The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago (https://www.czbiohub.org/chi) is an independent nonprofit research institute that brings together three powerhouse universities - Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine. CZ Biohub itself supports some of the brightest, boldest engineers, data scientists, and biomedical researchers to make breakthroughs in medicine and develop new technologies, frequently in collaboration with our partner universities. We are guided by our values of scholarly excellence; disruptive innovation; hands-on engineering/hacking/building; partnership and collaboration; open communication and respect; inclusiveness; and opportunity for all.
Our Vision
- We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
- We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
- The technologies developed at CZ Biohub Chicago facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond
Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of CZ Biohub Network and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.
The Opportunity
The Vice President, Strategy and Operations will play a pivotal role in advancing the mission of CZ Biohub Chicago, the hub leading the charge on one of our Grand Challenges to instrument tissues in order to better understand and ultimately treat inflammation-driven diseases. This leader will oversee a diverse range of responsibilities aimed at driving collaboration and fostering innovation within our organization.
Key areas of focus include managing our academic partnerships, including the extramural funding program, leading government and industry relations, and fostering collaboration and developing strategies to secure philanthropic support for scientific research projects. Additionally, the role entails overseeing intellectual property management for CZ Biohub Chicago and site management to optimize organizational performance and drive a culture of excellence..
This multifaceted role requires a visionary scientific leader with a strong understanding of academic, governmental, and industry landscapes, and a passion for driving organizational growth and scientific innovation.
What You'll Do
- Work with the President in the leadership of the organization and the development and implementation of the strategic vision of the Chicago Biohub Grand Challenge.
- Serve as a day-to-day resource for the Chicago Biohub and help to develop and foster a culture of excellence at the site and the vision of the Chicago Biohub Grand Challenge within the organization.
- Lead and mentor a diverse team of professionals, providing guidance and support to drive performance and collaboration with functional leaders across the organization (e.g., CFO, SVP HR, COO) to optimize operational, managerial, and administrative procedures and efficiency.
- Lead efforts to engage with government entities, industry stakeholders, and philanthropic organizations to advance our scientific initiatives and secure funding opportunities to advance our scientific mission
- Maintain relationships with partnering academic institutions to foster collaboration and enhance our extramural funding programs
- Develop and execute programs for scientific and business development, including industry affiliates and academic affiliates programs
- Effectively communicate and foster a positive dynamic among the leadership team across the Chicago site and across the organization.
- In partnership with the CFO and Finance team, manage the Chicago Biohub and Grand Challenge budget planning and management.
- Organize and prepare board of directors meeting materials, financial reports, board books, and coordinate board agendas.
You have
Essential -
General
- Bachelor's, Masters or Ph.D. (preferred) in science or relevant field
- 10 years of demonstrated experience in strategy, operations, and team leadership in life sciences, biotechnology, or chemistry research organizations
- Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire cross-functional teams
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans and initiatives
- Demonstrated commitment to open science and highly aligned with the mission and values of the Chicago Biohub and CZ Science.
Strategic vision
- Facilitate communication between leadership, scientists, operational teams, and other partners to create an innovative vision for the organization by understanding strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities
- Sees the “bigger picture” and understands how scientific research can best be leveraged through a more coordinated platform
Results oriented
- “Hands-on” leader, comfortable working in a fast-paced, quickly changing start-up environment.
- Balances the execution of urgent and effective, short-term action (tactical) with long-term, strategic priorities. Has a continual commitment to excellence and takes initiative in solving problems.
Leadership
- Defines and translates a vision into actionable plans. Understands how science strategy and operations work together to deliver maximum impact.
- Develops loyalty and commitment in others by articulating an appealing vision for the future, communicating high expectations, setting an example, and developing and mentoring a team.
- Able to gain credibility quickly with internal and external stakeholders
Compensation
The Chicago, IL base pay range for this role is $220,000 - $330,000. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process.
What We Provide
- Resources to disrupt and innovate at the frontiers of our knowledge of biology and disease
- A collegial and collaborative environment consisting of diverse expertise
- Access to collaborators, resources and facilities at our three partner universities (Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and at partner organizations in Chicagoland and beyond
- Competitive compensation and benefits commensurate with the experience
If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.
Benefits
We offer a robust benefits program that enables the important work Biohubbers do everyday. Our benefits include healthcare coverage, life and disability insurance, commuter subsidies, family planning services with fertility care, childcare stipend, 401(k) match, flexible time off and a generous parental leave policy. In addition, we honor our commitment to career development and our value of scholarly excellence through regular onsite opportunities to learn from the world's leading scientists.
The CZ Biohub Network is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all Biohubbers feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. The CZ Biohub Network does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. The CZ Biohub Network will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the CZ Biohub Network.
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What We Do
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network is a group of nonprofit research institutes that bring together physicians, scientists, and engineers with the goal of pursuing grand scientific challenges on 10- to 15-year time horizons. These institutes partner with Chan Zuckerberg Science in its goal to understand the mysteries of the cell and how cells interact within systems. This collaboration will bring us closer to our mission to cure, prevent, or manage all disease by the end of the century. CZ Biohub San Francisco — which was the inaugural Biohub and launched in 2016 — focuses on infectious disease, quantitative cell science, and technology platforms. It also has an investigator program supporting early-stage, risky research of scientists at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UCSF. CZ Biohub Chicago, which launched in 2023, focuses on engineering technologies to make precise, molecular-level measurements of biological processes within human tissues, with an ultimate goal of understanding and treating the inflammatory states that underlie many diseases. It is a collaboration between the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
