Department
College International and Extracurricular Learning
About the Department
Office of Undergraduate Research
Job Summary
The Director and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Research leads the Office of Undergraduate Research in its efforts to grow and advance undergraduate research opportunities, research-related programming, and associated initiatives in the University of Chicago College. The Director operationalizes collegiate leadership’s vision for undergraduate research. The Director strives to develop and execute sustainable undergraduate research programs indicative of the institution’s commitment to increased awareness and availability of undergraduate research opportunities across disciplines, facilitating research experiences for undergraduates, and celebrating research achievements of both students and their faculty mentors.
The Director ensures that the Office of Undergraduate Research is a strong partner to the Collegiate Divisions, departments, centers, and programs, and other university constituencies such as Career Advancement, Alumni Relations and Development, and the Library, while ensuring that the Office equitably advances opportunities across all disciplines and for all students, including those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academic research. The Director effectively supervises and supports the staff of the Office of Undergraduate Research and coordinates with the Director of National Fellowships to capitalize on the interconnections of the offices’ work and promote students’ long-term intellectual and personal development.
Responsibilities
- Provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Office of Undergraduate Research including the development and management of programming, personnel, partnerships, and finances.
- Leads unit efforts in the incubation, design, and execution of undergraduate research programs in partnership with faculty and senior leadership.
- Oversees OUR’s flagship research programs including the College Summer Institute in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CSI), the Straetz International Research Scholars program, the IJRA Program with the University of Sussex, and the annual University of Chicago Undergraduate Research Symposium.
- Chairs grant selection committees and supports committees relevant to CCRF’s fellowships operations and partner offices.
- Evaluates existing programs and policies in partnership with the University Research Administration and academic leadership; makes recommendations for improvement in line with the Dean’s strategic vision for undergraduate research.
- Partners closely with UChicago faculty across all disciplines to share information and increase student engagement in undergraduate research
- Serves as the unit authority on OUR budgets and projections, delegating day-to-day responsibilities as appropriate.
- In partnership with the Dean and College Development, works across disciplines to develop funding sources to broaden and diversify student and faculty participation in undergraduate research.
- As a member of the College leadership team, represents the OUR to internal and external audiences, including high-level presentations to students, parents, faculty, senior university leadership, and donors.
- With College Communications, provides leadership for newsletter, media, publicity events, publications, and web content to publicize and promote undergraduate research efforts and achievements.
- Oversees data management and reporting efforts for the office.
- Active with relevant professional associations including the Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR); attends and presents at national and regional conferences.
- Remains well-informed of national trends related to undergraduate research to inform undergraduate research programming and support at the University of Chicago.
- Supports other new and existing College-sponsored research programs.
- Provides leadership and management for direct reports, including performance appraisals, hiring and job position review, and professional development.
- Designs and teaches research literacy courses, including but not limited to ethical conduct of research, health and safety training, IRB processes, and other best practices; discipline-specific training (tools, systems, data collection); and their research communication skills.
- Partners with the University Library and Institutional Review Board Office (IRB) to develop and implement instructional opportunities and tools for information literacy and formal ethics training.
- Organizes and facilitates information sessions for early career students.
- Oversees an undergraduate research mentor training program for faculty and graduate student mentors.
- With direct reports, provides leadership for high-impact, developmental advising to undergraduates across all disciplines.
- Manages a team of individuals that validate the academic status of students within the school to ensure proper tuition assessments and scholarship awards.
- Identifies and implements technological solutions to improve operating efficiencies and assure veracity of data gathering.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Certifications:
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years of experience in research mentoring, developmental advising, and teaching.
- Minimum 7 years full-time experience in undergraduate research program administration.
- At least 7 years of demonstrable experience in technical writing, professional or technical communication or editing and/or a position that included proposal/grant writing and/or appropriate undergraduate degree or emphasis area such as English, Scientific or Technical Writing, etc.
- Seven years of progressively responsible administrative experience.
- Background with program design, implementation, and management; experience organizing large symposia and research events.
- Providing instruction on undergraduate research skills building, as well as creating, facilitating, and delivering information sessions and workshops about various research grant programs, summer research opportunities, and research communication skills.
- Developing undergraduate research best practices and policies.
- Utilizing current educational assessment tools to survey research experiences and propose quality enhancement plans.
- Research and publication record commensurate with discipline/experience.
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
- Proficiency in Mac and PC environments.
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, and online organizational tools.
- Familiarity with Canvas or other higher education course-building platforms.
- Familiarity with Adobe graphic design/web development environments, database management, social media platforms.
Preferred Competencies
- Strong leadership and managerial skills.
- Possess an in-depth understanding of undergraduate research, including national trends, and an established track record of activities related to undergraduate research, high impact advising and, broadly, teaching and learning practices in higher education.
- Substantive experience working within the broader research enterprise and effectively guide undergraduates in translating their academic interests into viable research experiences.
- Highly motivated, innovative, well-organized, detail-oriented, and resourceful academic leader who enjoys working closely with undergraduates.
- Familiarity with students and educational experience in highly selective, top-tier institutions.
- Demonstrated ability to establish good working relationships with people of different backgrounds.
- Strong commitment to young adults and the values and goals of a liberal arts education, appreciation for the value of undergraduate research as a scholarly enterprise and as important for student development.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative, provide thought-leadership, and work well as a principal, contributing member to a small team.
- Excellent leadership, organizational, administrative, and computer skills.
- Strong program and event management skills, prioritize and manage concurrent tasks with interruptions, meet deadlines and respond to many emails, in-person , and phone requests in a timely fashion.
- Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information related to students, faculty, and staff.
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and manage effectively competing demands.
- Proven ability to collaborate with faculty and institutional partners.
- Exceptional written and oral presentation skills; teaching experience.
Working Conditions
- Office environment.
- Some evening and weekend work.
- Fast-paced environment.
- Lift up to 40 lbs.
- Push carts with up to 50 lbs. of material.
- Sit at a computer for 4-6 hours.
- Periodic walking to other campus locations.
- Climbing up to 5 flights of stairs.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter, which is to include your interest in and competencies for this position (required)
- Professional/Academic References Contact Information, names of student references welcome (3)(required)
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Student Affairs & Services
Role Impact
People Manager
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Pay Rate Type
Salary
FLSA Status
Exempt
Pay Range
$88,000.00 - $110,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
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