About This Position

The University of Georgia (UGA), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (http://www.uga.edu/). UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA was founded in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly as the first state-chartered University in the country. UGA employs approximately 1,800 full-time instructional faculty and more than 7,600 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 36,000 students including over 27,500 undergraduates and over 8,500 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 17 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

About the College/Unit/Department

The Office of Research encourages and supports innovative interdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activities that contribute to the physical, emotional and economic well-being of the people of Georgia, the nation and the world. Through partnerships and collaborations, we seek to share knowledge, increase innovation and deliver the products of our research to the marketplace.

College/Unit/Department website https://research.uga.edu

Posting Type External

Retirement Plan TRS or ORP

Employment Type Employee

Benefits Eligibility Benefits Eligible

EEO Policy Statement

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

Minimum Qualifications

Requires at least a baccalaureate degree in the field.  Please contact your Human Resources office for an evaluation of education/experience in lieu of the required minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• JD or PhD, or the equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities have been acquired.
• Five years of relevant work experience in a university research environment.

Position Summary

The Director for Conflicts of Interest Review and Management (Director) will support the mission of the university by developing, implementing, and managing an integrated, campus-wide conflicts of interest (COI) program. This includes developing and operationalizing new policies and related procedure for the disclosure, review, and management of COI relationships in research, outside work/consulting, and other activities.

The Director will have a thorough understanding and day-to-day responsibility for promoting and ensuring that UGA activities comply with applicable laws, rules, policies, and employee outside activities and financial interests are compliant with ethical and professional standards and practices. Once properly disclosed, outside activities and financial interests will be reviewed promptly, professionally, and consistently in context of the applicable laws and policies.

The Director will establish and maintain critical collaborative relationships with numerous other UGA units that have conflicts of interest exposure, as well as a continuing program of conflicts of interest outreach and training, with ongoing reviews of compliance. The Director will draft and maintain policies, training manuals, and website resources to ensure consistency and conflicts of interest compliance across the university. The Director will effectively communicate with all levels of University leadership, faculty, and staff, and will serve as a highly skilled resource for the University. High value is placed on the ability to interact and engage with faculty to receive and address their concerns and provide guidance with complex or unusual conflict of interest issues.

The Director will be responsible for leading the selection, implementation, and management of a software solution for disclosing and managing conflicts of interest and escalating issues to the proper units.

The Director will handle confidential issues with a high degree of sensitivity. The Director should maintain high levels of confidentiality in dealing with controlled, sensitive, and proprietary information.

Specifically, the Director will manage and conduct document and disclosure reviews, disclosure research, conflict management analysis, and reporting, and support the campus-wide COI committee in its work. The development of practical and effective management plans in cooperation with other stakeholders.

The position will be housed within the Office of Research, reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research Integrity and Safety, but will work with units from across campus to accomplish the mission. The Director will collaborate with leadership with strategic planning, program development, and special projects to meet the Program’s goals.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

• Experience with Conflicts of Interest program/processes.
• Experience working with administrators and faculty members on compliance matters and problem solving .
• Demonstrated ability in effectively implementing academic compliance programs.
• Experience with software solutions for research, compliance, or academic administration.
• Strong regulatory research skills. Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements and issues into terms readily understood by the organization.
• Documented leadership of major projects.
• Service-oriented leadership experience.
• Ability to problem solve. Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills. Uses sound judgment in decision-making.
• Clear and accurate written and verbal communication skills.

Physical Demands

Sitting at computer for long periods of time, walking, standing, stooping, bending, carrying, pushing, pulling.

Duties/Responsibilities

Program Management and Administration:

Overall development, management, and administration of the Program including the selection, implementation, ongoing management, and enhancements of a COI software solution.

Provide strategic planning and program development efforts.

Duties/Responsibilities

Disclosure Reviews and Management / Ancillary Review Management:

Conduct COI disclosure reviews and make referrals to applicable ancillary reviewers or a conflicts of interest committee as necessary.

Evaluate COI in relation to faculty startup companies and other innovation activities to mitigate risk with these complex relationships.

Identify documents for review, conduct research, and conduct faculty and staff interviews as necessary to ascertain the relevant facts and circumstances related to disclosures. Conduct review and analysis of pertinent materials.

Conduct analysis of source data, other materials and internal precedent. Write reports summarizing findings for AVP.

Work closely with the AVP to facilitate faculty committees, scheduling meetings, preparing materials and ensuring the committee members have all required information for their review.

Drafting and implementing policies and processes related to conflict of interest disclosure and management.

Duties/Responsibilities

Conflict of Interest Education and Training:

Understand and maintain familiarity with federal, state, and UGA regulations and policies governing conflicts of interest. Conduct campus-wide education and training in these areas.

Develop accessible outreach programs regarding all aspects of COI including competing interests in faculty startup companies, SBIR/STTR grants, and other innovation activities.

Prepare presentations in a variety of formats to reach diverse audiences.

Create educational materials and articles for the University regarding conflicts of interest.

Duties/Responsibilities

General Program Support:

Create policy, guidance, and responsive correspondence supporting the Conflict of Interest Program.

Serve on other institutional compliance committees and work groups as necessary.

Leading and participating in special projects and other duties as assigned by the AVP.

Required Documents

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents