Vice President - Research Operations

The Vice President (VP) for the Office of Research Operations (ORO) is responsible for providing direction and day-to-day management and oversight of all research activities occurring at Dartmouth Hitchcock (D-H), and collaborates/ provides services to affiliated Dartmouth institutions conducting clinical research. Working under the direction of the Chief Research Officer (CRO), the VP will play a visible role toward creating requisite governance, leadership and reporting structures as well as industry best practice processes. The VP will also oversee processes necessary to achieve research trial operational efficiency, financial sustainability and ongoing regulatory compliance obligations. The VP will focus on growing the clinical and translational trial portfolio in areas of strategic importance for Dartmouth Hitchcock, while improving patient access to clinical trials, through improved study start up initiatives and identification of additional research funding opportunities. The VP will promote a management environment guided by exceptional customer service and continuous process improvement standards. The VP must also work to preserve institutional protections, engage in proactive cost recovery strategies and harmonization of existing and new technology assets. In these ways, the VP will work to create a culture of collaboration and research trials business acumen, to attract sponsors and external collaborators and empower investigators, with a focus on portfolio growth in high-impact research. The VP will foster growth in strategically important areas and will work to ensure Norris Cotton Cancer Center maintains NCI-designation as a comprehensive Cancer Center and will serve as an administrative leader for a future Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program.

POSITION Responsibilities:

• Works collaboratively with the Chief Research Officer, Clinical Chairs & Center Directors and Medical Center Administration. Serve as an Investigator resource for issue escalation/resolution, identification of customer service issues and service recoveries as well as collecting feedback in support of continuous process and service improvement.
• The VP is accountable for building and preserving continuity of research unit services in the areas of: Pre-Award, Post Award, Regulatory, Clinical Operations Support, Information Technology, and Compliance/Quality Assurance.
• The VP will have overall responsibility for providing leadership for business unit Directors, and will be accountable for delivering adequate business controls, risk management, staffing, technology deployment and service recovery mechanisms to ensure:
  • Study feasibility and scientific advisory occurs for all clinical trials, and ensure efficiency in the interface with the IRB.
  • Research patient billing and revenue cycle standards remain in compliance with state and federal requirements.
  • Clinical trial budgets and agreements are subject to comprehensive, reproducible diligence review, to ensure cost recovery and institutional protections.
  • Timely and consistent clinical trial invoicing and account receivable management as well as proactive study fund, general ledger management.
  • Adequate regulatory support is made available for all clinical trials, including IRB submissions, IND/510k submissions and other regulatory agency filings.
  • Ensure that clear and concise “standard operating procedures” are in place for all important aspects of the missions of the clinical research enterprise.
  • Coordinator/Research staffing is managed/deployed effectively and efficiently based on demand for services.
  • Current policies, procedures and business controls are designed for and universally accessible to the research community at large.
  • Working in partnership with the Vice President, Audit & Compliance and the DH Research Integrity Officer (RIO), assures adequate management and resource support exists for routine and for-cause internal/external audit preparation, facilitation, response/remediation.
  • Development and execution of research enterprise education and training programming.
  • Development and execution of regular and transparent communications for the benefit of the research community.
  • Harmonized/optimized use of existing technology platform /stakeholder investments supporting research, as well as identification and business planning for new technologies that improve efficiency and lower operating costs.
  • Provide direction, mentorship and human resource development of research unit leaders and, in general promotes a high-performance, collaborative culture.
  • Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIS) to measure both financial and academic Return On Investment (ROI).
  • Act as a representative and ambassador of Dartmouth-Hitchcock to the local community and nationally, to promote Dartmouth Hitchcock’s pursuit of high quality, high impact clinical research, and operationalize goals to increased research collaboration and patient access to clinical trials.
  • Develop and manage annual operating and capital budgets.
  • Identification of new business development, research sponsorships and research collaboration opportunities.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain long-term, collaborative relationships with research community stakeholders in a complex healthcare environment, with record of results to achieve mutual goals.
• Senior level experience related to the management of clinical trials operations, and finance. The candidate must also possess a strong foundation in research regulations and compliance risk management controls.
• Proven leadership record of accomplishment, including development and execution of integrated governance and restructuring strategies and the ability to motivate and inspire contributors in a collaborative, goal-oriented fashion.
• With a focus on continuous process improvement, proactively seeks out opportunities to improve customer service, inter-institutional collaboration, operational efficiency, revenue generation and strategic partnerships (internal and external).

Direct Reports:

• Director of Research Finance
• Director, Research Operations
• Director, Human Subjects Protection Program
• Director, Research Quality & Safety
• Director, Research Nursing
• Executive Administrative Assistant

Key Relationships:

• D-H Chief Research Officer
• Clinical Chairs & Center Directors, Dartmouth-Hitchcock
• D-H Senior Leadership Team

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree required (PhD, MBA, JD, MPH, MPP, MPA, MS, etc.) with a minimum of 10 years progressive experience leading to a management role in: clinical research operations, clinical research finance, human subject research, and/or federal award research management. Candidate must be capable of working independently with proven written and oral communication skills. Candidate must also demonstrate strong organizational, interpersonal skills and supervisory skills.
• Preferred: It is preferred that the candidate have academic clinical research experience and a record of accomplishment working with faculty and institutional administration. Familiarity with the OnCore Clinical Trials Management System as well as the administration of a clinical translational science award (CTSA) is strongly preferred.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a major academic medical center located in the beautify Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont, an area always highly ranked when it comes to measuring quality of life. In fact, the State of New Hampshire’s “Life Index”, a compilation of independent national studies on quality of life among the 50 states, rates New Hampshire as #1 and Vermont as #3. These independent evaluations confirm what the employees of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health already know…that New Hampshire and Vermont are very special places to live, work and do business. There are many reasons why our states scored so well in these surveys, including the fact that we have some of the most advanced educational institutions, best health care, and diverse cultural and recreational offerings you will find anywhere in the country.  It is this diverse quality of life that brings vibrancy to the towns and villages of the “Upper Valley”. People live here because they want to. Here are just a few other reasons why people love this area of New England.

• New Hampshire has no personal income or sales tax.
• New Hampshire has 33 and Vermont has 19 alpine and cross-country ski resorts.
• In the most recent rankings from S. News and World Report for quality education by state, New Hampshire ranked 5th and Vermont ranked 8th nationwide.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online at:

https://hitchcock.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=210000ER&lang=en&sns_id=mailto#.YBxP4mDuL4c.mailto

Dartmouth-Hitchcock is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law.