Associate Director, Uicentre, College Of Pharmacy

Associate Director, UICentre, College of Pharmacy
Hiring Department: UICentre
Location:Chicago, IL USA
Requisition ID: 1021586
Posting Close Date: December 15, 2023
About the University of Illinois Chicago
UIC is among thenation's preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie R1 researchinstitution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation andis designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American andNative American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a HispanicServing Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally andinternationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert withcivic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complementof health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformationalresearch along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodiesthe dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent "Best Colleges"rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in itsrankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities.UIC has nearly 260,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the cityof Chicago.
Description:
About the UICENTRE:
The UIC Collaborative Engagement in Novel Therapeutic Research and Enterprise (UICentre) is a cross-college academic drug discovery center on the UIC campus, housed in the College of Pharmacy. The mission of the UICentre is to catalyze the formation of multidisciplinary teams of scientists and clinicians that collaborate to translate basic scientific discoveries and clinical observations into new therapies for areas of unmet medical need. Nine staff scientists in the UICentre conduct research and provide consultations on target validation, bioassay development, high-throughput screening, hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry, lead optimization, and pre-clinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics. UIC has a strong track record in entrepreneurship and drug development: UIC scientists invented Prezista™, Shingrix™, TICE-BCG™, and Phexxi™.
Job Summary
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and College of Pharmacy seek qualified applicants for the position of Associate Director, UICentre. This is a senior management position within the UICentre, reporting to the Director, with the possibility of a courtesy faculty appointment. The primary responsibility of the Associate Director will be to lead and supervise the Target Validation/Bioassay team, thereby supporting a portfolio of research projects across multiple disease states. In addition, the Associate Director will assist the Director to build upon campus intellectual strengths and property to create the infrastructure necessary to stimulate and enhance the application of chemical, pharmaceutical, and translational knowledge and elevate biomedical discoveries at UIC to a level of clinical application. The Associate Director will conceptualize and facilitate cross-disciplinary and cross-unit scientific interactions, promoting communications and collaborations between the scientific support teams of the UICentre, faculty research groups, internal and external entities, and the public.
Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Target Validation/Bioassay Development team of the UICentre
• Work with the Director to design and build new collaborative drug discovery programs
• Develop and optimize novel, custom, and complex biochemical and cell-based functional potency assays, i.e., bioassays
• Interact cross-functionally with drug design, medicinal chemistry, mass spectrometry, DMPK, and other (pre-)clinical teams
• Engage with basic and clinical translational scientists across the University of Illinois System
• Explore alliances with representatives from local industry, biotechnology ventures, Chicago area academic drug discovery groups, and (inter)national consortia
• Build collaborative relationships to support joint endeavors with campus and system partners such as the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, the Office of Technology Management, Illinois Ventures, Discovery Partners Institute, and West Loop Innovations
• Initiate and support efforts to garner sponsored research, gift, and other revenue streams to support UICentre projects
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

• PhD degree in the biomedical sciences
• Five to ten years' experience in quantitative biology/bioassay development in an academic or industrial drug discovery setting
• Advanced knowledge of drug discovery, development, and commercialization
• Track record of high-quality scientific achievement and productivity in a collaborative environment
• Demonstrated ability to managing multiple and complex projects simultaneously
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior laboratory and personnel management experience
• Demonstrated success in obtaining external research funding
• Qualifications for a research track courtesy faculty appointment as defined by the norms and standards of the College of Pharmacy and an associated academic department

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.
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