Assistant Vice President, Research Regulatory Affairs - OVPR Pittsburgh, PA

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is seeking a highly motivated, resourceful, and trustworthy individual to support the senior leadership team as the inaugural Assistant Vice President of Research, Regulatory Affairs. The OVPR oversees the university-wide strategic initiatives and operational functions of CMU’s $620 million research enterprise and associated top-ranked technology transfer and startup activities, which span the university’s academic colleges, research institutes and centers, and the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center. Globally recognized for academic excellence and interdisciplinary research, this position is key CMU’s ambitious plans to deliver innovative and impactful solutions to the most pressing grand challenges of our time.

About Carnegie Mellon
A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), CMU is a global, research-intensive private university with more than 1,500 faculty, 17,000 students, more than 117,000 alumni. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked CMU #21 among national universities, and Times Higher Education at #24 among world universities. CMU is home to top ranked programs in artificial intelligence, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, software engineering, cybersecurity, business analytics, quantitative analytics, and more. It is also one of a small number of academic institutions in the nation with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), and a National Manufacturing Innovation Institute, the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute. CMU's confluence of scholarly excellence, robust federal and industry partnerships, and heritage of innovation has consistently placed it among the world's most dynamic and impactful research institutions. Central to its research impact is CMU's strong track record of technology transfer and industry partnerships: over the last five years, CMU faculty, students, and alumni have launched more than 400 start-ups that together have raised more than $7 billion in follow-on funding.

The University is known for its distinctive culture, which champions interdisciplinary inquiry and collaborative efforts in a technology rich environment. With more than a dozen degree-granting locations, as well as a growing number of research partnerships around the world, CMU is truly a global institution. CMU's global footprint fosters cooperation across borders, including from its campuses in Silicon Valley, Qatar, and Rwanda. CMU faculty are known for inspiring students to think creatively, interpret with insight, and solve major societal, scientific, and technological challenges. Current and former faculty and alumni include 20 Nobel Laureates, 79 members of the National Academies, 12 Turing Awardees, 10 Academy Award winners, 116 Emmy Award winners, and 44 Tony Award winners. Exceptionally talented students, roughly 47% undergraduate and 53% graduate, are drawn to the University's commitment to innovative education and training and its outstanding programs across its seven schools and colleges. CMU's annual budget is over $1.2 billion with total research expenditures of over $620 million (FY2023).

After a storied history dating to the early 1900s, in 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute, a science research center founded by the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, to become known as Carnegie Mellon University. Today, CMU is a dynamic institution that has exceptional impact in the world. Although it is among the youngest of the nation's top universities, CMU's extraordinary success emanates from its deeply held core values and a unique heritage of innovation. It is a place of creativity, pragmatism, and ambition, with a tradition of strategically focusing its efforts and resources in areas where it can lead, then pursuing those areas with startling intensity. CMU is firmly committed to academic freedom and shared governance, providing a fertile environment for faculty success. The University facilitates collaboration across its seven schools and colleges through organizational mechanisms and incentives, such as numerous joint appointments and a dedication to recognizing contributions outside one's main field. CMU has long embraced diversity as a core value that is central and indivisible from the pursuit of intellectual and artistic excellence, and for more than two decades it has made increasing diversity in every constituency and building a supportive and nurturing community a strategic priority.

Research at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon is known as a hotbed of innovative research, from the founding of the nation's first Robotics Institute in 1979 to the world's first program in engineering and public policy more than 50 years ago. The entrepreneurial mindset of its faculty, staff, and leadership have made the University a pioneer in societally transformative technologies such as the wireless campus, autonomous transportation and smart infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, among others. Research and creative expression span the arts, humanities, social sciences, science, and engineering as well as the fundamental to the applied, from blue-sky curiosity driven research in the academic units, to large-scale applied research and prototyping at the National Robotics Engineering Center, to support for mission-driven agencies at the SEI and across campus.

