Director, Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Interest Office

The Conflict of Interest (COI) Office was created in response to new regulations from the Public Health Service (PHS), which require organizations receiving PHS research funding to have an institutional designee responsible for ensuring objectivity in research. One key responsibility of the office is to review investigators' disclosures of outside activities to assess whether there may be a financial conflict of interest. If such conflicts are identified, they must be managed, mitigated, and reported.

The Director will oversee the COI Office and ensure that UC is in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, institutional rules and policies governing disclosure of outside activities, and review and mitigation of conflicts of interest and commitment in research. They will serve as the central subject matter expert (SME) on conflicts of commitment and conflicts of Interest. Also, they will oversee all university conflict of interest committees, the university's disclosure system, and assist faculty and leadership with managing outside activities. This position will report to the Associate Vice President for Research Security and Ethics and will supervise a team who support the COI Office.

• Collaborate with senior leaders, department administrators, Sponsored Research Services, Technology Transfer Office, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of the Provost, and others.
• Oversee and administer institution-wide compliance initiatives supporting the University's research program. Manage the annual disclosure of outside professional activities. Maintain current knowledge of relevant regulations, policies, and standards including proposed and final rules and effective practices.
• Detect, evaluate, manage, and monitor conflicts of interest and commitment in research. Advise faculty, staff, administrators, and committees regarding potential conflicts of interest, conflict management plans, corrective action plans, and the mitigation of identified risks.
• Prepare and provide training and awareness to the University research community regarding policy and federal requirements on conflicts of interest and commitment. Prepare regulatory reports, correspondence, and certifications with sponsoring agencies or other external entities. Make recommendations for policy, process, and system modifications. Investigate issues and complaints, and prepare appropriate internal documentation, reports, and submissions to appropriate internal offices. Escalate matters to senior leadership, as needed.
• Oversee and direct the workflow of Conflict of Interest (COI) staff and the day-to-day activities of the COI Office. Ensure a smooth and efficient flow of individual disclosures through the review process. Provide guidance and feedback to staff regarding presented conflicts and troubleshoot unusual cases.
• Serve as the functional expert on COI matters and represents the University at professional conferences, symposiums, and workshops.
• May provide direct and/or indirect supervision to exempt and non-exempt staff (i.e., hiring/firing, performance evaluations, disciplinary action, approve time off, etc.).
• Perform related duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.

Bachelor's Degree

• Seven (7) years of experience in a business or academic environment in research, scientific, academic, research administration, or compliance capacity.
• Three (3) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in high-quality customer service in various settings and audiences.
• Skills in professional communication with interpersonal effectiveness with large organizations and in the community.
• Demonstrated experience in writing and public speaking.

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, JD preferred) in a scientific area and/or law or public administration and experience in a research-intensive university.
• Expertise with interpretation of complex conflict of interest regulatory requirements provided by Public Health Services and other federal funding agencies. Experience working with a College of Medicine and academic medical center.
• Demonstrated experience managing a conflict of interest program in higher education, success managing and developing a team, and chairing/leading academic and administrative committees, guiding deliberations, and implementing decisions. Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with faculty and staff and situations involving disagreement or dispute.
• Ability to multi-task, analyze complex situations, and develop actionable solutions.
• Experience in handling sensitive matters with diplomacy and discretion.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills. Ability to bridge the communication gap between IT security, export control, and research security professionals, administrators, and researchers (end-users).
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Foster collaboration with faculty, staff, and administrators.

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application process. Attach these documents before submitting your application.