Apply on Employer Site

Inside Higher Ed · 1 week ago

Assistant or Associate Project Scientist/Scientific Managing Director

Berkeley, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

$77K/yr - $115K/yr

Inside Higher Ed is seeking an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist/Scientific Managing Director for the NSF Center for Genetically Encoded Materials at UC Berkeley. The role involves designing and analyzing experiments, managing research projects, and overseeing financial and HR resources within the center.

Digital MediaEducationHigher EducationJournalismRecruiting

No H1B

Responsibilities

Independently design and execute experiments related to C-GEM's research aims

Perform rigorous analysis, interpretation, and compilation of experimental data

Develop and optimize novel synthetic methodology for C-GEM science

Plan and contribute to discussions on the determination of future project directions

Remain up to date with the latest scientific literature in the field of genetically encoded materials, peptide chemistry, and any other relevant C-GEM subfields to inform research direction

Prepare and publish manuscripts in high-impact journals

Present primary research findings at seminars and conferences

Maintain clear documentation of protocols, analyses, and results

Prepare figures and text summarizing findings for grant reporting

Train junior lab members, including graduate students and undergraduate researchers, on specific experimental techniques and lab best practices

Offer project-specific research guidance to graduate students and undergraduate researchers (troubleshooting, project arc development, etc)

Provide feedback on fellowship applications, manuscripts, and research presentations prepared by junior lab members as needed

Identifies synergies between groups with otherwise disparate research programs and encourages these collaborations

Identifies gaps in C-GEM expertise and proposes solutions (collaborations, guest speakers, etc.)

Tracks C-GEM interdisciplinary activities and milestones for reporting and improvement purposes

Facilitates intellectual property development (patents, technology licensing) in conjunction with C-GEM faculty, tech transfer offices, and industrial partners

Per the C-GEM data management plan, promotes public accessibility of C-GEM work through preprints and deposition of data and reagents into appropriate repositories

Oversees Executive Committee review and decisions on ad-hoc proposals from potential new Seed Investigators

Oversees distribution of C-GEM career development funds to graduate students and postdocs

Provides general direction to a reportee and ensures completion with respect to all Center programming needed to meet strategic plan objectives and broader impact goals

Develops a complex annual $4M+ budget based on Executive Committee review and Director recommendations from a competitive internal funding process

Oversees post-award research administrators to gather expenditure information for subawards and Berkeley grant accounts, generate projections, and ensure responsible use of funds

Oversees Centerwide HR including: development of job postings and leading hiring processes for Center staff, summer undergraduate researcher registration, and postbaccalaureate hiring

Oversees procurement for large C-GEM expenditures including equipment, chemicals, and specialized services

Develops annual call for proposals to allocate funding among C-GEM investigators. Oversees review of proposals by the External Advisory Board and Executive Committee. Facilitates connections between investigators during the call for proposals to increase synergy and applications of C-GEM discoveries

Oversees execution of projects including identifying and tracking reportable metrics of success for each project

Liaises with the National Science Foundation, C-GEM Executive Committee, External Advisory Board (EAB), Industrial Affiliates Group (IAG), Chemistry department, partner institutions, other Berkeley departments, Center participants, and other partners

Gives presentations on the research program and other activities when relevant

Represent C-GEM to committees and external groups. Includes College of Chemistry DEIB committee, Berkeley Coalition for Education and Outreach, CCI Managing Directors group, and CCI Directors of Education and Outreach group

Serve as campus expert on NSF, virtual site visits, and collaborative research development to the Berkeley Research Development Office (BRDO) as requested

Direct overall compliance with NSF Cooperative Agreement including annual progress report, increment request, initiate new subawards, and provide other documents as requested

Organize C-GEM annual meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee, EAB, and IAG directly or via subordinates. Set agendas, lead meetings in conjunction with the faculty Director, and evaluates meetings for impact and ideas for improvement

Manages and oversees organizational tools including GEM-NET Slack workspace, member database, project management systems, email lists/google domain, and custom software

Develops an industry membership program (Industrial Affiliates Group) in collaboration with IPIRA/IAO, identifies and recruits new industrial contacts to the IAG. Connects IAG members with C-GEM faculty and researchers where appropriate

Writes reports for NSF as needed

Qualification

PhD in ChemistryOrganic synthesis expertiseScientific writingComplex biomolecule characterizationSolid-phase peptide synthesisGenetic code expansion knowledgeScientific mentorshipCommunity engagementTeam collaboration

Required

PhD or equivalent international degree or enrolled in a PhD or equivalent international degree program

PhD or equivalent international degree

Preferred

PhD or equivalent international degree in Chemistry or related field

Experience in liaising with industrial and governmental partners

Ability to work as part of a team

Extensive experience in scientific writing and editing

Strong record in publications

Expertise in organic synthesis and complex biomolecule characterization, particularly structural characterization of atropoisomeric small molecules and/or peptides

Experience with solid-phase peptide synthesis and peptide macrocyclization

Extensive working knowledge of the field of genetic code expansion

Strong track record of scientific mentorship and academic collaboration

Experience leading community engagement and STEM outreach

Demonstrated ability to report scientific research in accordance with NSF guidelines