CMU's strengths span the institution:

• CMU is bringing together AI and social sciences researchers from across the country in the NSF-supported AI Institute for Societal Decision Making to develop human-centric AI for societal good that harnesses the power of data and improved understanding of decisions to create better and more trusted choices.
• CMU researchers have enriched learning science at the LearnLab, a cross-disciplinary international laboratory for advancing the practical science of robust student learning. CMU scholars are pinpointing how children learn languages with partners at the University of Chicago and the George Washington University.
• CMU chemists are working with colleagues at Yale University as part of the landmark National Institutes of Health-funded Somatic Cell Gene Editing Consortium, aimed at accelerating genome editing research and the development of new classes of therapeutics.
• Experts at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, a university-wide research initiative, develop and demonstrate technologies, systems and policies needed to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable future.
• CMU’s SEI formed the AI Security Incident Response Team to help ensure the safe and effective development and use of AI by analyzing and responding to threats and surety incidents emerging from advances in AI and machine learning.

CMU researchers distinguish themselves with an international reputation for the breadth of their work as well as research support, consistently receiving funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Energy, Transportation, among others. Of CMU's $620 million in expenditures in FY2023, 70% of funding was derived from the federal government, with the majority being from the NSF and DOD. The University has diversified its funding portfolio over time, with FY2023 being a record year for industry and non-profit funding at $68 million.

CMU's unique interdisciplinary strengths that cut across AI, CS, engineering, technology, social and behavior science, design and the arts are a growing and major attraction for industry partners. Coupled with the efforts of CMU's Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, the University is a leader in introducing research innovations into the global marketplace and a driving force of regional economic development.

The Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR)
The OVPR is a large and complex organization with close to 100 talented individuals that directly aid the research and innovation strategy, operations, and administration across campus. The OVPR bridges colleges, departments, university institutes, and centers to foster dialogue and collaboration on strategic major interdisciplinary initiatives across campus. The Government Relations team in OVPR leverages its long-standing presence in Washington D.C. to advocate for higher education priorities and bring new funding to CMU's talented faculty. The OVPR works in close partnership with University Advancement on holistic industry and foundation partnerships, including strategic alliances, master research agreements, and gifts.

The OVPR oversees the SEI, a DOD FFRDC, which has a budget of nearly $150 million annually, and whose director reports to the VPR. The considerable capabilities of the SEI are leveraged across the CMU research enterprise. The OVPR also is responsible for ensuring that the ARM Institute, a DOD MII that operates as a 501c3 of CMU, is delivering on its mission to the federal government and is well integrated with the university.

The OVPR fosters an entrepreneurial climate that gives faculty and students tremendous freedom and strongly encourages the pursuit of bold ideas that translate into real-world impact. Thanks to the efforts and investments of CMU, the University of Pittsburgh, and other entities, the Pittsburgh Region has established itself as a technology hub for both startups and large corporations, including Duo Lingo, ANSYS, Bosch, Google, Meta, Apple, NVIDIA, SAP, and the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. Through the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Business Engagement, the OVPR drives economic prosperity in the region, nationally, and globally.

Given the scale and influence of CMU’s research enterprise, the University is investing in enhancing its support for research and innovation, including expanding external relationships with federal and industry sponsors, increasing collaboration across the across the University, and managing the complexities of research at this level. The OVPR is keenly attuned to the security implications of controlled unclassified and classified research in an environment of international collaborations, and the VPR aids the University  to drive innovation while upholding its commitment to national security.  . The OVPR seeks an Assistant Vice President of Research Security in this newly created role to develop and implement efficient and effective risk-based policies, procedures and decision-making processes to meet the rapidly evolving research security requirements and regulations in NSPM-33 and the CHIPS Act. This position will be responsible for all aspects of research security including, export control, foreign influence, conflict of interest, and controlled unclassified information management. It will collaborate with other units in CMU to ensure the University is providing faculty and staff with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, services, and training.

