Director - Conflict of Interest and Outside Activities

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Office for Research Protections (ORP) at Penn State is seeking an exceptional candidate with a strong mindset of leadership, strategy, and collaboration to serve as the Director - Conflict of Interest and Outside Activities (COI/OA) program.

Penn State is Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution with a strong focus on access and affordability, cutting-edge research, and making a difference and impact in the community, the Commonwealth, and the world. Penn State is one university geographically dispersed across 24 campuses throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and online, comprising 100,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and 45,000 full- and part-time faculty, staff, and technical service employees. A leading public research university, Penn State’s research expenditures exceeded $1.3 billion in FY2024 while its academic health center and system – Penn State Health – serves more than 2.8 million residents. As a member of the Office for Research Protections, you will be joining a team of individuals who have the ambition to help Penn State succeed.

This position will report to the Assistant Vice President for Research and will supervise a team of staff who support the COI/OA program.

Responsibilities: Following are the key responsibilities of this position:

• Maintain responsibility for updating, implementing, continuously monitoring, and enforcing the University-wide conflict of interest and commitment (COI/COC) policies, procedures and guidelines designed to meet or exceed the requirements of the various federal laws governing conflicts of interest and commitment as they relate to research and foreign affiliations.
• Work directly with principal investigators and relevant unit offices to ensure compliance with all related regulations and internal policies and procedures.
• Serve as the central subject matter expert (SME) on COI/COC.
• Perform reviews of conflicts and support operations of the three COI Committees.
• Conduct investigations of noncompliance, perform self-audits and program assessments, and develop remedial measures when needed.
• Keep informed of regulatory changes, provide timely notifications to the research community, and contribute to policy reviews and updates.
• Establish, implement, and enforce guidelines that minimize operational impact while maximizing compliance efforts.
• Partner with other units such as Sponsored Programs, General Counsel, and college research offices.
• Foster collaboration with faculty, staff, and administrators.

Education and Experience: This position will be filled as a Research Compliance Manager - Senior Manager level, and requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of relevant professional experience related to conflicts of interest and research compliance (or an equivalent combination of education and experience), including 3+ years of supervisory experience.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to multi-task, analyze complex situations, and develop actionable solutions.
• Discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Ability to work effectively with researchers prioritize tasks in a dynamic environment.
• Sound judgment for decision-making.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or Juris Doctor.
• Experience in a higher education setting.

Work Arrangement: The Office for Research Protections is supportive of flexible work arrangements when aligned with the ability to meet the needs of the unit and the essential duties of the position. This position is eligible to work remotely within the US; shared workspace is available on the University Park campus if the selected individual would like to operate from the office. Standard working hours are in the eastern time zone.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: