportunities with research priorities and support the long-term sustainability of strategic research initiatives.

Strategic Advising and Cross-Institutional Leadership

• Serves as a strategic advisor to the Cancer Center leadership, including the Director and Executive Director for Cancer Research Administration, on research priorities, initiative development, and long-range planning.

• Develops briefings, analyses, and recommendations to support executive decision-making and leadership discussions.

• Serves on the steering committee of the Therapeutic Discovery Institute and contributes to its strategic direction, priorities, and sustainability.

• Works closely with the Therapeutic Discovery Institute’s Managing Director to align planning, research development, and programmatic efforts with broader Cancer Center and university priorities.

• Identifies opportunities for coordination and synergy across Cancer Center initiatives and adjacent university research entities.

Strategic Research Development and Team Science

• Advises faculty and leadership on funding strategy for large-scale and strategically important submissions, including center grants, program project grants, training grants, infrastructure proposals, and other interdisciplinary opportunities.

• Leads development of complex, high-value, and multi-investigator research proposals and collaborative initiatives aligned with Cancer Center and university priorities, from concept development through submission or launch, including strategic framing, timeline development, stakeholder coordination, and narrative integration.

• Fosters interdisciplinary collaborations across the Cancer Center and the University by connecting faculty, programs, institutes, and partners around shared scientific interests and strategic priorities.

• Facilitates planning sessions, retreats, working groups, and strategy discussions that advance team science, new research programs, and cross-cutting scientific initiatives.

• Helps faculty and leadership define shared goals, structures, and implementation approaches that strengthen the competitiveness and impact of collaborative research efforts.

• Develops materials that communicate scientific vision, programmatic value, institutional readiness, and collaborative strengths to internal and external audiences.

• Liaises with central research administration offices, the Cancer Center financial office, and other relevant stakeholders, as needed, to support proposal submission and management.

Strategic Initiative and Project Leadership

• Leads research initiatives from planning through implementation, ensuring progress toward defined goals, milestones, and deliverables.

• Manages complex, cross-functional projects involving faculty, Cancer Center leadership, research administration, communications, and institutional partners.

• Collaborates with project and program managers and other staff responsible for advancing working groups, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional research efforts.

• Provides direction, coordination, and oversight to staff supporting research planning, initiative management, and implementation across Cancer Center priorities.

• Develops project plans, decision frameworks, briefings, and progress updates for high-priority initiatives.

• Identifies barriers, dependencies, and risks to execution and recommends solutions that support timely progress and institutional alignment.

Research Analytics and Strategic Communications

• Uses data analysis to inform strategic planning, priority setting, and evaluation of research opportunities, performance, and growth.

• Synthesizes information related to funding trends, sponsor priorities, faculty strengths, scientific output, and collaboration patterns.

• Develops reports, visualizations, presentations, and executive materials that support leadership decision-making and research positioning.

• Develops high-impact written, visual, and digital materials that support research strategy, initiative development, and communication of Cancer Center priorities and strengths.

• Supports development of web and digital content that communicates the Cancer Center’s research priorities, strengths, and opportunities to internal and external audiences.

• Provides expertise to researchers and research support staff. Oversees activities related to data collection and analysis.

• Improves financial, personnel, planning, compliance and other administrative aspects of research project. Collaborates with other researchers on long-range plans for research projects. Leads, investigates, modifies and applies new procedures, techniques or applications of technology. Establishes goals and operating procedures, practices, and guidelines.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

-

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• PhD in a relevant scientific discipline.

Experience:

• Significant professional experience in research development, strategic planning, academic research administration, scientific program development, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience supporting complex, interdisciplinary, or large-scale research initiatives in an academic medical center, cancer center, research university, or similar environment.

• Demonstrated ability to advise senior leadership and work effectively with faculty, administrators, and cross-functional teams.

• Excellent writing, editing, facilitation, and project management skills.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex information into an actionable strategy.

• Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience.

• Combined advanced scientific training, administrative, and management experience.

• Experience supporting cancer research, biomedical research, translational science, clinical research, population science, or team science initiatives.

• Experience contributing to strategic planning in an academic or research-intensive environment.

• Record of leading or supporting major grant development and large-scale research initiatives.

• Experience managing staff and advancing complex projects through cross-functional teams and working groups.

• Experience with data visualization, digital communications, and design tools used to support strategic initiatives

Preferred Competencies

• Strategic thinking and institutional perspective.

• Research planning and opportunity identification.

• Executive advising and stakeholder engagement.

• Proposal strategy and persuasive scientific communication.

• Team science facilitation and collaboration-building.

• Cross-functional project and initiative leadership.

• Staff management and mentorship.

• Data-informed planning and decision support.

• High-level communication and presentation development.

Working Conditions

• Office Environment.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover letter (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$80,000.00 - $120,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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