Clinical Research Associate Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Illinois is a major hub for clinical research associate jobs, anchored by the Chicago metropolitan area's concentration of pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations like Covance and PPD, and academic medical centers including Northwestern Medicine and the University of Chicago. Roles span early-phase oncology trials to large-scale device studies, with strong employer activity in Chicago, North Chicago, and Deerfield.
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Department BSD CTD - Data Science
About The Department
The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/ https://gen3.org/ https://stats.gen3.org/ and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/.
Job Summary
The Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to support a diverse range of research projects. Data Scientists work in a collaborative interdisciplinary team and play a critical role in AI/ML tooling, features, and improvements for our open-source software systems and applications, analyzing data, and in understanding and representing user requirements to internal and external stakeholders in our translational data science projects and products. Under the leadership of team or project leads, a person in this position will be a key contributor to the design and implementation of algorithms, AI/ML models, and workflows to enable the discovery of valuable information in large volumes of data from various sources; organizes, harmonizes, and analyzes data sets and develops tools to assist such processes; uses various technologies to visualize data or enable data visualization; and creates applications of general value to the project and product owners. The job uses best practices and advanced knowledge of data manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling in order to implement projects related to the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources. This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.
Responsibilities
- Leading the Interpretation of data from multiple sources.
- Developing and implementing software programs and services, software notebooks and software scripts for data transformation, data integration, data analysis and data visualization.
- Building, validating and evaluating AI/ML models.
- Contributing to and taking a leadership role in the enhancement and maintenance of previously developed in-house open-source data platforms, systems, applications and notebooks.
- Performing various types of analysis involving multiple data sets.
- Leading data science projects and initiatives within purview, by relaying data analysis and model deployment best practices, enhancing the technical knowledge of peers, and helping develop data science skills in junior employees and interns.
- Leading the conceptualization, design, and execution of sophisticated data science projects and AI/ML solutions for research and production environments.
- Establish and enforce data governance, quality assurance processes, and operational protocols for large, complex data sets from internal and external sources.
- Assisting in providing leadership for design of user-facing computational resources.
- Serving as a reference for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users as a technical subject matter expert by applying principles of data science to define and scope data science projects that involve developing computational tools and services for data engineering, data manipulation, statistical analysis, and modeling.
- Collaborating closely with faculty, researchers, and stakeholders to translate scientific and user requirements into actionable data science strategies and solutions.
- Stay current with developments in data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields, and adopt new methods and technologies to advance research goals.
- Communicate complex technical concepts and project results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, and present findings at internal and external forums.
- Has a deep understanding of methods to analyze complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. May develop and maintain infrastructure that connects data sets.
- Guides staff or faculty members in defining the project and applies principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.
- Calibrates data between large and complex research and administrative datasets. Guides and may set the operational protocols for collecting and analyzing information from the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Education
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
Education
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Bioinformatics, or a relevant quantitative field.
Experience
- Experience working in data science roles, preferably in an academic, research, or health/science environment.
- Experience with collaborative open-source projects and software engineering best practices.
- Experience working in multi-disciplinary academic teams.
- Knowledge of biomedical and translational research data sources is a significant advantage.
- Knowledge of hardware specifications required for AI/ML research and projecting resource needs and use in public clouds environments like AWS and GCP.
- Knowledge of and experience with data and applications of interest to CTDS, including, but not necessarily limited to, AI data commons, AI data meshes, Gen3, NCI Genomic Data Commons, cancer genomics, biomedical imaging data, human clinical data.
- Expertise in designing and implementing machine learning, deep learning, and statistical models for research and production.
- Experience with biomedical data.
- Experience collaborating on manuscripts and submitting papers for peer-reviewed, scientific publications.
Preferred Competencies
- Advanced skills in problem solving and quantitative/qualitative analysis.
- Able to organize and prioritize work assignments to meet project needs and work independently to identify and address needs beyond assigned tasks.
- Strong communication skills to effectively convey complex findings while serving as a reference and subject matter expert for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users.
- Ability to quickly comprehend requirements and assignments and then explain his/her solutions in both writing and speech.
- Ability to learn new skills quickly and manage complex projects.
- Proficiency in Python, R, and other relevant programming languages; experience with open-source data science platforms, technologies, and cloud environments.
- Outstanding analytical, problem-solving, and project management abilities.
- Proven track record mentoring and leading project teams and communicating technical issues to diverse audiences.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid office/remote.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (preferred)
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 $90,000.00 - $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.
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. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Clinical Research Associate Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Clinical Research Associate Jobs in IllinoisClinical Research Associate Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for clinical research associates in Illinois?
Contract research organizations including Covance, ICON, and Syneos Health have a history of sponsoring H-1B visas for clinical research associates in Illinois. Pharmaceutical companies headquartered or operating in the North Chicago and Deerfield corridor, such as AbbVie and Baxter, also appear regularly in Department of Labor LCA filings for CRA roles. Academic medical centers in Chicago are additional sources of sponsorship.
Which visa types are most common for clinical research associate roles in Illinois?
The H-1B is the most common visa for clinical research associates in Illinois, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a life sciences field. TN visa status is available to Canadian and Mexican nationals working as a clinical research associate under the USMCA's scientist or medical technologist categories. Some candidates also transition from F-1 OPT or STEM OPT while pursuing H-1B sponsorship.
Which cities in Illinois have the most clinical research associate sponsorship jobs?
Chicago generates the highest volume of CRA sponsorship activity in Illinois, driven by its density of hospitals, academic research centers, and CRO regional offices. The North Shore corridor, particularly North Chicago and Deerfield, is a secondary concentration point due to major pharmaceutical employers in that area. Smaller but meaningful activity also appears in Naperville and the broader I-88 research and technology corridor west of Chicago.
How to find clinical research associate visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, making it straightforward to browse clinical research associate roles in Illinois without sorting through positions that won't support international candidates. You can search by role and state to surface openings from CROs, pharmaceutical companies, and academic medical centers in the Chicago area and surrounding regions that have indicated willingness to sponsor.
Are there state-specific factors that affect CRA visa sponsorship hiring in Illinois?
Illinois employers filing Labor Condition Applications for H-1B clinical research associates must meet the Department of Labor prevailing wage for the relevant occupational classification in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan statistical area, which tends to reflect a competitive market given the region's research activity. Illinois also has a strong pipeline of CRA candidates from its research universities, meaning employers are selective and typically require prior trial monitoring or clinical operations experience before committing to sponsorship.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored clinical research associate jobs in Illinois?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.