Scope and Responsibilities

The AVP reports to the Chief Research Operations Officer and is a key member of the Office of the Vice President for Research. The AVP will lead the offices administering CMU’s Institutional Review Boards (IRB), Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and CMU’s Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment program. The AVP is responsible for related policy and program developments and improvements, supervising teams, and addressing compliance issues in a sensitive and service-oriented manner.

Core responsibilities include:

• Provides strategic oversight of CMU’s Institutional Review Boards (IRB), Animal Care and Use Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee and Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment programs.  
• Works proactively, in collaboration with other relevant offices, to obtain and maintain AAHRPP and AAALAC accreditation for CMU’s Human Research Protection and Animal Care and Use Programs.
• Manages the annual budget, staff assignments and resources in an efficient manner.
• Exercises supervisory authority, including but not limited to hiring, promoting and managing performance.  Mentors and coaches staff, fostering a culture of customer service, capability, empowerment and success.
• Directs strategic planning initiatives and identifies and implements program improvement activities in close collaboration with direct reports, other OVPR leaders and key campus stakeholders.
• Ensures that research programs under the AVP’s purview are service oriented and compliant with federal, state and university policy.
• Oversees the development, implementation and documentation of appropriate training and education programs.
• Provides subject matter expertise, ensuring that the OVPR has appropriate knowledge, background, and detailed information for decisions and activities. 
• Responds to questions or concerns from internal customers and makes recommendations on the appropriate course of action.
• Provides for appropriate monitoring and quality assurance activities, and revises programming, policies and procedures to respond to changing needs and requirements.
• Oversees response to inspections, and prepares for and facilitates accreditation site visits, for areas under the AVP’s purview.
• Investigates reported or suspected violations.  Supports the formulation of corrective action plans and university responses to external reviews and findings. Collaborates with university legal counsel as needed.
• Participates in appropriate professional organizations such as PRIM&R to keep apprised of emerging compliance issues and best practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Selection Criteria

Flexibility, excellence and passion are vital qualities within the Office of the Vice President for Research. Inclusion, collaboration and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, CMU seeks a team member who is able to effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. This is someone who shares CMU values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• Education: Master’s degree
• Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience leading related research administration functions.
• One or more relevant research compliance certifications
• Extensive knowledge of relevant statutes, regulations, and guidelines, as well as experience managing investigations of violations
• Experience providing vision and strategy for a research university, large government or government-associated agency or non-government organization
• Strong analytical, organizational, and team-building skills
• Excellent oral/written communication skills, as well as diplomacy and a high level of professionalism.
• Ability to develop and implement effective training programs for diverse audiences
• Ability to work well under pressure when necessary and to respect and reconcile different points of view
• Familiarity with electronic research administration platforms
• Experience managing change and process improvements, driving consistency of operation / administration in a highly interdisciplinary environment
• Experience providing effective leadership to remote and hybrid teams.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:

• Terminal degree in scientific, engineering, regulatory or legal field (Ph.D., J.D., or similar) with policy experience is preferred.  A non-tenured faculty-track appointment in an appropriate college would be considered for this position.

Requirements:

• Successful Background Check

NOMINATION AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Carnegie Mellon University has retained DHR Global for assistance in this exciting search.

• All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited.
• Applications should include a cover letter/letter of interest, CV or resume.
• Application materials should be submitted using CMU’s career page by clicking “Apply”
• Nominations and inquiries can be directed to DHR Global. 

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits available to eligible employees.

Those employees who are benefits eligible have the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of advantages from comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance to an enticing retirement savings program offering a generous employer contribution. You can also unlock your potential with tuition benefits and take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays. Finally, rest easy knowing you are covered by life and accidental death and disability insurance. 

Other perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and so much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits that may be awaiting you, explore our Benefits page.

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond just credentials, we consider the role and responsibilities, your invaluable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We acknowledge and appreciate your unique skills and the diverse perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization?! Apply today!

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

University Administration and Management

Position Type

Staff – Regular

Full Time/Part time

Full time

Pay Basis

Salary

More Information: