The Medical Practice Evaluation Center (MPEC) informs health policy and transforms the care of underserved populations worldwide through clinically focused cost-effectiveness, epidemiologic, and implementation research. MPEC is driven by a team of passionate and dedicated personnel from diverse backgrounds who exemplify professionalism, respect, and integrity in their work.


MPEC is unified by several core values:


§ Humility and mutual respect in our collaborations with external partners


§ Equity - as a common objective both as an organization and in our work


§ Our collective success and a culture of sharing


§ Mentorship - to develop the next generation of investigators and leaders


§ Recognition of all team members as contributors


§ Balance in work and life - recognizing the tremendous value in both


§ A can-do attitude in all that we do


To foster these values in a growing team environment, MPEC is seeking an experienced team leader to provide daily management, oversight and professional mentorship of research staff. The Staff Manager will play a key role in research program administration by providing skill-building coaching to research staff, partnering with faculty researchers to manage research staff workloads, and supporting the professional development of research staff. This individual will bolster and support MPEC's culture of respectful and collegial collaboration through the cultivation of trusting relationships among staff and Principal Investigators (PIs).


The candidate will work with an internationally recognized, multidisciplinary team from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, alongside collaborators from many institutions, including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The team conducts research focused on both US and international settings - the latter including, but not limited to, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil, India, Nigeria, and Thailand.



PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:



Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following activities:


Serve as coach and professional resource to research personnel


• Clinical Research Coordinators


o Meet regularly with all (~20) CRCs to actively monitor workload


o Intervene as needed to guide CRCs in prioritizing projects and timelines


o Provide consistent coaching regarding skill development and identify appropriate training resources to support professional growth


• All research staff (CRCs, Programmers, Data Analysts, Project Managers, Operations staff)


o Serve as ombuds, providing confidential advice and facilitating conversations to resolve challenging situations or conflicts


o In partnership with PIs, provide ongoing professional development support, develop appropriate professional goals, and identify opportunities for ongoing learning opportunities


Coordinate workload planning and distribution


• Work with faculty (and/or Project Manager delegate, if applicable) on CRC allocation planning


• Develop proposals to properly balance project needs and funding availability and refine based on PI input to be responsive to needs


• Monitor overtime and after-hours work trends; engage necessary individuals to address recurring overtime


• Work with recruiting team to recruit a new research assistant cohort within MPEC each year


• Identify areas of unmet need and collaborate with leadership to identify effective methods to address staffing gaps through role reconfiguration or developing new roles within MPEC


Provide Human Resources guidance and support


• Oversee and manage timekeeping for all weekly-paid personnel


• Manage research staff performance reviews, collecting and organizing input, sharing with PI supervisor, and ensuring timely submission to HR


• Engage with MPEC leadership and MGH HR to plan and advocate for promotions for staff as appropriate


• Develop corrective action plans as needed; provide oversight of plan execution


• Direct internship, non-employee, and visa processes for MPEC staff and affiliates


Provide ongoing PI support


• Meet with PIs regularly (monthly, or more frequently if requested) to discuss research staff performance


• Share best practices with PIs regarding supervision, navigating difficult conversations, and delivering performance reviews



SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:



The Staff Manager will be part of the supervisory team for over 20 research staff members.



Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:



Required:


• BA/BS degree and 3+ years of professional work experience in a supervisory/manager position


• Proven mentorship and management skills


Preferred:


• Familiarity with an academic or medical research setting


• Master's degree in public health, management, or related field



SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:



Discretion and Trust-building


• Ability to address personnel matters with empathy and discretion


• Proven skills in mediation and fostering successful communication across the organizational structure, including vertically


• Ability to manage diverse teams with different skillsets, work styles, and professional roles


Planning, Organizing and Coordinating


• Capacity to monitor a complex research enterprise


• Excellent attention to detail


• Ability to anticipate the needs of the group


Gets Results/Takes Initiative


• High personal work standards and sense of urgency about results; demonstrates initiative


• Consistently demonstrates a positive, "can-do" attitude


• Ability to anticipate and solve problems proactively


• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to learn


• Rigorous academic and/or professional background


Communication Skills


• Ability to work successfully in a collaborative environment


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills


• Ability to clarify and distill complex issues to a variety of stakeholders


• Ability to represent MPEC with the utmost professionalism and ability to build strong relationships inside and outside the group



EEO Statement

Massachusetts General Hospital is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.