POSITION OBJECTIVE

The academic research center focuses on the complex interplay between environmental drivers and population health outcomes. Specializing in boundary-spanning and collaborative research, training, and practice focused on achieving health equity through food systems transformation and environmental justice. Placing special emphasis on community-engaged approaches that disrupt the role of structural racism to create and sustain environmental health equity. The center seeks to translate these findings into policies, practices, and relationships that promote community and population health equity. The Director of Operations and Partnerships must uphold the values of the center including a commitment to racial justice, collaboration, community engagement, inclusivity, and innovation.

Working with minimal supervision in a highly collaborative and community-engaged applied research environment, the director of operations and partnerships will have leadership and scientific oversight of multiple research projects and other special projects assigned by the center director and several principal investigators. They will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of funded projects within the center, including the Community and Stakeholder Engaged Research Module of the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) of Northern Ohio. Providing leadership, training, mentoring, supervision, and oversight of the staff in the assigned projects within the center. They will also provide oversight of strategic growth initiatives to fulfill the center's mission.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Lead execution of center-wide strategic planning and implementation. Represent the center within broader efforts at Case Western Reserve University and in the community. Contribute to grant writing including collaborative team science proposals. Execute and manage the center's advisory council and support management of the center's faculty affiliate program. Ensure seamless functioning of the center through efficient center-wide operations and communications (website, newsletters), development of new partnerships, and translation of research findings using diverse dissemination approaches (i.e., manuscripts, white papers, reports, social media). (13%)
2. Propose and establish goals and objectives for the efficient and timely completion of projects in collaboration with center director and other principal investigators. Meet with center director and other principal investigators on a regular basis to review and set priorities, address staff/student-related issues, and strategize future research and staff planning. Lead monthly center-wide staff meetings and devise and implement professional development opportunities to advance research capacity building in community and stakeholder engaged environmental health research. (10%)
3. Manage current and new research projects, addressing the complexities of working within multiple different communities and academic partners and populations unfairly burdened by environmental health inequities. Meet regularly with the research staff to lead and coordinate the research, evaluation, and administrative priorities of the projects through methods designed to achieve short- and long-term goals and milestones. (15%)
4. Create an inclusive work culture within the center integrating best practices for managing high performing teams in a complex, adaptive, and diverse research environment. Develop and execute administrative policies and procedures. Interview, hire, orient and supervise research staff; conduct annual performance reviews and development, initiate all necessary paperwork, and address employee issues and concerns. (10%)
5. Oversee the development and continuous quality improvement of the community engagement studio approach to integrate community partner feedback into research processes, from study design to dissemination phases. Recruit and train facilitators, lead recruitment of community experts, and facilitate logistics related to the program (approximately 6 per year) with support of a student research assistant and project staff. Collaborate with investigators of the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio to develop strategies for evaluating community engagement studios using process and outcome measures. Contribute to grant reporting and dissemination efforts about the approach and findings. (35%)
6. Provide leadership to the community and stakeholder engaged research voucher program offered through the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio. Offer consultation services to investigators interested in integrating community-engaged research approaches into their studies and link needs for services with the voucher program. Establish streamlined protocols and procedures (SOPs) to link investigators and community partners to voucher programs. Develop metrics for evaluating vouchers and conduct quarterly reports summarizing trends and impacts. (15%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCITONS

1. Participate in seminars and activities. (1%)
2. Participate in meetings for the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio. (1%)
3. Perform other duties as assigned. (<1%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with department and with the center's leadership, faculty, trainees, and staff.

University: Regular contact with university faculty and staff in all departments connected to the work of the center, including those affiliated with the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio.

External: Frequent contact with external stakeholders including identified advisors representing grassroots community leaders, city and county government, community-based organizations, non-profits, and business. Some engagement with funders and donors, investigators and leadership of other academic environmental health research centers, and leadership of local, regional, and national taskforces related to environmental health.

Students: Continuous contact with graduate students, student workers, and interns involved with the center research

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct supervisory responsibility for center staff including administrative assistant, program managers leading studies within the center, project coordinator(s) for core research, student interns, and any other staff that may be hired to support the center. Effectively able to recommend the hiring, transferring, suspension, layoff, recall, promotion, assignment, rewarding or disciplining of all center staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience: Master's degree and 5 years of progressive large project management experience OR Bachelor's degree in relevant fields (i.e., public health, social work, sociology, environmental sciences, business) and 8 years of progressive large project management experience. Strong background in community-engaged environmental health research conducted within collaborative, cross-sector teams preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. Ability to establish a positive organizational culture and lead and support collaborative and effective teams.
2. Project management skills, including management of large budgets, directing strategic planning, managing staff members, and leading large collaborative groups made up of leaders from key stakeholder institutions such as a government.
3. Strong organizational skills: ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines. Must demonstrate attention to detail and accuracy, time management skills, and proven ability to successfully follow-through on assigned projects.
4. Strong, professional, and effective verbal and written communication skills.
5. Ability to work with minimal supervision to complete tasks.
6. Capacity to facilitate institutional review board applications.
7. Ability to work collaboratively and with organizational and interpersonal skills specific to the design and implementation of community-engaged research projects involving a team approach.
8. Ability to maintain a heightened level of confidentiality.
9. Experience in writing grants and reporting to funders.
10. Strong interpersonal skills: ability to work and communicate with various individuals from a broad spectrum of disciplines, technical and educational backgrounds within the department, school, and university, and with individuals outside the university.
11. Basic analytical skills.
12. Experience and proficiency with Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel. Capacity to learn to use other technology such as Canva, Basecamp, Mailchimp, Drupal, and REDCap.
13. Must demonstrate willingness to learn new techniques, procedures, processes, and computer programs as needed.
14. Ability to meet consistent attendance.
15. Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Must have reliable form of transportation to travel to community sites; documented mileage will be reimbursed. Some statewide and national travel required with all documented travel costs reimbursed. Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends. The position is eligible for hybrid work schedule.

This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement up to two remote days per week at the discretion of the department. New employees may begin a hybrid schedule upon approval from the supervisor, successful completion of an orientation period and signing the remote work checklist certification form.

In employment, as in education, Case Western Reserve University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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Case Western Reserve University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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