Director, Regulatory and Quality Assurance

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

General Summary of Position Responsibility:

The Director, Regulatory & Quality Assurance, assumes a critical role in the research enterprise at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute by ensuring investigators and study teams have the knowledge and tools to conduct research in compliance with federal and state regulations, promoting an environment in which research is conducted according to the highest standards, and facilitating high-quality, uniform education for the clinical research community. The Director is responsible for continuously assessing the research community's needs and developing new initiatives in response to them. The Director is responsible for creating an environment that promotes and fosters the highest legal, ethical, and operational standards for the research community.

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Essential Job Functions:

• Work with the Research Compliance Officer and other leaders to develop and implement policies in response to clinical research operations improvement needs as related to federal, state, or local regulations or initiatives.

• Conduct on-site research study/investigator audits (routine/not for cause for compliance with International Conference on Harmonization and Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy/guidance regulation. As requested, collaborate with the HRPP on directed/for cause audits.

• Analyze and present results of the on-site study/investigator audits. Monitor trends in noncompliance with GCP standards and identify opportunities for improvement in oversight of clinical research operations.

• Review, investigate and create reports with recommendations relevant to determinations and Corrective and Preventative Action (CAPA) for incidents that occur in research and research operations, including but not limited to unanticipated problems involving risks to subjects or others, unanticipated adverse device effects, noncompliance, and participant complaints.

• Draft, track, and manage required reports to federal funding agencies associated with the conduct of research.

• Build curriculum for investigators and study teams in coordination with the Office of Research Development on best practices in study management. The curriculum should be continuously updated and informed by the findings and observations from the on-site study/investigator audits.

• Collaborate with leadership of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), the Office of Clinical and Community Trials (OCCT), and other areas to identify opportunities that would benefit from compliance and educational support and other QI initiatives.

• Provide guidance to Clinical Research Leadership and the IRB on applicability of regulatory requirements and pathways for research protocols (e.g., whether a particular study needs an IND/IDE, if a study can be considered exempt from investigational regulations, etc.).

• Provide support and be an acting resource to all investigators and study teams in the event of external audits and inspections (e.g., FDA) and in addressing specific issues of noncompliance. Provide business development advice to Investigators and the organization, if needed.

• Collaboratively interact with clinicians, investigators, staff, and all levels of management, including senior leadership.

• Promote and encourage a high-quality customer service experience.

• Ongoing oversight and assessment of regulatory and educational activities for the research community, including:

  • On-site research study/investigator audits (routine/not for cause for compliance ICH-GCP, FDA policy / guidance / regulation. As requested, collaborates with the HRPP on directed/ for cause audits).

  • Assistance with study startup, conduct, and closeout, including Regulatory binder and electronic Regulatory binder.

  • Hospital-wide clinical research education program.

  • Support for FDA IND/IDE Sponsor Investigators including application consultation and education.

  • Support for n-of-1 and Expanded Access Program (EAP) clinical trials, including operational management.

  • Oversight of FDA inspections of clinical research studies for investigator/sponsor responsibilities.

  • ClinicalTrials.gov registration and reporting program.

  • Establishment and management of Data Safety Monitoring activities, including related committee activity.

• Coordinate and support monitoring activities and centralized documentation of oversight activities within other areas of the Research program, including animal and basic sciences.

• Manage and initiate other institutional initiatives and duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred.

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in clinical research support and oversight.

• Relevant federal human research regulations experience.

• Experience supporting FDA-regulated drugs and/or devices and previous experience interacting with FDA.

• Ability to analyze complex regulatory pathways and to devise regulatory strategies for complex medical products.

• Experience growing compliance programs or leading and supporting organizational change.

• Significant experience in managing a diverse staff.

• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact effectively with physicians, principal investigators, medical center personnel, and external funding agencies and to maintain a variety of internal and external contacts.

• Must possess strong written and verbal communication skills and be detailed oriented.

• Demonstrated ability to work constructively, collaboratively, and diplomatically with many diverse individuals and groups within and outside the organization.

• Ability to communicate with all levels of faculty and staff within the institution in an accurate, helpful, and customer service-oriented manner.

• Ability to be flexible, effectively prioritize tasks, exercise good judgement, and be decisive under pressure, including in stressful situations and under deadlines.

• Excellent command of the English language. Knowledge of medical terminology is required.

• Organizational skills, including the ability to establish priorities and react promptly to a large variety of requests and needs, sometimes in stressful situations. Ability to work effectively under pressures of various deadlines.

• Candidate must be able to make independent decisions and function independently with minimal supervision. Candidate should be able to function with a high level of discretion and confidentiality.

• Must maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations and standards pertaining to the conduct of research and research compliance, such as GCP, DHHS, OHRP, FDA, OLAW, and USDA.

• Must have working knowledge of Windows applications (e.g., Excel, MS-Office/Word, ACCESS).

Education

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and disability

Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave

403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits:

• Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability

• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage

• Tuition assistance

• Student loan servicing and support

• Adoption benefits

• Backup Childcare and Eldercare

• Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members

• Discount on services at Lurie Children's facilities

• Discount purchasing program

There's a Place for You with Us

At Lurie Children's we embrace and celebrate diversity and equity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints - recognizing that diverse identities strengthen our workplace and the care we can provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging and allyship. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care.

Lurie Children's and its affiliatesare equal employment opportunity employers. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Support email: candidatesupport@luriechildrens.org