General Summary
The Research Project Manager is responsible for all aspects of the day to day operational delivery of behavioral and molecular phenotyping of new models of Huntington’s disease as a part of a new 5-year collaborative JAX-Harvard NINDS grant to PIs Kaczorowski, Gusella and Wheeler to identify “Genetic Mechanisms Controlling Resilience to Huntington's Disease”. This will include leading a team of Trainees, Research Assistants and Laboratory Technicians, to deliver, upload, QC, analyze and report on data generated by the team, and engage with our external collaborators, to ensure the successful completion of the goals of uncovering biological mechanisms of risk and resilience to Huntington's Disease using mouse genetic populations and human omics data.
Key Responsibilities:
- Responsible for the line management and supervision of a team of up to 5 Trainees, Research Assistants and Research Technicians/Technologists – 30%. This will include:
- Conducting performance dialogues and setting annual goals, in discussion with the incumbent’s line manager.
- Holding team members accountable for performance and behavior standards
- Maintaining a team skills matrix that ensures the correct expertise and capacity to deliver phenotyping data
- Delivering competency training
- Leading recruitment cycles to ensure staffing opportunities are fully realized
- Managing competency and performance issues proactively within the team
- Guiding the personal development and mentoring of the team
|
- Responsible for the line management and supervision of a team of up to 5 Trainees, Research Assistants and Research Technicians/Technologists – 30%. This will include:
- Conducting performance dialogues and setting annual goals, in discussion with the incumbent’s line manager.
- Holding team members accountable for performance and behavior standards
- Maintaining a team skills matrix that ensures the correct expertise and capacity to deliver phenotyping data
- Delivering competency training
- Leading recruitment cycles to ensure staffing opportunities are fully realized
- Managing competency and performance issues proactively within the team
- Guiding the personal development and mentoring of the team
|
- Responsible for the day to day operational delivery of adult phenotyping activities – 30%. This will include:
- Delivering a weekly phenotyping schedule that ensures all time critical phenotyping activities are completed and allows each team member sufficient time for non-time critical but essential aspects of their work, such as competency training, and data upload and QC. Adapt the schedule in response to planned and unexpected absences.
- Working with the Center for Biometric Analysis and Mouse Production Team to ensure optimal flow of mice through the pipeline and target delivery.
- Monitoring deliverables and ensuring goals are achieved
- Identifying opportunities to improve the efficiency of the operation, quality of the data and throughput
- Identifying opportunities to reduce the cost of the operation
- Troubleshooting technical and informatics problems
- Procuring capital equipment
- Piloting and implementing altered, improved and new methodologies
- Actively maintaining SOPs, validation methodologies and risk assessments
|
- Responsible for phenotyping data – 30%. This will include:
- Ensuring and improving data collection, reducing manual intervention wherever possible
- Ensuring the team uploads data to JaxLIMS in the agreed timeline
- Developing and delivering a tiered system of data QC in collaboration with the CBA Biostatistician
- Using agreed tools to report analyzed data and draw meaningful biological conclusions. Synthesizing data into reports, vignettes, and material suitable for peer reviewed publication
- Liaising with the JaxLIMS IT team to deliver optimal operational usage of the interface, reporting bugs and defining new or refined functional requirements. These will be prioritized and brokered collaboratively with the incumbent’s line manager
|
- Engaging with the PIs – 10%
- Attending and actively contributing to internal steering meetings as directed by Principal Investigators
- Attending and actively contributing to assigned working groups, face to face meetings and collaborative efforts to publish data
- Assuming the role of point of contact with the for all protocol and data QC matters.
|
- Perform other duties as assigned.
|
Key Metrics
- Effective logistical management of personnel and resources as evidenced by completion of phenotyping work in a sustainable and timely manner.
|
- Project milestones are met and overall throughput achieved.
|
- Data are routinely monitored for quality as evidenced by a >50% year on year reduction of QC issues raised by the DCC.
|
- Timely delivery of progress updates and reports as required by the steering committee, funding agency and PI.
|
Impact on The Jackson Laboratory
- Effective Project Management is critical to the success of the project, a resource project recognized internationally for its importance by the Scientific Community.
|
- High quality phenotypic characterization of mice is critical to the success of the grant and any deviation from this risks the institutional reputation.
|
- Mentoring and developing JAX staff is critical to our mission of building scientific talent for the future.
|
Minimum Qualifications
- BS in Life Sciences required. Knowledge of mouse genetics and biomedical phenotyping that would normally be acquired through a Masters or a Ph.D. program in biological sciences.
|
- Two years’ experience in a role leading team members
|
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate clearly in person and in writing to subordinates, peers and higher level managers. Possess the ability to present one’s ideas and relevant information in a clear and concise manner.
|
- Demonstrated ability to be a positive team player across diverse internal and external organizations
|
- Advanced interpersonal skills sufficient for developing complex, dynamic relationship with a diverse variety of individuals representing a broad cross section of cultures, disciplines and levels of sophistications.
|
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
|
- Knowledge of project management and accountability.
|
- Demonstrable ability to grasp complicated technical subjects, research project requirements, synthesize diverse lines of evidence, and extract meaningful biological conclusions from primary phenotyping data.
|
- Ability to work with people across disciplines to gain their cooperation and commitment to projects with demanding deadlines, the ability to motivate others.
|
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
|
- Proven track record in training research personnel.
|
