Research Programs Manager - Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center

The Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center is accepting applications for a talented Research Programs Manager. The manager will oversee the clinical research portfolio within the Center with an emphasis on the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project, a large, longitudinal NIH-funded clinical research study focused on identifying risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The Research Programs Manager will be responsible for all aspects of study implementation, including hiring staff; managing and allocating staff responsibilities; developing and refining policies and standard operating procedures; tracking study progress and milestones; overseeing all internal and external regulatory paperwork; trouble-shooting any issues that arise; and serving as a liaison between the Center Director and all stakeholders associated with the project, including more than a dozen co-investigators and more than a dozen staff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manages the components of a clinical research program(s).
• Communicates and models values and mission of VU/VUMC.
• Establishes, supports, and promotes ownership of team/departmental goals. Works as a team to accomplish common departmental goals. Willingly accepts responsibility and performs expected and unexpected tasks. Willingly exerts extra effort when necessary to get the job done.
• Exhibits strong leadership skills. Applies key concepts of facilitative leadership. Delegates tasks as appropriate and follows up to assure completion.
• Effectively motivates team members. Listens and understands other team member's point of view. Considers suggestions from others. Creates and supports a climate of trust, openness and honest communication.
• Recognizes areas of responsibility and takes charge of them. Takes ownership of problems brought to their attention. Follows through from analysis to problem resolution. Takes responsibility for mistakes and learns from them.
• Ability to accept constructive criticism. Demonstrates a positive attitude in response to suggestions for improvement.
• Assigns and reviews work; effectively prioritizes tasks and work assignments.
• Delegates tasks as appropriate and follows up to assure completion.
• Encourages appreciation and respect of diversity in workplace. Treats all team members as unique individuals with valuable resources and skills that enhance the team.
• Plans, organizes, and completes projects in an efficient manner.
• Leads team discussion to generate cost effective ideas.
• Designs, develops, and revises standards, utilizing community and national standards, research findings, and bench marking data, e.g. budgets, guidance documents, determination letters, etc.
• Define and achieve financial targets for the unit/area, consistent with the departmental financial plan
• Develop clinical study budgets and negotiate with sponsors as well as internal departments
• Report findings that occur as part of the audit process and incidental discoveries to the director/administrator for auditing, correction and/or educational purposes.
• Exercise judgment and prepare supporting or correcting documentation regarding Institutional and Federal billing policies.
• Ensure a safe, satisfying and enriching environment for employees and provides a qualified, competent staff
• Defines qualifications and performance expectations for staff positions and re-evaluates over time. Establishes objective scoring criteria to decrease bias during evaluation.
• Assesses the composition of the team and identifies potential deficiencies. Develops and communicates team goals providing appropriate follow-up to assure resolution.
• Creates an environment that encourages and supports self-development and learning through regular, immediate feedback. Thoroughly documents all conversations with teams to provide detail needed in future performance evaluations or counseling's.
• Assures that each staff member's ability is regularly assessed in meeting the performance expectations stated in his/her job description. Assesses accomplishment of last year's goals and creation of next year's goals based upon individual and departmental goals
• Assures the development of staff members through orientation, training programs and work experience. Strives to develop individualized professional development plan to guide staff to success, focusing on areas needing growth.
• Recommends personnel action, including hiring, promotions and terminations.
• Counsels employees with regard to disciplinary actions taken in response to violations of institution/department policies.
• Communicates in and across teams to maximize effectiveness, efficiency, and information sharing.
• Monitor quality assurance standards, programs and procedures within the unit/area
• Analyzes situations/events, develops recommendations/plans and prepares presentations/conclusions.
• Uses innovative thinking when developing alternative solutions.
• Can distinguish critical needs/problems from less urgent ones. Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks and issues.
• Participates in professional associations and development activities to remain informed regarding new developments in the field and disseminates information to the team/department.
• Actively seeks customer feedback to improve processes, systems, and outcomes.
• Initiates and contributes to the development and/or modification of departmental policies and procedures.
• Promotes the routine use of CQI concepts among team and department to continuously improve standards, processes, and daily operations. Promote a culture of continuous improvement.
• Creates and supervises complex QA/QI audits. Conducts complex QA/QI audits.
• Utilizes PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Audit) format to document/implement CQI suggestions.
• Attends institutional CQI class and applies concepts learned.
• Employs concepts of business process re-engineering.
• Actively identifies and participates in educational and developmental activities to improve knowledge and performance to sustain and enhance personal and departmental development.
• Collaborates with others to identify, develop and implement educational opportunities across the research community.
• Nurtures a life-long learning environment.
• Keeps abreast of and applies regulatory guidelines and institutional/departmental policies and procedures.
• Performs continuous self-assessment.
• Applies innovative thinking when developing alternative solutions.
• Distinguishes critical needs/problems from less urgent ones.
• May present at national conferences/panels or contribute to publications.
• May chair or serve on internal and/or institutional committees.

Department/Unit Summary:

• https://www.vumc.org/vmac/

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Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

• US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.
• Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.
• Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.
• The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows
• Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.
• National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement
• Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6 ^th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.