Research Compliance Specialist

Job Description:

Job Description:

About The Chicago School

The Chicago School is a nonprofit university with seven in-person locations across the United States, a growing online campus, and education partnerships worldwide. The Chicago School is a minority-majority university with 6,000+ students across 35+ degree programs in psychology, behavioral health, and nursing. The Chicago School is committed to creating a diverse pipeline of future professionals who will fundamentally improve the health and well-being of future generations of diverse communities.  Founded in 1979 by a group of psychologists and educators, The Chicago School has grown into a dominant and globally respected leader in the fields of psychology and behavioral health sciences. Today, The Chicago School has an annual operating budget of nearly $150M and employs nearly 600 full-time faculty and staff. As an institution, The Chicago School is deeply committed to student success, innovation, and community impact. Our students are meaningfully connected in their communities, donating more than 1.2 million service hours per year through fieldwork and practicum opportunities.  The Chicago School is part of the TCS Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact.

Position Summary:

The Research Compliance Specialist provides comprehensive support for the institution’s research compliance program, including compliance monitoring and education and training. The Specialist will conduct compliance assessments, support audits, and partner with academic and administrative units to promote research integrity and accountability. The Specialist will also develop and deliver human research protections training for faculty, staff, and students and create educational materials, coordinate workshops and webinars, and partner with academic units to strengthen ethical research practices throughout the institution. This role serves as a key resource for faculty, staff, and external partners, ensuring adherence to federal regulations, institutional policies, and best practices in human subjects research.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

Research Compliance Monitoring & Auditing

• Conduct for-cause audits authorized by the IRB or institutional official.
• Conduct periodic compliance reviews of research protocols and documentation.
• Write reports and communicate findings with investigators, committees, and appropriate parties.
• Monitor adherence to IRB determinations, continuing review obligations, and reporting requirements.
• Support internal audits relating to research governance.
• Identify potential compliance gaps and recommend corrective action.
• Collaborate with IRB and sponsored programs offices to maintain compliance frameworks.

Education & Training

• Design and implement training programs on IRB submission processes, federal regulations, and best practices in human subject protections for both socio-behavioral and biomedical research.
• Develop written and multimedia resources (guides, FAQs, webinars).
• Partner with departments to offer tailored training sessions and support.
• Track training participation and recommend improvements to curricula.
• Stay current with regulatory changes and emerging trends in research compliance education.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the IRB Director.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (e.g., research compliance, public health, social sciences, etc.) and 3 years relevant program experience.
• Experience with human subjects research, IRB operations, research compliance, education and training.
• Familiarity with compliance auditing or monitoring practices.
• Knowledge of federal regulations governing research and institutional policies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and documentation skills.
• Experience developing training programs or educational materials.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative and service-oriented approach.
• Discretion and professionalism in handling sensitive information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic research/compliance systems.
• Comfortable working in a fully remote environment using tools such as Zoom.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education or academic research administration.
• Experience using Cayuse.
• Certification in research or compliance (e.g., CIP, CCRC, CIM, CHRC, CUNY, RCI).

Compensation & Benefits:

This opportunity is budgeted at $68,000-$70,000 base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/career-opportunities/

The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $$68,000 to $70,000 base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/career-opportunities/

The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please note: For the protection of faculty, staff, students, and all who enter our facilities, The Chicago School strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per CDC guidance.