Senior Manager, Research, SOM/Pediatrics

Advertising Summary: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education.

Unit: School Of Medicine MBU

Department: Pediatrics

Duties & Responsibilities:

Position Summary:
The Research Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the development and implementation of an interdepartmental pediatric genetic therapies clinical research program. This position is responsible for establishing and optimizing research infrastructure across multiple pediatric departments and locations and for ensuring the effective, compliant, and financially sustainable conduct of a complex portfolio of clinical trials.

The Research Manager provides leadership and oversight to multidisciplinary clinical research staff, including Advanced Practice Providers, nurses, Clinical Research Coordinators, and Clinical Research Assistants, as applicable. The position is responsible for developing staffing models, supporting recruitment and onboarding, establishing operational workflows, and providing supervision and performance management for assigned research staff.

The Research Manager oversees the day-to-day operational management of clinical trials, including study startup, activation, recruitment, enrollment, study conduct, closeout, sponsor reporting, data quality, and regulatory compliance. The position will support international participant recruitment and coordinate patient and family navigation within the greater Richmond area. In collaboration with the Executive Director of CHRI, the Research Manager will develop and implement a patient-family concierge service, initially piloted within the genetics program.

The position serves as a key operational partner to Principal Investigators throughout the study lifecycle, providing guidance and direct support related to study startup, staffing, regulatory requirements, operational workflows, financial feasibility, sponsor requirements, and study performance. The Research Manager will regularly meet with Principal Investigators and study leadership to assess study progress, enrollment, staffing, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and operational needs.

The Research Manager is responsible for overseeing the financial and operational performance of the clinical trial portfolio. This includes developing and monitoring budgets for federal, foundation, and industry-sponsored research; assessing study financial feasibility; coordinating clinical trial contracting with VCU and third-party sponsors; monitoring study revenue and expenditures; and collaborating with research administrators to ensure accurate account allocation, timely utilization of sponsored funds, and financially sustainable study operations.

The position provides expert operational guidance regarding applicable FDA regulations, including 21 CFR requirements, and supports compliance with federal and state regulations, VCU policies, IRB 2 requirements, sponsor requirements, and applicable research standards. Responsibilities include coordinating clinical trial startup, supporting initial IRB submissions, preparing sponsor reports, gathering information for complex research grants, and providing oversight of research staff responsible for accurate and timely data entry, sponsor queries, and other study requirements.

The Research Manager will work collaboratively with CHRI administrators, the Pediatric Clinical Research Nursing Unit, VCU Health System, the School of Medicine, and Pediatrics to evaluate, develop, and improve clinical research systems and processes. The position will identify opportunities to improve efficiency, safety, quality, patient and family experience, financial sustainability, and the overall return on institutional investment in clinical research.

This position requires flexibility to provide coordination and operational support during weekends and other off-hours as necessary to meet the needs of clinical trials and research participants.

For priority consideration, please submit your application by September 30, 2026.

Core Responsibilities:
• Program development, including implementation of a complex staffing matrix to cover multiple departments
• Study procurement and operations
• Development of a CHRI participant-concierge-service.
• Development of a balanced book of study financials with a high return on investment across the portfolio
• Expert and expedient navigation of all Heath System and University processes involved in interventional trial work
• Integration with multiple clinical services and participation in expanding physical space footprint for research conduct at multiple locations.
• Periodic communication with CHOR executive committee, Pediatrician in Chief, and Chief Pediatric Medical Officer to avoid any negative impact on hospital operations or finance.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member. 

• Strong communication and writing skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Minimum 10 years of experience managing federal, foundation, and industry-sponsored trials
• 10 years of direct supervisory experience
• Experience in project management
• 10 years of experience with research compliance and IRB, supervising IRB applications and
modification
• Budget development / review, maintaining reports for sponsors
• Proficient with quantitative data management and analyses programs
• Proficient with Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint
• Financial record keeping and budget reconciliation experience required

• 10 years of general experience running clinical research
• Master’s level or equivalent in related field in addition to 10 years working experience with patient populations. Higher education in health sciences preferred, foreign physician training acceptable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to competently speak a second, or even multiple languages. This is to ensure applicant can appreciate the complexities of recruiting an international patient population who will be experiencing American culture and communication styles for the first time while encountering a highly charged health care situation involving the receipt of a first-in-man gene therapy for their children.
• Clinical Research Coordinator Certification
• Experience in an academic clinical and translational research environment
• Experience in a clinical management or direct provider role to ensure applicant has an understanding of health systems operations, rules, financial concerns, and the potential for clinical and translational research integrations into those systems.

Salary Range: Commensurate with Experience ($100,000–$110,000)

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: Yes

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

University Job Title: Administrator RS (32911) open

Contact Name: Jewel Jefferson

Contact Email: jewel.jefferson@vcuhealth.org