Job Details
Department: WCAS Chemistry
Salary/Grade: EXS/6
Job Summary:
This scientist position in the"Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center"(IMSERC) in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern."
Itis a full-time hybrid position (37.5"hours), working under the IMSERC Director with most days expected to be on-site (about 25% work-from-home capability). The target hiring range for this position will be between $55,128 - $77,525 per year." Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
Responsible for essential support and account management for researchers and investigators within the Core Facility, focusing on supporting their projects through efficient systems operations. Involves managing administrative tasks, technical operations, and collaboration efforts to facilitates highly technical and specialized scientific research. Guides the Core in relevant areas to ensure consistent, high quality service for the research community. ,while also overseeing systems management, documentation, and operational efficiency within the facility.
Specific Responsibilities :
Administration
- Maintains clear and accurate documentation of the Qualtity Control protocols, instrumentation logs, and/or data collected.
- Maintains user accounts, security, permissions, and file systems in accordance with standards and operational requirements
- Manages and owns the entire process of order placement for the facility in support of staff.
- Maintains detailed and current documentation of job responsibilities, including step-by-step procedures
- Contributes to grant writing efforts, which may involve editing proposals, crafting materials and methods sections, and compiling/editing all necessary supporting documentation to meet compliance standards tailored to each grant type.
Collaboration/Strategy
- Participates in and assists Director in cost analyses.
- Assists with administrative duties necessary for a fee-for-service facility operation such as collecting and/ or entering facility billing data.
- Manages day-to-day front office operations, ensuring efficient handling of customer inquiries, seamless coordination of account setup and authorization processes, and effective management of various payment methods.
- Managing billing processes, coordinating notifications, facilitating adjustments, generating invoices, and handling customer inquiries.
- Manages event logistics, both in-house and /or off-site training sessions related to Staff/Core activities.
- Participates in the delivery of presentations, seminars, and workshops with external customers and training sessions for staff.
- Networks with key decision-makers within the research community to proactively identify operational challenges, gather feedback on existing services, and assess potential requirements for additional instrumentation to meet their evolving needs.
Data analysis
- Performs literature reviews for the purposes of furthering the research.
- Assists in the documentation and development of new Quality Control analysis techniques and methodologies.
- Produces detailed reports that summarize customer data, highlighting key metrics, quality scores, and relevant findings or recommendations.
Technical
- Use of VBA scripts and .csv files for compiling and uploading charges
- Serve as the lead for all project management efforts and software therein.
- Utilizes knowledge of applications, principles, theories, and concepts to drive projects from concept through completion with minimal guidance
- Troubleshoots problems with procedures and applications and suggests/implements adjustments to protocols.
- Works on advanced problems as a Project Manager involving which analysis of situations or data requiring an in-depth evaluation of various factors.
- Exercises judgement within defined practices and policies in establishing external user accounts and payment sources.
- Website maintenance to streamline the integration of up-to-date content and enhance the interconnectedness of UX interface content.
- Trains Core staff and clients in customer account and project management applications.
- Develops and maintains comprehensive documentation outlining automation workflows, logic, and processes within the Smartsheet project management platform.
- Familiarity with the specific requirements and compliance standards for different grant submission types
Supervision
- Trains and provides oversight to lower-level Core staff and clients.
Miscellaneous
Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications: - Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the Sciences in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
- Experience using Laboratory instrumentation.
- Experience in Biosafety Laboratory Procedures.
- Experience supporting grant submissions.
- Ability to perform literature searches.
- Proven success in event planning.
- 5 years experience managing a research laboratory or facility.
- 2 years experience with billing, finance, or financial roles.
- 4 years experience providing Customer Service.
Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.) - Organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities.
- Ability to work as part of a project team.
- Proficiency with Smartsheet Development.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel
- Proficiency with NUcore, NUFinancials, and Cognos.
- Experience with third-party billing applications such as Cardpointe and Bill.com.
- Demonstrated ability to train others.
- Demonstrated ability to succeed in a fast-paced, dynamic and high growth environment.
- High level of motivation, self-starter, excellent at follow-up, team-player."
- Proven ability to drive projects from concept through completion with minimal guidance.
- Technical knowledge of programming and data manipulation.
Preferred Qualifications: - Completion of Graduate level coursework.
- Ability to operate and maintain common laboratory equipment (e.g. analytical balances, pipets, gas tanks, liquid nitrogen tanks).
- 4 years experience in laboratory bench research.
Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities) - Expanding upon the Smartsheet solution portfolio, demonstrating best practices in design for use cases across a variety of project management and business functions.
- Understanding the functionality and features of the Smartsheet platform, as well as proficiency in documenting technical processes and workflows in a clear and accurate manner.
- Experience with Excel Macros/VBA
- Familiarity with CERES.
- Proficiency with Endnote and SciENcv.
- Experience performing laboratory research.
- Experience with Dreamweaver.
Benefits: At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.
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