Director of Strategic Initiatives
Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI)
Job Summary The Director of Strategic Initiatives reports to the QBI Director. This position oversees strategy and key relationships for the institute along with the Director and helps to develop, and contribute to, the overall mission of our scientific collaborations and programs.
A major focus of the role is to create an institutional environment that enables the QBI to catalyze advances in scientific discovery and therapeutics. This position works closely with the Director of Science, Portfolio & Strategy and senior stakeholders to identify priorities and develop strategies to actualize the mission of the QBI. Success will require working collaboratively with faculty, relevant departments and leadership across UCSF, and strategic partners in private industry and government.
The candidate serves as key strategist with the Director of the QBI in initiating and developing new strategic direction, long- and short-range plans and innovative initiatives and fostering new collaborations in academia and industry. The candidate has a high-level authority to make official commitments and to broadly represent the Director's interests across the organization. May manage and administer independent program(s), typically with organization-wide impact such as the QBI Scholarship for Women from Developing Nations & LMICs in Biosciences, Sabbatical exchanges with collaborating institutions and inter-UC campus initiatives. Uses advanced concepts, scientific expertise (that can be applied to disease agnostic approaches), and organizational objectives to resolve highly complex issues, which require analysis of unique issues/ problems without precedent and/ or structure.
The candidate can become an advisor for the Director of the QBI for scientific endeavors. This role can take a lead in engaging with a world-leading academic/industry concept being formed at QBI to establish a substantive partnership that will better position QBI to more effectively and efficiently translate scientific discoveries into therapeutics that improve lives.
- Process. The candidate will help develop processes for internal communications and decision-making. This includes optimizing meeting schedules, determining owners for key initiatives, and reducing organizational bottlenecks by helping the Director delegate decision-making responsibility to the appropriate teams. They will also be responsible for collating and producing board meeting slides, setting agendas for key meetings, and helping institute quarterly and yearly planning processes across the organization.
- People. The candidate will meet regularly with interdisciplinary team members throughout the QBI to discuss headwinds, tailwinds, and hot topics. They will look out for issues and inefficiencies and systemic problems and surface them to relevant people in the organization. They will also find areas that are working particularly well, and help determine how to further enable that success and/or spread learnings to other relevant parts of the organization.
The unique skill set of the candidate, which includes scientific expertise, will enable them to bridge an understanding of scientific priorities with operational capabilities to inform strategic management decisions. Additionally, the candidate will take on responsibilities that help ensure the cohesive functioning of the QBI by organizing regular meetings and engaging in frequent communication with key personnel. The candidate will attend multiple meetings with the Director on site, domestically and internationally, and serve as the liaison to the QBI and Krogan lab scientific teams by maintaining a close rapport with the QBI Scientific Congress, which evaluates potential projects for implementation.
The role will require consolidating substantial financial resources and identifying outside sources of support represents one of the top priorities for the QBI and the candidate will help to engage donors and collaborators.
This position requires discretion and independent judgment as well as working autonomously. He/she will need to possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. The candidate must have the ability to work as a reliable and flexible member of a team handling multiple responsibilities in a very fast paced environment of shifting priorities. Must be an energetic team player with a "can do" attitude.
***NOTE: This is a one year Contract Full-Time
The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy. Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement. The salary range for this position is $155,500 - $244,400 (Annual Rate). To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html
Department Description Who We Are Established in 2016 the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) is a world class institution focused on breakthrough scientific discoveries and medical treatments based upon highly innovative science and on diverse global cross-sector partnerships, conducted at an unprecedented scale. The institute is comprised of 139 affiliated laboratories. QBI also boasts a robust media, outreach and events presence as the glue that brings all the programs and people together.
What We Do We are transforming the way science is done by creating and supporting collaborative cross-functional groups who work towards solving some of today's biggest scientific challenges. QBI has a successful track record in high impact scientific accomplishment and in securing multi-million dollar grants. QBI and UCSF are pioneering a new model of translating science into medicines that fully leverages complementary knowledge and expertise between academia and industry.
How We Work We work to transform the way science is done. The institute also passionately believes in building a more equitable scientific environment across the globe and toward this goal has built partnerships around the world including in the US, Europe, Africa, China and the Caribbean.. We are a very competitive team, and the phrase "not my job", is not in our philosophy nor in our vocabulary. We believe in working together in-person at the office to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. As we expand, we continue to look for people who have the ability to think outside the box.
About the existing QBI Team The QBI team responsibilities range from running the operations of the institute to managing specific science projects and programs. We have people who focus on advocacy, industry relations, international collaborations and the coordination of matching different labs with financial opportunities to work together.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
- Minimum of five years executive advising related experience.
- Advanced skills in short- and long-range planning, program and project management, facilitation and collaboration.
- Thorough knowledge of discovery research and relevant publications.
- Sound strategic thinking and consulting skills in guiding the organization toward workable strategies and solutions.
- Proven ability to focus on priorities, strategies, and vision.
- Advanced ability to build and maintain relationships with a broad range of stakeholders and members of the community.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree.
- PhD in discovery research (or closely related discipline).
- Advanced knowledge of the organization's processes, protocols and procedures.
- Advanced ability to coach, facilitate and influence people at all levels.
- Experience producing written products, such as white papers or position statements, used to inform senior leadership or stakeholders in academia, industry and philanthropy.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
About UCSF The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.
Pride Values UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values.
In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu
Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of California San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Job Code and Payroll Title 000554 EXEC ADVISOR 4
Job Category Executive, Professional and Managerial
Bargaining Unit 99 - Policy-Covered (No Bargaining Unit)
Location San Francisco, CA
Additional Shift Details Monday - Friday; 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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