Director, Research Business Services

OhioHealth•Columbus, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director is responsible for directing all financial and operational activities associated with industry-sponsored research, investigator-initiated studies, consortium and network studies, and OHRI administrative operations. The Research Business Services team provides core services including: Clinical trial budget development and negotiation, Clinical trial contract negotiation and management, Coverage analysis and billing compliance oversight, Grant administration and sponsored program support, Pre-award and post-award financial management, Revenue cycle oversight and financial reporting, Research operational accounting and analytics, Research systems administration and support. The Director serves as the leader for Operational Excellence and Process Governance within Research Business Services (RBS). The Director is responsible for establishing standardized business processes, performance management systems, process ownership, and continuous improvement practices across RBS functions, including clinical trial budgeting, contracting support, billing compliance, grants administration, financial management, and revenue cycle operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in: Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Public Health, Pharmacy, Clinical Research, or related field
Minimum 8 years of research administration experience
Minimum 3 years of research finance, billing, grants management, or clinical trial budget development experience
Progressive leadership experience in healthcare, academic medicine, research administration, or related fields
Direct and indirect project leadership experience
Clinical research operational and financial management experience
Expertise in Research Administration
Expertise in Clinical trial startup and ongoing administration
Expertise in Research finance and billing compliance
Expertise in Budget negotiation and contract management
Expertise in Federal grant administration
Expertise in Sponsored program management
Expertise in CMS billing regulations
Expertise in Federal research regulations and sponsor requirements
Expertise in GCP and regulatory compliance principles
Expertise in Financial Management
Expertise in Financial planning and forecasting
Expertise in Research portfolio financial oversight
Expertise in Revenue cycle management
Expertise in Budget development and monitoring
Expertise in Variance analysis and financial performance reporting
Expertise in Research business analytics
Expertise in Technology & Systems
Expertise in Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS)
Expertise in Research databases
Expertise in Workday, Strata, EPIC, REDCap, Clinical Conductor, or related systems
Expertise in Data analytics and business intelligence tools
Expertise in Operational Excellence & Lean Leadership
Expertise in Lean methodology and continuous improvement principles
Expertise in A3 problem solving
Expertise in Root Cause Analysis
Expertise in Value Stream Mapping
Expertise in SIPOC development
Expertise in Process mapping and workflow redesign
Expertise in Standard work development
Expertise in Change management methodologies
Expertise in Quality management principles
Expertise in Performance measurement systems and KPI development
Expertise in Operational risk assessment and mitigation
Expertise in Business Leadership
Expertise in Strategic planning
Expertise in Organizational development
Expertise in Team leadership and coaching
Expertise in Stakeholder engagement
Expertise in Executive communication
Expertise in Cross-functional collaboration

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree preferred
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred
Project Management certification preferred

Responsibilities

Provide leadership for research finance, billing, and administrative teams.
Oversee clinical trial budget development and contract negotiations.
Ensure effective management of coverage analysis and research billing compliance activities.
Oversee CTMS calendar development and post-award revenue recognition functions.
Collaborate with investigators, research directors, coordinators, and operations leaders to develop sustainable financial plans.
Serve as a strategic resource for physicians and research personnel.
Monitor emerging industry, regulatory, reimbursement, and research finance trends.
Facilitate resolution of budgeting, contracting, billing, and operational barriers.
Lead process improvement initiatives across the clinical trial lifecycle.
Utilize Lean methodologies to reduce waste, eliminate inefficiencies, and improve cycle times.
Establish process controls that improve quality, compliance, and operational consistency.
Monitor key operational performance metrics and implement corrective actions as needed.
Sponsor cross-functional improvement projects focused on startup, contracting, budgeting, billing compliance, and study execution.
Direct grant administration activities supporting sponsored programs.
Ensure compliance with federal, sponsor, state, and institutional requirements.
Collaborate with Foundation, Finance, Compliance, and Internal Audit teams.
Support annual audits and risk assessments.
Evaluate grant administration workflows and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency and service delivery.
Standardize grant administration processes and documentation across the organization.
Develop and maintain the annual OHRI operating and research budget.
Oversee research information systems and operational support functions.
Develop financial models for new business opportunities, programs, and capital investments.
Prepare executive-level reports, forecasts, analyses, and strategic recommendations.
Partner with Corporate Finance and OHRI leadership on financial planning and performance management.
Develop and maintain an Operational Excellence roadmap for Research Business Services.
Lead enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives supporting OHRI strategic goals.
Utilize Lean tools including: SIPOC Mapping, Value Stream Mapping, Root Cause Analysis, A3 Problem Solving, Standard Work Development, Control Planning.
Standardize workflows across Research Business Services functions.
Establish governance structures that sustain operational improvements.
Develop and maintain departmental process inventories and process ownership frameworks.
Identify automation and technology-enabled improvement opportunities.
Facilitate Kaizen events and multidisciplinary improvement workshops.
Establish operational scorecards and KPI dashboards.
Monitor productivity, quality, financial performance, compliance, and customer service metrics.
Lead capacity planning and workload optimization efforts.
Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
Support development and execution of OHRI's strategic vision.
Serve as departmental representative on internal and external leadership committees.
Build effective relationships with stakeholders across OhioHealth and external partners.
Identify emerging risks, opportunities, and operational trends impacting research administration.