Associate Director, Administration & Strategy

University of Colorado•Hybrid, CO

1d•$101,395 - $135,870•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Administration & Strategy serves as the lead administrative and operational professional for the Office of Clinical Trials (OCT), a collaborative initiative jointly supported by the School of Medicine Office of Research, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR), and UCHealth. The Office of Clinical Trials was established to advance and support the clinical research enterprise through strategic coordination, operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, and continuous process improvement. The Associate Director is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the day-to-day administrative, operational, and organizational functions of the Office of Clinical Trials. The Associate Director serves as the primary operational partner to Office leadership and is responsible for ensuring strategic priorities, initiatives, and organizational objectives are effectively planned, coordinated, implemented, and monitored. The Associate Director works collaboratively with stakeholders across the School of Medicine, OVCR, UCHealth, CU Medicine, departments, centers, institutes, and research programs to facilitate communication, align priorities, support decision-making, and ensure timely completion of organizational goals and deliverables. This position exercises independent judgment in managing operations, coordinating complex initiatives, resolving administrative issues, and recommending process improvements that enhance organizational effectiveness and support the growth and success of the clinical trials enterprise.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public administration, higher education administration, finance, management, or a related field.
Six (6) years of progressively responsible professional experience in administration, operations, program management, research administration, healthcare administration, higher education administration, or a related field.
Experience leading operational initiatives, coordinating complex projects, and managing competing priorities.
Experience working with multiple stakeholder groups in a complex organizational environment.
Experience supervising staff and managing employee performance and development.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public administration, higher education administration, public health, or a related field.
Experience in an academic medical center, healthcare system, university research environment, or clinical research setting.
Experience supporting executive leadership and organizational operations.
Experience developing operational processes, performance metrics, and project management systems.
Experience with strategic planning, change management, and organizational development.
Experience managing budgets, financial reporting, or business operations.
Experience working with clinical trials, clinical research administration, or research infrastructure programs.

Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate the day-to-day administrative and operational activities of the Office of Clinical Trials.
Develop, implement, and continuously improve operational workflows, policies, procedures, and business processes.
Establish systems to organize, prioritize, monitor, and track projects, deliverables, strategic initiatives, and organizational goals.
Coordinate activities across the School of Medicine Office of Research, OVCR, UCHealth, and other institutional partners to ensure alignment and timely execution of priorities.
Support implementation of strategic initiatives and operational plans established by Office leadership.
Facilitate meetings, committees, working groups, and cross-functional teams.
Develop and maintain operational dashboards, reports, metrics, and project tracking tools.
Identify barriers to progress and implement solutions to improve efficiency, effectiveness, communication, and service delivery.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and administrative guidance documents.
Coordinate office operations, planning activities, reporting processes, and administrative functions.
Partner with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Clinical Trials and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research to implement strategic priorities and organizational objectives.
Coordinate and manage special projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of Office leadership.
Develop project plans, timelines, implementation strategies, and accountability mechanisms for major initiatives.
Monitor progress toward organizational goals and prepare recommendations for leadership.
Facilitate collaboration among research administration, clinical operations, faculty, and institutional leadership.
Assist in the development of new programs, services, and initiatives that strengthen the clinical research ecosystem.
Analyze operational data and prepare reports to support planning and decision-making.
Support governance, committee management, and leadership planning activities.
Collaborate with finance and administrative leadership to support budget planning, financial monitoring, and resource allocation activities.
Assist with development and monitoring of annual operating budgets.
Monitor expenditures and support financial reporting, forecasting, and budget analyses.
Coordinate administrative business functions including procurement, contracts, service agreements, and resource management.
Support development of business plans, operational analyses, and sustainability models for Office initiatives.
Ensure compliance with University, School of Medicine, OVCR, and UCHealth policies and procedures.
Promote effective stewardship of institutional resources.
Serve as a primary administrative and operational liaison among faculty, research leaders, administrators, clinical partners, and institutional stakeholders.
Coordinate communications related to Office initiatives, priorities, and operational updates.
Prepare executive briefings, presentations, reports, meeting materials, and other communications.
Facilitate communication and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders.
Support outreach, engagement, and educational activities that promote awareness of clinical trials resources and services.
Represent the Office on committees, working groups, and institutional initiatives as assigned.
Supervise professional and administrative staff within the Office of Clinical Trials.
Participate in recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning activities.
Establish performance expectations and support staff development and engagement.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Ensure compliance with University and organizational personnel policies and practices.
Promote professional development and training opportunities for staff.